diff --git a/modules/system/boot/stage-1-init.sh b/modules/system/boot/stage-1-init.sh
index 593b9397e66..53d528fcd56 100644
--- a/modules/system/boot/stage-1-init.sh
+++ b/modules/system/boot/stage-1-init.sh
@@ -147,6 +147,10 @@ modprobe scsi_wait_scan || true
 udevadm settle || true
 
 
+# Load boot-time keymap before any LVM/LUKS initialization
+@extraUtils@/bin/busybox loadkmap < "@busyboxKeymap@"
+
+
 # XXX: Use case usb->lvm will still fail, usb->luks->lvm is covered
 @preLVMCommands@
 
diff --git a/modules/system/boot/stage-1.nix b/modules/system/boot/stage-1.nix
index d7925c0f7d3..feb4b583839 100644
--- a/modules/system/boot/stage-1.nix
+++ b/modules/system/boot/stage-1.nix
@@ -288,6 +288,14 @@ let
   '';
 
 
+  # the binary keymap for busybox to load at boot
+  busyboxKeymap = pkgs.runCommand "boottime-keymap"
+    { preferLocalBuild = true; }
+    ''
+      ${pkgs.kbd}/bin/loadkeys -qb "${config.i18n.consoleKeyMap}" > $out
+    '';
+
+
   # The init script of boot stage 1 (loading kernel modules for
   # mounting the root FS).
   bootStage1 = pkgs.substituteAll {
@@ -297,7 +305,7 @@ let
 
     isExecutable = true;
 
-    inherit udevConf extraUtils modulesClosure;
+    inherit udevConf busyboxKeymap extraUtils modulesClosure;
 
     inherit (config.boot) resumeDevice devSize runSize;