diff --git a/create_pxeinitrd.sh b/create_pxeinitrd.sh
index a95eed5..299a4c1 100755
--- a/create_pxeinitrd.sh
+++ b/create_pxeinitrd.sh
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ KERNEL_DIR=$RESULT_DIR/kernel
 [[ -d $KERNEL_DIR ]] || mkdir -p $KERNEL_DIR
 
 # Configs overwritable via environment variables
+ROOTPASSWD=${ROOTPASSWD:='$6$LmI1TuCG$YRTAdn/Ht7v1kNdkb8HFXV4S7Sau571DD3kaBWltX72OSo21P7ON9JRw4XepjsBQ0FzzBebfsdQ4YfH9M2CaN0'}		## wit
 RELEASE=${RELEASE:=unstable}
 FLAVOUR=${FLAVOUR:=debian}					# Either 'debian' or 'ubuntu'
 INCLUDES=${INCLUDES:="openssh-server,init,curl,parted,xz-utils,vim,locales-all,less,dmidecode,iputils-ping,fping,tcpdump,rsync,ethtool,lldpd,iproute2,net-tools,sudo,gnupg,tcpdump,mtr-tiny,ifupdown,ipmitool,iptables,telnet,netcat,bridge-utils,vlan,ifstat,ncurses-term,wget,pciutils,dhcpcd5,python,efibootmgr,busybox-static,firmware-qlogic"}
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ require dhcp_server_identifier
 EOF
 
 
-chroot $MNT_DIR usermod -p '$6$LmI1TuCG$YRTAdn/Ht7v1kNdkb8HFXV4S7Sau571DD3kaBWltX72OSo21P7ON9JRw4XepjsBQ0FzzBebfsdQ4YfH9M2CaN0' root
+chroot $MNT_DIR usermod -p "${ROOTPASSWD}" root
 chroot $MNT_DIR ssh-keygen -q -f /root/.ssh/id_rsa -C root@pxeboot -N ""
 
 echo "### public ssh key for root of this install"