diff --git a/mkosi/__init__.py b/mkosi/__init__.py
index fe8453898..768960a75 100644
--- a/mkosi/__init__.py
+++ b/mkosi/__init__.py
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 from mkosi.config import (
     PACKAGE_GLOBS,
     Args,
+    ArtifactOutput,
     Bootloader,
     Cacheonly,
     Compression,
@@ -2100,8 +2101,11 @@ def make_uki(
         output,
     )
 
-    extract_pe_section(context, output, ".linux", context.staging / context.config.output_split_kernel)
-    extract_pe_section(context, output, ".initrd", context.staging / context.config.output_split_initrd)
+    if ArtifactOutput.kernel in context.config.split_artifacts:
+        extract_pe_section(context, output, ".linux", context.staging / context.config.output_split_kernel)
+
+    if ArtifactOutput.initrd in context.config.split_artifacts:
+        extract_pe_section(context, output, ".initrd", context.staging / context.config.output_split_initrd)
 
 
 def compressor_command(context: Context, compression: Compression) -> list[PathString]:
@@ -2178,6 +2182,9 @@ def get_uki(context: Context) -> Optional[Path]:
 
 
 def copy_uki(context: Context) -> None:
+    if ArtifactOutput.uki not in context.config.split_artifacts:
+        return
+
     if (context.staging / context.config.output_split_uki).exists():
         return
 
@@ -2186,6 +2193,9 @@ def copy_uki(context: Context) -> None:
 
 
 def copy_vmlinuz(context: Context) -> None:
+    if ArtifactOutput.kernel not in context.config.split_artifacts:
+        return
+
     if (context.staging / context.config.output_split_kernel).exists():
         return
 
@@ -2201,6 +2211,9 @@ def copy_vmlinuz(context: Context) -> None:
 
 
 def copy_initrd(context: Context) -> None:
+    if ArtifactOutput.initrd not in context.config.split_artifacts:
+        return
+
     if not want_initrd(context):
         return
 
@@ -3378,7 +3391,7 @@ def make_extension_image(context: Context, output: Path) -> None:
         ]  # fmt: skip
     if context.config.sector_size:
         cmdline += ["--sector-size", str(context.config.sector_size)]
-    if context.config.split_artifacts:
+    if ArtifactOutput.partitions in context.config.split_artifacts:
         cmdline += ["--split=yes"]
 
     with complete_step(f"Building {context.config.output_format} extension image"):
@@ -3400,7 +3413,7 @@ def make_extension_image(context: Context, output: Path) -> None:
 
     logging.debug(json.dumps(j, indent=4))
 
-    if context.config.split_artifacts:
+    if ArtifactOutput.partitions in context.config.split_artifacts:
         for p in (Partition.from_dict(d) for d in j):
             if p.split_path:
                 maybe_compress(context, context.config.compress_output, p.split_path)
@@ -3645,7 +3658,7 @@ def build_image(context: Context) -> None:
     partitions = make_disk(context, msg="Formatting ESP/XBOOTLDR partitions")
     grub_bios_setup(context, partitions)
 
-    if context.config.split_artifacts:
+    if ArtifactOutput.partitions in context.config.split_artifacts:
         make_disk(context, split=True, msg="Extracting partitions")
 
     copy_nspawn_settings(context)
diff --git a/mkosi/config.py b/mkosi/config.py
index 0bb255685..35d2a986b 100644
--- a/mkosi/config.py
+++ b/mkosi/config.py
@@ -499,7 +499,16 @@ def native(cls) -> "Architecture":
         return cls.from_uname(platform.machine())
 
 
-def parse_boolean(s: str) -> bool:
+class ArtifactOutput(enum.Flag):
+    uki = 1
+    kernel = 2
+    initrd = 4
+    partitions = 8
+    no = uki | kernel | initrd
+    yes = uki | kernel | initrd | partitions
+
+
+def try_parse_boolean(s: str) -> Optional[bool]:
     "Parse 1/true/yes/y/t/on as true and 0/false/no/n/f/off/None as false"
 
     s_l = s.lower()
@@ -509,7 +518,14 @@ def parse_boolean(s: str) -> bool:
     if s_l in {"0", "false", "no", "n", "f", "off", "never"}:
         return False
 
-    die(f"Invalid boolean literal: {s!r}")
+
+def parse_boolean(s: str) -> bool:
+    value = try_parse_boolean(s)
+
+    if value == None:
+        die(f"Invalid boolean literal: {s!r}")
+
+    return value
 
 
 def parse_path(
@@ -1291,6 +1307,21 @@ def config_parse_key_source(value: Optional[str], old: Optional[KeySource]) -> O
     return KeySource(type=type, source=source)
 
