diff --git a/grub-core/osdep/basic/no_platform.c b/grub-core/osdep/basic/no_platform.c
index d76c34c14..b39e97f48 100644
--- a/grub-core/osdep/basic/no_platform.c
+++ b/grub-core/osdep/basic/no_platform.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 
 void
 grub_install_register_ieee1275 (int is_prep, const char *install_device,
-				int partno, const char *relpath)
+				int partno, const char *relpath, int detect_nvram)
 {
   grub_util_error ("%s", _("no IEEE1275 routines are available for your platform"));
 }
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ grub_install_register_ieee1275 (int is_prep, const char *install_device,
 void
 grub_install_register_efi (grub_device_t efidir_grub_dev,
 			   const char *efifile_path,
-			   const char *efi_distributor)
+			   const char *efi_distributor,
+			   int detect_nvram)
 {
   grub_util_error ("%s", _("no EFI routines are available for your platform"));
 }
diff --git a/grub-core/osdep/unix/platform.c b/grub-core/osdep/unix/platform.c
index ca448bc11..4eb2c11c9 100644
--- a/grub-core/osdep/unix/platform.c
+++ b/grub-core/osdep/unix/platform.c
@@ -134,7 +134,8 @@ grub_install_remove_efi_entries_by_distributor (const char *efi_distributor)
 int
 grub_install_register_efi (grub_device_t efidir_grub_dev,
 			   const char *efifile_path,
-			   const char *efi_distributor)
+			   const char *efi_distributor,
+			   int detect_nvram)
 {
   const char * efidir_disk;
   int efidir_part;
@@ -153,6 +154,21 @@ grub_install_register_efi (grub_device_t efidir_grub_dev,
 #ifdef __linux__
   grub_util_exec ((const char * []){ "modprobe", "-q", "efivars", NULL });
 #endif
+
+  /* If requested, we try to detect if NVRAM access is available and if not,
+     warn the user and resume normal operation.  */
+  if (detect_nvram)
+    {
+      error = grub_util_exec_redirect_null ((const char * []){ "efibootmgr", NULL });
+      if (error == 2)
+	{
+	  grub_util_warn ("%s", _("Auto-NVRAM selected and no EFI variable support detected on the system."));
+	  return 0;
+	}
+      else if (error)
+	return error;
+    }
+
   /* Delete old entries from the same distributor.  */
   ret = grub_install_remove_efi_entries_by_distributor (efi_distributor);
   if (ret)
@@ -178,7 +194,7 @@ grub_install_register_efi (grub_device_t efidir_grub_dev,
 
 void
 grub_install_register_ieee1275 (int is_prep, const char *install_device,
-				int partno, const char *relpath)
+				int partno, const char *relpath, int detect_nvram)
 {
   char *boot_device;
 
@@ -189,6 +205,14 @@ grub_install_register_ieee1275 (int is_prep, const char *install_device,
       grub_util_error (_("%s: not found"), "ofpathname");
     }
 
+  /* If requested, we try to detect if NVRAM access is available and if not,
+     warn the user and resume normal operation.  */
+  if (detect_nvram && grub_util_exec_redirect_null ((const char * []){ "nvram", NULL }))
+    {
+      grub_util_warn ("%s", _("Auto-NVRAM selected and no IEEE1275 variable support detected on the system."));
+      return;
+    }
+
   /* Get the Open Firmware device tree path translation.  */
   if (!is_prep)
     {
diff --git a/grub-core/osdep/windows/platform.c b/grub-core/osdep/windows/platform.c
index 912269191..f4c5bd47b 100644
--- a/grub-core/osdep/windows/platform.c
+++ b/grub-core/osdep/windows/platform.c
@@ -204,7 +204,8 @@ set_efi_variable_bootn (grub_uint16_t n, void *in, grub_size_t len)
 void
 grub_install_register_efi (grub_device_t efidir_grub_dev,
 			   const char *efifile_path,
-			   const char *efi_distributor)
+			   const char *efi_distributor,
+			   int detect_nvram)
 {
   grub_uint16_t *boot_order, *new_boot_order;
   grub_uint16_t *distributor16;
@@ -411,7 +412,7 @@ grub_install_register_efi (grub_device_t efidir_grub_dev,
 
