diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi
index 70e53b3825..50438f7cb4 100644
--- a/doc/guix.texi
+++ b/doc/guix.texi
@@ -19893,18 +19893,18 @@ to it are lost.
 
 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} base-initrd @var{file-systems} @
        [#:mapped-devices '()] [#:qemu-networking? #f] [#:volatile-root? #f]@
-       [#:virtio? #t] [#:extra-modules '()]
-Return a monadic derivation that builds a generic initrd.  @var{file-systems} is
-a list of file systems to be mounted by the initrd like for @code{raw-initrd}.
-@var{mapped-devices}, @var{qemu-networking?} and @var{volatile-root?}
-also behaves as in @code{raw-initrd}.
+       [#:linux-modules '()]
+Return a monadic derivation that builds a generic initrd, with kernel
+modules taken from @var{linux}.  @var{file-systems} is a list of file-systems to be
+mounted by the initrd, possibly in addition to the root file system specified
+on the kernel command line via @code{--root}.  @var{mapped-devices} is a list of device
+mappings to realize before @var{file-systems} are mounted.
 
-When @var{virtio?} is true, load additional modules so that the
-initrd can be used as a QEMU guest with para-virtualized I/O drivers.
+@var{qemu-networking?} and @var{volatile-root?} behaves as in @code{raw-initrd}.
 
 The initrd is automatically populated with all the kernel modules necessary
-for @var{file-systems} and for the given options.  However, additional kernel
-modules can be listed in @var{extra-modules}.  They will be added to the initrd, and
+for @var{file-systems} and for the given options.  Additional kernel
+modules can be listed in @var{linux-modules}.  They will be added to the initrd, and
 loaded at boot time in the order in which they appear.
 @end deffn
 
diff --git a/gnu/system/linux-initrd.scm b/gnu/system/linux-initrd.scm
index 7a7592bf0a..e0cb59c009 100644
--- a/gnu/system/linux-initrd.scm
+++ b/gnu/system/linux-initrd.scm
@@ -280,6 +280,11 @@ (define (file-system-modules file-systems)
 
 (define* (default-initrd-modules #:optional (system (%current-system)))
   "Return the list of modules included in the initrd by default."
+  (define virtio-modules
+    ;; Modules for Linux para-virtualized devices, for use in QEMU guests.
+    '("virtio_pci" "virtio_balloon" "virtio_blk" "virtio_net"
+      "virtio_console"))
+
   `("ahci"                                  ;for SATA controllers
     "usb-storage" "uas"                     ;for the installation image etc.
     "usbhid" "hid-generic" "hid-apple"      ;keyboards during early boot
@@ -288,7 +293,9 @@ (define* (default-initrd-modules #:optional (system (%current-system)))
     ,@(if (string-match "^(x86_64|i[3-6]86)-" system)
           '("pata_acpi" "pata_atiixp"    ;for ATA controllers
             "isci")                      ;for SAS controllers like Intel C602
-          '())))
+          '())
+
+    ,@virtio-modules))
 
 (define-syntax %base-initrd-modules
   ;; This more closely matches our naming convention.
@@ -301,7 +308,6 @@ (define* (base-initrd file-systems
                       (mapped-devices '())
                       qemu-networking?
                       volatile-root?
-                      (virtio? #t)
                       (extra-modules '())         ;deprecated
                       (on-error 'debug))
   "Return a monadic derivation that builds a generic initrd, with kernel
@@ -312,25 +318,13 @@ (define* (base-initrd file-systems
 
 QEMU-NETWORKING? and VOLATILE-ROOT? behaves as in raw-initrd.
 
-When VIRTIO? is true, load additional modules so the initrd can
-be used as a QEMU guest with the root file system on a para-virtualized block
-device.
-
 The initrd is automatically populated with all the kernel modules necessary
-for FILE-SYSTEMS and for the given options.  However, additional kernel
-modules can be listed in EXTRA-MODULES.  They will be added to the initrd, and
+for FILE-SYSTEMS and for the given options.  Additional kernel
+modules can be listed in LINUX-MODULES.  They will be added to the initrd, and
 loaded at boot time in the order in which they appear."
-  (define virtio-modules
-    ;; Modules for Linux para-virtualized devices, for use in QEMU guests.
-    '("virtio_pci" "virtio_balloon" "virtio_blk" "virtio_net"
-      "virtio_console"))
-
   (define linux-modules*
     ;; Modules added to the initrd and loaded from the initrd.
     `(,@linux-modules
-      ,@(if (or virtio? qemu-networking?)
-            virtio-modules
-            '())
       ,@(file-system-modules file-systems)
       ,@(if volatile-root?
             '("overlay")
diff --git a/gnu/system/vm.scm b/gnu/system/vm.scm
index db29fd5ce9..91ff32ce9a 100644
--- a/gnu/system/vm.scm
+++ b/gnu/system/vm.scm
@@ -144,7 +144,6 @@ (define* (expression->derivation-in-linux-vm name exp
                          (base-initrd %linux-vm-file-systems
                                       #:linux linux
                                       #:linux-modules %base-initrd-modules
-                                      #:virtio? #t
                                       #:qemu-networking? #t))))
 
     (define builder
@@ -513,12 +512,7 @@ (define root-uuid
 
 
   (let ((os (operating-system (inherit os)
-              ;; Use an initrd with the whole QEMU shebang.
-              (initrd (lambda (file-systems . rest)
-                        (apply (operating-system-initrd os)
-                               file-systems
-                               #:virtio? #t
-                               rest)))
+              ;; Assume we have an initrd with the whole QEMU shebang.
 
               ;; Force our own root file system.  Refer to it by UUID so that
               ;; it works regardless of how the image is used ("qemu -hda",
@@ -615,7 +609,6 @@ (define virtual-file-systems
               (apply (operating-system-initrd os)
                      file-systems
                      #:volatile-root? #t
-                     #:virtio? #t
                      rest)))
 
     ;; Disable swap.