diff --git a/payload_generator/generate_delta_main.cc b/payload_generator/generate_delta_main.cc
index eb00333..18cff4b 100644
--- a/payload_generator/generate_delta_main.cc
+++ b/payload_generator/generate_delta_main.cc
@@ -445,6 +445,10 @@
       out_maximum_signature_size_file,
       "",
       "Path to the output maximum signature size given a private key.");
+  DEFINE_bool(is_partial_update,
+              false,
+              "The payload only targets a subset of partitions on the device,"
+              "e.g. generic kernel image update.");
 
   brillo::FlagHelper::Init(
       argc,
@@ -629,6 +633,10 @@
     CHECK(payload_config.target.ValidateDynamicPartitionMetadata());
   }
 
+  if (FLAGS_is_partial_update) {
+    payload_config.is_partial_update = true;
+  }
+
   CHECK(!FLAGS_out_file.empty());
 
   // Ignore failures. These are optional arguments.
@@ -702,7 +710,8 @@
 
   payload_config.max_timestamp = FLAGS_max_timestamp;
 
-  if (payload_config.version.minor >= kVerityMinorPayloadVersion)
+  if (payload_config.is_delta &&
+      payload_config.version.minor >= kVerityMinorPayloadVersion)
     CHECK(payload_config.target.LoadVerityConfig());
 
   LOG(INFO) << "Generating " << (payload_config.is_delta ? "delta" : "full")
diff --git a/payload_generator/payload_file.cc b/payload_generator/payload_file.cc
index 69325d7..940e9bd 100644
--- a/payload_generator/payload_file.cc
+++ b/payload_generator/payload_file.cc
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@
     *(manifest_.mutable_dynamic_partition_metadata()) =
         *(config.target.dynamic_partition_metadata);
 
+  if (config.is_partial_update) {
+    manifest_.set_partial_update(true);
+  }
   return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/payload_generator/payload_generation_config.cc b/payload_generator/payload_generation_config.cc
index b653a03..9c5832d 100644
--- a/payload_generator/payload_generation_config.cc
+++ b/payload_generator/payload_generation_config.cc
@@ -234,7 +234,8 @@
                         minor == kOpSrcHashMinorPayloadVersion ||
                         minor == kBrotliBsdiffMinorPayloadVersion ||
                         minor == kPuffdiffMinorPayloadVersion ||
-                        minor == kVerityMinorPayloadVersion);
+                        minor == kVerityMinorPayloadVersion ||
+                        minor == kPartialUpdateMinorPayloadVersion);
   return true;
 }
 
@@ -273,13 +274,14 @@
   return false;
 }
 
-bool PayloadVersion::IsDelta() const {
+bool PayloadVersion::IsDeltaOrPartial() const {
   return minor != kFullPayloadMinorVersion;
 }
 
 bool PayloadGenerationConfig::Validate() const {
   TEST_AND_RETURN_FALSE(version.Validate());
-  TEST_AND_RETURN_FALSE(version.IsDelta() == is_delta);
+  TEST_AND_RETURN_FALSE(version.IsDeltaOrPartial() ==
+                        (is_delta || is_partial_update));
   if (is_delta) {
     for (const PartitionConfig& part : source.partitions) {
       if (!part.path.empty()) {
@@ -307,6 +309,10 @@
       TEST_AND_RETURN_FALSE(part.verity.IsEmpty());
   }
 
+  if (version.minor < kPartialUpdateMinorPayloadVersion) {
+    TEST_AND_RETURN_FALSE(!is_partial_update);
+  }
+
   TEST_AND_RETURN_FALSE(hard_chunk_size == -1 ||
                         hard_chunk_size % block_size == 0);
   TEST_AND_RETURN_FALSE(soft_chunk_size % block_size == 0);
diff --git a/payload_generator/payload_generation_config.h b/payload_generator/payload_generation_config.h
index af6f181..9abb97f 100644
--- a/payload_generator/payload_generation_config.h
+++ b/payload_generator/payload_generation_config.h
@@ -170,8 +170,8 @@
   // Return whether the passed |operation| is allowed by this payload.
   bool OperationAllowed(InstallOperation::Type operation) const;
 
-  // Whether this payload version is a delta payload.
-  bool IsDelta() const;
+  // Whether this payload version is a delta or partial payload.
+  bool IsDeltaOrPartial() const;
 
   // The major version of the payload.
   uint64_t major;
@@ -198,6 +198,10 @@
   // Whether the requested payload is a delta payload.
   bool is_delta = false;
 
+  // Whether the requested payload is a partial payload, i.e. only update a
+  // subset of partitions on device.
+  bool is_partial_update = false;
+
   // The major/minor version of the payload.
   PayloadVersion version;