 
+def config_parse_artifact_output(value: Optional[str], old: Optional[ArtifactOutput]) -> Optional[ArtifactOutput]:
+    if not value:
+        return None
+
+    boolean_value = try_parse_boolean(value)
+    if boolean_value != None:
+        return ArtifactOutput.yes if boolean_value else ArtifactOutput.no
+
+    try:
+        new = ArtifactOutput[value]
+    except KeyError:
+        die(f"'{value}' is not a valid {ArtifactOutput.__name__}")
+
+    return old | new if old else new
+
 class SettingScope(StrEnum):
     # Not passed down to subimages
     local = enum.auto()
@@ -1596,7 +1627,7 @@ class Config:
     output_mode: Optional[int]
     image_id: Optional[str]
     image_version: Optional[str]
-    split_artifacts: bool
+    split_artifacts: ArtifactOutput
     repart_dirs: list[Path]
     sysupdate_dir: Optional[Path]
     sector_size: Optional[int]
@@ -2292,11 +2323,11 @@ def parse_ini(path: Path, only_sections: Collection[str] = ()) -> Iterator[tuple
     ),
     ConfigSetting(
         dest="split_artifacts",
-        metavar="BOOL",
         nargs="?",
         section="Output",
-        parse=config_parse_boolean,
-        help="Generate split partitions",
+        parse=config_parse_artifact_output,
+        default=ArtifactOutput.no,
+        help="Split artifacts out of the final image",
     ),
     ConfigSetting(
         dest="repart_dirs",
@@ -4508,7 +4539,7 @@ def summary(config: Config) -> str:
                         Output Mode: {format_octal_or_default(config.output_mode)}
                            Image ID: {config.image_id}
                       Image Version: {config.image_version}
-                    Split Artifacts: {yes_no(config.split_artifacts)}
+                    Split Artifacts: {config.split_artifacts}
                  Repart Directories: {line_join_list(config.repart_dirs)}
                         Sector Size: {none_to_default(config.sector_size)}
                             Overlay: {yes_no(config.overlay)}
@@ -4783,6 +4814,9 @@ def uki_profile_transformer(
     ) -> list[UKIProfile]:
         return [UKIProfile(profile=profile["Profile"], cmdline=profile["Cmdline"]) for profile in profiles]
 
+    def artifact_output_transformer(output: str, fieldtype: type[ArtifactOutput]) -> ArtifactOutput:
+        return ArtifactOutput[output]
+
     # The type of this should be
     # dict[
     #     type,
@@ -4824,6 +4858,7 @@ def uki_profile_transformer(
         Vmm: enum_transformer,
         list[PEAddon]: pe_addon_transformer,
         list[UKIProfile]: uki_profile_transformer,
+        ArtifactOutput: artifact_output_transformer,
     }
 
     def json_transformer(key: str, val: Any) -> Any:
diff --git a/mkosi/resources/man/mkosi.1.md b/mkosi/resources/man/mkosi.1.md
index 0d2c29f98..aeb27b9ba 100644
--- a/mkosi/resources/man/mkosi.1.md
+++ b/mkosi/resources/man/mkosi.1.md
@@ -596,13 +596,20 @@ boolean argument: either `1`, `yes`, or `true` to enable, or `0`, `no`,
     invoked. The image ID is automatically added to `/usr/lib/os-release`.
 
 `SplitArtifacts=`, `--split-artifacts`
-:   If specified and building a disk image, pass `--split=yes` to systemd-repart
-    to have it write out split partition files for each configured partition.
-    Read the [man](https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/systemd-repart.html#--split=BOOL)
+:   The artifact types to split out of the final image. A comma-delimited
+    list consisting of `uki`, `kernel`, `initrd` and `partitions`. When
+    building a bootable image `kernel` and `initrd` correspond to their
+    artifact found in the image (or in the UKI), while `uki` copies out the
+    entire UKI.
+
+    When building a disk image and `partitions` is specified,
+    pass `--split=yes` to systemd-repart to have it write out split partition
+    files for each configured partition. Read the
+    [man](https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/systemd-repart.html#--split=BOOL)
     page for more information. This is useful in A/B update scenarios where
     an existing disk image shall be augmented with a new version of a
     root or `/usr` partition along with its Verity partition and unified
-    kernel.
+    kernel. By default `uki`, `kernel` and `initrd` are split out.
 