 void
 grub_install_register_ieee1275 (int is_prep, const char *install_device,
-				int partno, const char *relpath)
+				int partno, const char *relpath, int detect_nvram)
 {
   grub_util_error ("%s", _("no IEEE1275 routines are available for your platform"));
 }
diff --git a/include/grub/util/install.h b/include/grub/util/install.h
index 0dba8b67f..ba5140b5a 100644
--- a/include/grub/util/install.h
+++ b/include/grub/util/install.h
@@ -213,11 +213,12 @@ grub_install_get_default_x86_platform (void);
 int
 grub_install_register_efi (grub_device_t efidir_grub_dev,
 			   const char *efifile_path,
-			   const char *efi_distributor);
+			   const char *efi_distributor,
+			   int detect_nvram);
 
 void
 grub_install_register_ieee1275 (int is_prep, const char *install_device,
-				int partno, const char *relpath);
+				int partno, const char *relpath, int detect_nvram);
 
 void
 grub_install_sgi_setup (const char *install_device,
diff --git a/util/grub-install.c b/util/grub-install.c
index 690f180c5..f963e72cb 100644
--- a/util/grub-install.c
+++ b/util/grub-install.c
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ static char *target;
 static int removable = 0;
 static int recheck = 0;
 static int update_nvram = 1;
+static int auto_nvram = 0;
 static char *install_device = NULL;
 static char *debug_image = NULL;
 static char *rootdir = NULL;
@@ -109,7 +110,8 @@ enum
     OPTION_LABEL_FONT,
     OPTION_LABEL_COLOR,
     OPTION_LABEL_BGCOLOR,
-    OPTION_PRODUCT_VERSION
+    OPTION_PRODUCT_VERSION,
+    OPTION_AUTO_NVRAM
   };
 
 static int fs_probe = 1;
@@ -200,6 +202,10 @@ argp_parser (int key, char *arg, struct argp_state *state)
       update_nvram = 0;
       return 0;
 
+    case OPTION_AUTO_NVRAM:
+      auto_nvram = 1;
+      return 0;
+
     case OPTION_FORCE:
       force = 1;
       return 0;
@@ -278,6 +284,9 @@ static struct argp_option options[] = {
   {"no-nvram", OPTION_NO_NVRAM, 0, 0,
    N_("don't update the `boot-device'/`Boot*' NVRAM variables. "
       "This option is only available on EFI and IEEE1275 targets."), 2},
+  {"auto-nvram", OPTION_AUTO_NVRAM, 0, 0,
+   N_("only update NVRAM variables if possible. "
+      "This option is only available on EFI and IEEE1275 targets."), 2},
   {"skip-fs-probe",'s',0,      0,
    N_("do not probe for filesystems in DEVICE"), 0},
   {"no-bootsector", OPTION_NO_BOOTSECTOR, 0, 0,
@@ -1755,7 +1764,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 		? ins_dev->disk->partition->number + 1 : 0;
 	      dev = grub_util_get_os_disk (install_device);
 	      grub_install_register_ieee1275 (0, dev, partno,
-					      "\\\\BootX");
+					      "\\\\BootX", auto_nvram);
 	    }
 	  grub_device_close (ins_dev);
   	  free (grub_elf);
@@ -1787,7 +1796,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 	  grub_device_close (ins_dev);
 	  if (update_nvram)
 	    grub_install_register_ieee1275 (1, grub_util_get_os_disk (install_device),
-					    0, NULL);
+					    0, NULL, auto_nvram);
 	  break;
       }
       /* fallthrough.  */
@@ -1802,7 +1811,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 	    ? grub_dev->disk->partition->number + 1 : 0;
 	  dev = grub_util_get_os_disk (grub_devices[0]);
 	  grub_install_register_ieee1275 (0, dev,
-					  partno, relpath);
+					  partno, relpath, auto_nvram);
 	}
       break;
     case GRUB_INSTALL_PLATFORM_MIPS_ARC:
@@ -1851,7 +1860,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 	      int ret;
 	      ret = grub_install_register_efi (efidir_grub_dev,
 					       "\\System\\Library\\CoreServices",
-					       efi_distributor);
+					       efi_distributor, auto_nvram);
 	      if (ret)
 	        grub_util_error (_("efibootmgr failed to register the boot entry: %s"),
 				 strerror (ret));
@@ -1893,7 +1902,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 			  (part ? ",": ""), (part ? : ""));
 	  grub_free (part);
 	  ret = grub_install_register_efi (efidir_grub_dev,
-					   efifile_path, efi_distributor);
+					   efifile_path, efi_distributor, auto_nvram);
 	  if (ret)
 	    grub_util_error (_("efibootmgr failed to register the boot entry: %s"),
 			     strerror (ret));