diff --git a/mkinitramfs b/mkinitramfs
index e14251f..ead6106 100755
--- a/mkinitramfs
+++ b/mkinitramfs
@@ -276,6 +276,7 @@ fi
 # Prepare to clean up temporary files on exit
 DESTDIR=
 __TMPMAINFILES=
+__TMPUNCOMPRESSEDFILES=
 __TMPCPIOGZ=
 __TMPEARLYCPIO=
 __MODULES_TO_ADD=
@@ -284,10 +285,11 @@ clean_on_exit() {
 	if [ "${keep}" = "y" ]; then
 		echo "Working files in ${DESTDIR:-<not yet created>}," \
 			"list of files for main initramfs in ${__TMPMAINFILES:-<not yet created>}," \
+			"list of files for uncompressed initramfs in ${__TMPUNCOMPRESSEDFILES:-<not yet created>}," \
 			"early initramfs in ${__TMPEARLYCPIO:-<not yet created>} and" \
 			"overlay in ${__TMPCPIOGZ:-<not yet created>}"
 	else
-		for path in "${DESTDIR}" "${__TMPMAINFILES}" "${__TMPCPIOGZ}" "${__TMPEARLYCPIO}" "${__MODULES_TO_ADD}"; do
+		for path in "${DESTDIR}" "${__TMPMAINFILES}" "${__TMPUNCOMPRESSEDFILES}" "${__TMPCPIOGZ}" "${__TMPEARLYCPIO}" "${__MODULES_TO_ADD}"; do
 			test -z "${path}" || rm -rf "${path}"
 		done
 	fi
@@ -300,6 +302,7 @@ trap "exit 1" INT TERM	# makes the EXIT trap effective even when killed
 DESTDIR="$(mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/var/tmp}/mkinitramfs_XXXXXX")" || exit 1
 chmod 755 "${DESTDIR}"
 __TMPMAINFILES="$(mktemp "${TMPDIR:-/var/tmp}/mkinitramfs-MAIN_files_XXXXXX")" || exit 1
+__TMPUNCOMPRESSEDFILES="$(mktemp "${TMPDIR:-/var/tmp}/mkinitramfs-UNCOMPRESSED_files_XXXXXX")" || exit 1
 __TMPCPIOGZ="$(mktemp "${TMPDIR:-/var/tmp}/mkinitramfs-OL_XXXXXX")" || exit 1
 __TMPEARLYCPIO="$(mktemp "${TMPDIR:-/var/tmp}/mkinitramfs-FW_XXXXXX")" || exit 1
 __MODULES_TO_ADD="$(mktemp "${TMPDIR:-/var/tmp}/modules_XXXXXX")" || exit 1
@@ -443,24 +446,6 @@ apply_add_modules || exit $?
 # Resolve hidden dependencies
 hidden_dep_add_modules
 
-# decompress modules for boot speed, if possible
-find "${DESTDIR}/${MODULESDIR}" -name '*.ko.*' | while read -r ko; do
-	case "$ko" in
-	*.xz)
-		if ! command -v xz >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-			break
-		fi
-		xz -d "${ko}"
-		;;
-	*.zst)
-		if ! command -v zstd >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-			break
-		fi
-		zstd -q -d --rm "${ko}"
-		;;
-	esac
-done
-
 # generate module deps
 depmod -a -b "${DESTDIR}" "${version}"
 rm -f "${DESTDIR}/lib/modules/${version}"/modules.*map
@@ -498,15 +483,45 @@ if [ -n "${SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH}" ]; then
 	cpio_reproducible="--reproducible"
 fi
 
+# Read list of files and echo them plus all leading directories.
+# The same directories might be printed multiple times (even with sorted input)!
+add_directories() {
+	local last_dir path dir
+	while read -r path; do
+		dir="${path%/*}"
+		parent="${dir}"
+		while [ "$parent" != "$last_dir" ] && [ "$parent" != "." ]; do
+			echo "$parent"
+			parent="${parent%/*}"
+		done
+		last_dir="$dir"
+		echo "$path"
+	done
+	if [ -n "$last_dir" ]; then
+		echo "."
+	fi
+}
+
+cd  "${DESTDIR}" || exit 1
+
 # work around lack of "set -o pipefail" for pipes.
 # Write exit code to FD 3 in case of a failure to pass it through the pipes.
 {
-	cd  "${DESTDIR}"
 	{
-		find . || { echo "E: mkinitramfs failure find $?" >&2; echo 1 >&3; exit; }
-	} | {
+		find . \( ! -type d ! -name '*.zst' ! -name '*.xz' \) -o \( -type d -empty \) ||
+			{ echo "E: mkinitramfs failure main find $?" >&2; echo 1 >&3; exit; }
+	} | add_directories | {
 		LC_ALL=C sort || { echo "E: mkinitramfs failure sort $?" >&2; echo 1 >&3; exit; }
-	} > "${__TMPMAINFILES}" || echo $? >&3
+	} | uniq > "${__TMPMAINFILES}" || { echo "E: mkinitramfs failure uniq $?" >&2; echo 1 >&3; exit; }
+} 3>&1 | { read -r exit_code; exit "${exit_code:-0}"; } || exit $?
+
+{
+	{
+		find . -name '*.zst' -o -name '*.xz' ||
+			{ echo "E: mkinitramfs failure uncompressed find $?" >&2; echo 1 >&3; exit; }
+	} | add_directories | {
+		LC_ALL=C sort || { echo "E: mkinitramfs failure sort $?" >&2; echo 1 >&3; exit; }
+	} | uniq > "${__TMPUNCOMPRESSEDFILES}" || { echo "E: mkinitramfs failure uniq $?" >&2; echo 1 >&3; exit; }
 } 3>&1 | { read -r exit_code; exit "${exit_code:-0}"; } || exit $?
 
 {
@@ -515,6 +530,12 @@ fi
 			cat "${__TMPEARLYCPIO}" || { echo 1 >&3; exit; }
 		fi
 
+		if [ -s "${__TMPUNCOMPRESSEDFILES}" ]; then
+			# shellcheck disable=SC2086
+			cpio --quiet $cpio_owner_root $cpio_reproducible -o -H newc -D "${DESTDIR}" <"${__TMPUNCOMPRESSEDFILES}" ||
+				{ echo "E: mkinitramfs failure uncompressed cpio $?" >&2; echo 1 >&3; exit; }
+		fi
+
 		{
 			# shellcheck disable=SC2086
 			cpio --quiet $cpio_owner_root $cpio_reproducible -o -H newc -D "${DESTDIR}" <"${__TMPMAINFILES}" ||