diff --git a/ntoskrnl/io/iomgr/iomgr.c b/ntoskrnl/io/iomgr/iomgr.c
index d7dc1bcb8c4..5d272cb8af7 100644
--- a/ntoskrnl/io/iomgr/iomgr.c
+++ b/ntoskrnl/io/iomgr/iomgr.c
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ extern KSPIN_LOCK IopLogListLock;
 extern KSPIN_LOCK IopTimerLock;
 
 extern PDEVICE_OBJECT IopErrorLogObject;
+extern BOOLEAN PnPBootDriversInitialized;
 
 GENERAL_LOOKASIDE IoLargeIrpLookaside;
 GENERAL_LOOKASIDE IoSmallIrpLookaside;
@@ -583,6 +584,10 @@ IoInitSystem(IN PLOADER_PARAMETER_BLOCK LoaderBlock)
         return FALSE;
     }
 
+    // the disk subsystem is initialized here and the SystemRoot is set too
+    // we can finally load other drivers from the boot volume
+    PnPBootDriversInitialized = TRUE;
+
 #if !defined(_WINKD_) && defined(KDBG)
     /* Read KDB Data */
     KdbInit();
diff --git a/ntoskrnl/io/pnpmgr/devaction.c b/ntoskrnl/io/pnpmgr/devaction.c
index 12f3e443c30..8b4db9d387a 100644
--- a/ntoskrnl/io/pnpmgr/devaction.c
+++ b/ntoskrnl/io/pnpmgr/devaction.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ extern ERESOURCE IopDriverLoadResource;
 extern BOOLEAN PnpSystemInit;
 extern PDEVICE_NODE IopRootDeviceNode;
 extern BOOLEAN PnPBootDriversLoaded;
+extern BOOLEAN PnPBootDriversInitialized;
 
 #define MAX_DEVICE_ID_LEN          200
 #define MAX_SEPARATORS_INSTANCEID  0
@@ -1560,7 +1561,7 @@ IopActionInitChildServices(PDEVICE_NODE DeviceNode,
         IopDeviceNodeHasFlag(DeviceNode, DNF_DISABLED))
         return STATUS_SUCCESS;
 
-    PiCallDriverAddDevice(DeviceNode, PnPBootDriversLoaded);
+    PiCallDriverAddDevice(DeviceNode, PnPBootDriversInitialized);
     return STATUS_SUCCESS;
 }
 
diff --git a/ntoskrnl/io/pnpmgr/pnpinit.c b/ntoskrnl/io/pnpmgr/pnpinit.c
index e32c11e930d..0667fd72785 100644
--- a/ntoskrnl/io/pnpmgr/pnpinit.c
+++ b/ntoskrnl/io/pnpmgr/pnpinit.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ PUNICODE_STRING PiInitGroupOrderTable;
 USHORT PiInitGroupOrderTableCount;
 INTERFACE_TYPE PnpDefaultInterfaceType;
 BOOLEAN PnPBootDriversLoaded = FALSE;
+BOOLEAN PnPBootDriversInitialized = FALSE;
 
 ARBITER_INSTANCE IopRootBusNumberArbiter;
 ARBITER_INSTANCE IopRootIrqArbiter;