diff --git a/init/main.c b/init/main.c
index 4425d1783d5c..bb87b789c543 100644
--- a/init/main.c
+++ b/init/main.c
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ static char *extra_init_args;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_BOOT_CONFIG
 /* Is bootconfig on command line? */
-static bool bootconfig_found = IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_BOOT_CONFIG_FORCE);
+static bool bootconfig_found;
 static size_t initargs_offs;
 #else
 # define bootconfig_found false
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ static void __init setup_boot_config(void)
 	err = parse_args("bootconfig", tmp_cmdline, NULL, 0, 0, 0, NULL,
 			 bootconfig_params);
 
-	if (IS_ERR(err) || !bootconfig_found)
+	if (IS_ERR(err) || !(bootconfig_found || IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_BOOT_CONFIG_FORCE)))
 		return;
 
 	/* parse_args() stops at the next param of '--' and returns an address */
@@ -437,7 +437,11 @@ static void __init setup_boot_config(void)
 		initargs_offs = err - tmp_cmdline;
 
 	if (!data) {
-		pr_err("'bootconfig' found on command line, but no bootconfig found\n");
+		/* If user intended to use bootconfig, show an error level message */
+		if (bootconfig_found)
+			pr_err("'bootconfig' found on command line, but no bootconfig found\n");
+		else
+			pr_info("No bootconfig data provided, so skipping bootconfig");
 		return;
 	}