 `RepartDirectories=`, `--repart-dir=`
 :   Paths to directories containing systemd-repart partition definition
@@ -2229,7 +2236,7 @@ current working directory. The following scripts are supported:
 * If **`mkosi.clean`** (`CleanScripts=`) exists, it is executed right
   after the outputs of a previous build have been cleaned up. A clean
   script can clean up any outputs that mkosi does not know about (e.g.
-  artifacts from `SplitArtifacts=yes` or RPMs built in a build script).
+  artifacts from `SplitArtifacts=partitions` or RPMs built in a build script).
   Note that this script does not use the tools tree even if one is configured.
 
 * If **`mkosi.version`** exists and is executable, it is run during
diff --git a/mkosi/sysupdate.py b/mkosi/sysupdate.py
index 5cb216817..ea18b149e 100644
--- a/mkosi/sysupdate.py
+++ b/mkosi/sysupdate.py
@@ -4,15 +4,15 @@
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 
-from mkosi.config import Args, Config
+from mkosi.config import Args, ArtifactOutput, Config
 from mkosi.log import die
 from mkosi.run import run
 from mkosi.types import PathString
 
 
 def run_sysupdate(args: Args, config: Config) -> None:
-    if not config.split_artifacts:
-        die("SplitArtifacts= must be enabled to be able to use mkosi sysupdate")
+    if ArtifactOutput.partitions not in config.split_artifacts:
+        die("SplitArtifacts=partitions must be set to be able to use mkosi sysupdate")
 
     if not config.sysupdate_dir:
         die(
diff --git a/tests/test_config.py b/tests/test_config.py
index 4cca01157..4f4075c18 100644
--- a/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/test_config.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 from mkosi import expand_kernel_specifiers
 from mkosi.config import (
     Architecture,
+    ArtifactOutput,
     Compression,
     Config,
     ConfigFeature,
@@ -228,26 +229,26 @@ def test_parse_config(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     (d / "abc/mkosi.conf.d/abc.conf").write_text(
         """\
         [Output]
-        SplitArtifacts=yes
+        SplitArtifacts=partitions
         """
     )
 
     with chdir(d):
         _, [config] = parse_config()
         assert config.bootable == ConfigFeature.auto
-        assert config.split_artifacts is False
+        assert config.split_artifacts == [ArtifactOutput.uki, ArtifactOutput.kernel, ArtifactOutput.initrd]
 
         # Passing the directory should include both the main config file and the dropin.
         _, [config] = parse_config(["--include", os.fspath(d / "abc")] * 2)
         assert config.bootable == ConfigFeature.enabled
-        assert config.split_artifacts is True
+        assert config.split_artifacts == [ArtifactOutput.partitions]
         # The same extra config should not be parsed more than once.
         assert config.build_packages == ["abc"]
 
         # Passing the main config file should not include the dropin.
         _, [config] = parse_config(["--include", os.fspath(d / "abc/mkosi.conf")])
         assert config.bootable == ConfigFeature.enabled
-        assert config.split_artifacts is False
+        assert config.split_artifacts == [ArtifactOutput.uki, ArtifactOutput.kernel, ArtifactOutput.initrd]
 
     (d / "mkosi.images").mkdir()
 
diff --git a/tests/test_json.py b/tests/test_json.py
index 3b64356d0..4f240a5f3 100644
--- a/tests/test_json.py
+++ b/tests/test_json.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 from mkosi.config import (
     Architecture,
     Args,
+    ArtifactOutput,
     BiosBootloader,
     Bootloader,
     Cacheonly,
@@ -333,7 +334,11 @@ def test_config() -> None:
                 }
             ],
             "SourceDateEpoch": 12345,
-            "SplitArtifacts": true,
+            "SplitArtifacts": [
+                "kernel",
+                "initrd",
+                "partitions"
+            ],
             "Ssh": false,
             "SshCertificate": "/path/to/cert",
             "SshKey": null,
@@ -533,7 +538,7 @@ def test_config() -> None:
         sign_expected_pcr_certificate=Path("/my/cert"),
         skeleton_trees=[ConfigTree(Path("/foo/bar"), Path("/")), ConfigTree(Path("/bar/baz"), Path("/qux"))],
         source_date_epoch=12345,
-        split_artifacts=True,
+        split_artifacts=ArtifactOutput.yes,
         ssh=False,
         ssh_certificate=Path("/path/to/cert"),
         ssh_key=None,