diff --git a/distrib/utils/embedded/conf/armv7.conf b/distrib/utils/embedded/conf/armv7.conf
index 5945c32153b0..a9f9db28888e 100644
--- a/distrib/utils/embedded/conf/armv7.conf
+++ b/distrib/utils/embedded/conf/armv7.conf
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# $NetBSD: armv7.conf,v 1.36 2019/10/27 21:38:58 jmcneill Exp $
+# $NetBSD: armv7.conf,v 1.37 2019/10/30 12:28:32 martin Exp $
 # ARMv7 customization script used by mkimage
 #
 board=armv7
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ populate_amlogic() {
 ODROIDC-UBOOT-CONFIG
 
 setenv bootargs "awge0.mac-address=\${ethaddr}"
-setenv bootcmd "fatload mmc 0:1 0x21000000 ${odroidc1_kernelimg}; fatload mmc 0:1 0x20000000 meson8b-odroidc1.dtb; bootm 0x21000000 - 0x20000000"
+setenv bootcmd "fatload mmc 0:1 0x21000000 ${odroidc1_kernelimg}; fatload mmc 0:1 0x20000000 dtb/meson8b-odroidc1.dtb; bootm 0x21000000 - 0x20000000"
 run bootcmd
 EOF
 }
@@ -135,16 +135,26 @@ populate() {
 		done
 	done
 
+	# "kernels" includes some .dtb files that should go into a separate
+	# directory
+	mkdir -p "${mnt}/boot/dtb"
+
 	# install kernels to /boot partition
 	for k in ${kernels}; do
 		tgt="$(basename ${k} | sed 's/\.gz$//')"
-		echo "${bar} installing ${k} to /boot/${tgt} ${bar}"
+		case "${tgt}" in
+		sun*.dtb|am335x-*.dtb|meson8b-*.dtb|tegra*.dtb|vexpress*.dtb)
+			pfx="dtb/";;
+		*)
+			pfx=;;
+		esac
+		echo "${bar} installing ${k} to /boot/${tgt} (on ${mnt}, pfx=${pfx}) ${bar}"
 		case "${k}" in
 		*.gz)
-			${GZIP_CMD} -dc "${k}" > "${mnt}/boot/${tgt}"
+			${GZIP_CMD} -dc "${k}" > "${mnt}/boot/${pfx}${tgt}"
 			;;
 		*)
-			cp "${k}" "${mnt}/boot/${tgt}"
+			cp "${k}" "${mnt}/boot/${pfx}${tgt}"
 			;;
 		esac ||
 			fail "Copy of ${k} to ${mnt}/boot/${tgt} failed"