diff --git a/classes/swupdate.bbclass b/classes/swupdate.bbclass
index 05291ee9..213a8ffb 100644
--- a/classes/swupdate.bbclass
+++ b/classes/swupdate.bbclass
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ IMAGE_TEMPLATE_VARS:swu = " \
     TARGET_IMAGE_UUID \
     ABROOTFS_PART_UUID_A \
     ABROOTFS_PART_UUID_B \
+    VAR_FS_TYPE \
     SWU_HW_COMPAT_NODE \
     SWU_COMPRESSION_NODE \
     SWU_VERSION \
diff --git a/kas/opt/swupdate.yml b/kas/opt/swupdate.yml
index 38dc3907..c5c5a56a 100644
--- a/kas/opt/swupdate.yml
+++ b/kas/opt/swupdate.yml
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ local_conf_header:
     INITRAMFS_INSTALL:append = " initramfs-${RO_ROOTFS_TYPE}-hook"
     ABROOTFS_PART_UUID_A ?= "fedcba98-7654-3210-cafe-5e0710000001"
     ABROOTFS_PART_UUID_B ?= "fedcba98-7654-3210-cafe-5e0710000002"
+    VAR_FS_TYPE ??= "ext4"
     PREFERRED_PROVIDER_swupdate-certificates-key ??= "swupdate-certificates-key-snakeoil"
     PREFERRED_PROVIDER_swupdate-certificates ??= "swupdate-certificates-snakeoil"
     PREFERRED_PROVIDER_swupdate-signer ??= "swupdate-signer-cms"
diff --git a/wic/bbb-efibootguard.wks.in b/wic/bbb-efibootguard.wks.in
index e6c3e158..6effa523 100644
--- a/wic/bbb-efibootguard.wks.in
+++ b/wic/bbb-efibootguard.wks.in
@@ -16,6 +16,6 @@ part --source empty --align 1024 --fixed-size 1G --uuid "${ABROOTFS_PART_UUID_B}
 
 # home and var are extra partitions
 part /home --source rootfs --change-directory=home --fstype=ext4 --label home --align 1024  --size 1G --fsuuid 1f55d66a-40d8-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
-part /var --fstype=ext4 --label var --align 1024  --size 2G --fsuuid 96be3374-4258-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
+part /var --fstype=${VAR_FS_TYPE} --label var --align 1024  --size 2G --fsuuid 96be3374-4258-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
 
 bootloader --ptable gpt --append="rootwait console=ttyO0,115200 omap_wdt.early_enable=1 omap_wdt.nowayout=1 watchdog.handle_boot_enabled=0"
diff --git a/wic/hihope-rzg2m-efibootguard.wks.in b/wic/hihope-rzg2m-efibootguard.wks.in
index fb3f090a..2305262f 100644
--- a/wic/hihope-rzg2m-efibootguard.wks.in
+++ b/wic/hihope-rzg2m-efibootguard.wks.in
@@ -9,6 +9,6 @@ part --source empty --align 1024 --fixed-size 1G --uuid "${ABROOTFS_PART_UUID_B}
 # home and var are extra partitions
 
 part /home --source rootfs --change-directory=home --fstype=ext4 --label home --align 1024  --size 1G --extra-space=100M --fsuuid 1f55d66a-40d8-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
-part /var --fstype=ext4 --label var --align 1024 --fixed-size 2G --fsuuid 96be3374-4258-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
+part /var --fstype=${VAR_FS_TYPE} --label var --align 1024 --fixed-size 2G --fsuuid 96be3374-4258-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
 
 bootloader --ptable gpt --append="console=tty0 console=ttySC0,115200 rootwait earlyprintk"
diff --git a/wic/qemu-arm64-efibootguard-secureboot.wks.in b/wic/qemu-arm64-efibootguard-secureboot.wks.in
index 00d627d0..98398e67 100644
--- a/wic/qemu-arm64-efibootguard-secureboot.wks.in
+++ b/wic/qemu-arm64-efibootguard-secureboot.wks.in
@@ -5,6 +5,6 @@ part --source empty --align 1024 --fixed-size 1G --uuid "${ABROOTFS_PART_UUID_B}
 
