diff --git a/arch/s390/boot/head.S b/arch/s390/boot/head.S
index f09e792df495..f721913b73f1 100644
--- a/arch/s390/boot/head.S
+++ b/arch/s390/boot/head.S
@@ -272,14 +272,14 @@ iplstart:
 	.org	0x10000
 ENTRY(startup)
 	j	.Lep_startup_normal
-	.org	0x10008
+	.org	EP_OFFSET
 #
 # This is a list of s390 kernel entry points. At address 0x1000f the number of
 # valid entry points is stored.
 #
 # IMPORTANT: Do not change this table, it is s390 kernel ABI!
 #
-	.ascii	"S390EP"
+	.ascii	EP_STRING
 	.byte	0x00,0x01
 #
 # kdump startup-code at 0x10010, running in 64 bit absolute addressing mode
diff --git a/arch/s390/include/asm/setup.h b/arch/s390/include/asm/setup.h
index be02f0558048..1d66016f4170 100644
--- a/arch/s390/include/asm/setup.h
+++ b/arch/s390/include/asm/setup.h
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
 #include <linux/const.h>
 #include <uapi/asm/setup.h>
 
-
+#define EP_OFFSET		0x10008
+#define EP_STRING		"S390EP"
 #define PARMAREA		0x10400
 #define PARMAREA_END		0x11000
 
diff --git a/arch/s390/kernel/early.c b/arch/s390/kernel/early.c
index 827699eb48fa..5b28b434f8a1 100644
--- a/arch/s390/kernel/early.c
+++ b/arch/s390/kernel/early.c
@@ -331,8 +331,20 @@ static void __init setup_boot_command_line(void)
 	append_to_cmdline(append_ipl_scpdata);
 }
 
+static void __init check_image_bootable(void)
+{
+	if (!memcmp(EP_STRING, (void *)EP_OFFSET, strlen(EP_STRING)))
+		return;
+
+	sclp_early_printk("Linux kernel boot failure: An attempt to boot a vmlinux ELF image failed.\n");
+	sclp_early_printk("This image does not contain all parts necessary for starting up. Use\n");
+	sclp_early_printk("bzImage or arch/s390/boot/compressed/vmlinux instead.\n");
+	disabled_wait(0xbadb007);
+}
+
 void __init startup_init(void)
 {
+	check_image_bootable();
 	time_early_init();
 	init_kernel_storage_key();
 	lockdep_off();