 # home and var are extra partitions
 part /home --source rootfs --change-directory=home --fstype=ext4 --label home --align 1024 --size 1G --fsuuid 1f55d66a-40d8-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
-part /var  --fstype=ext4 --label var  --align 1024 --fixed-size 2G --fsuuid 96be3374-4258-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
+part /var  --fstype=${VAR_FS_TYPE} --label var  --align 1024 --fixed-size 2G --fsuuid 96be3374-4258-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
 
 bootloader --ptable gpt --append="panic=5"
diff --git a/wic/qemu-arm64-efibootguard.wks.in b/wic/qemu-arm64-efibootguard.wks.in
index 17434d15..bf0bb82b 100644
--- a/wic/qemu-arm64-efibootguard.wks.in
+++ b/wic/qemu-arm64-efibootguard.wks.in
@@ -8,6 +8,6 @@ part --source empty --align 1024 --fixed-size 1G --uuid "${ABROOTFS_PART_UUID_B}
 
 # home and var are extra partitions
 part /home --source rootfs --change-directory=home --fstype=ext4 --label home --align 1024  --size 1G --fsuuid 1f55d66a-40d8-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
-part /var --fstype=ext4 --label var --align 1024 --fixed-size 2G --fsuuid 96be3374-4258-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
+part /var --fstype=${VAR_FS_TYPE} --label var --align 1024 --fixed-size 2G --fsuuid 96be3374-4258-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
 
 bootloader --ptable gpt
diff --git a/wic/qemu-riscv64-efibootguard.wks.in b/wic/qemu-riscv64-efibootguard.wks.in
index 1a2291e3..2acb2f9a 100644
--- a/wic/qemu-riscv64-efibootguard.wks.in
+++ b/wic/qemu-riscv64-efibootguard.wks.in
@@ -8,6 +8,6 @@ part --source empty --align 1024 --fixed-size 1G --uuid "${ABROOTFS_PART_UUID_B}
 
 # home and var are extra partitions
 part /home --source rootfs --change-directory=home --fstype=ext4 --label home --align 1024  --size 1G --fsuuid 1f55d66a-40d8-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
-part /var --fstype=ext4 --label var --align 1024  --fixed-size 2G --fsuuid 96be3374-4258-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
+part /var --fstype=${VAR_FS_TYPE} --label var --align 1024  --fixed-size 2G --fsuuid 96be3374-4258-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
 
 bootloader --ptable gpt
diff --git a/wic/x86-uefi-efibootguard-secureboot.wks.in b/wic/x86-uefi-efibootguard-secureboot.wks.in
index 0f4d6374..fe0f7cc5 100644
--- a/wic/x86-uefi-efibootguard-secureboot.wks.in
+++ b/wic/x86-uefi-efibootguard-secureboot.wks.in
@@ -5,6 +5,6 @@ part --source empty --align 1024 --fixed-size 1G --uuid "${ABROOTFS_PART_UUID_B}
 
 # home and var are extra partitions
 part /home --source rootfs --change-directory=home --fstype=ext4 --label home --align 1024 --size 1G --fsuuid 1f55d66a-40d8-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
-part /var  --fstype=ext4 --label var  --align 1024 --fixed-size 2G --fsuuid 96be3374-4258-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
+part /var  --fstype=${VAR_FS_TYPE} --label var --align 1024 --fixed-size 2G --fsuuid 96be3374-4258-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
 
 bootloader --ptable gpt --append="console=tty0 console=ttyS0,115200 rootwait earlyprintk watchdog.handle_boot_enabled=0 iTCO_wdt.nowayout=1 panic=5"
diff --git a/wic/x86-uefi-efibootguard.wks.in b/wic/x86-uefi-efibootguard.wks.in
index 9d344f8a..5eab54cf 100644
--- a/wic/x86-uefi-efibootguard.wks.in
+++ b/wic/x86-uefi-efibootguard.wks.in
@@ -9,6 +9,6 @@ part --source empty --align 1024 --fixed-size 1G --uuid "${ABROOTFS_PART_UUID_B}
 # home and var are extra partitions
 
 part /home --source rootfs --change-directory=home --fstype=ext4 --label home --align 1024  --size 1G --extra-space=100M --fsuuid 1f55d66a-40d8-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
-part /var --fstype=ext4 --label var --align 1024 --fixed-size 2G --fsuuid 96be3374-4258-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
+part /var --fstype=${VAR_FS_TYPE} --label var --align 1024 --fixed-size 2G --fsuuid 96be3374-4258-11ee-be56-0242ac120002
 
 bootloader --ptable gpt --append="console=tty0 console=ttyS0,115200 rootwait earlyprintk watchdog.handle_boot_enabled=0 iTCO_wdt.nowayout=1 "
