diff --git a/device/community/device-pine64-pinenote/APKBUILD b/device/community/device-pine64-pinenote/APKBUILD
index f4a2fe947..380385060 100644
--- a/device/community/device-pine64-pinenote/APKBUILD
+++ b/device/community/device-pine64-pinenote/APKBUILD
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ firmware() {
 	pkgdesc="WiFi, Bluetooth and display firmware"
 	depends="linux-firmware-cypress linux-firmware-brcm"
 	replaces="firmware-pine64-pinenote"
+	install="$subpkgname.pre-upgrade $subpkgname.pre-install"
 
 	# waveform firmware is provided locally via /dev/disk/by-label/waveform
 	# extracted using waveform_exctract.sh, then adapted to kernel using wbf_to_custom.py
@@ -209,11 +210,6 @@ firmware() {
 		"$builddir"/bin/waveform_extract.sh \
 		-t "$subpkgdir"/usr/libexec/pinenote
 
-	# create empty waveform firmware so that initial mkinitfs doesn't fail
-	mkdir -p "$subpkgdir"/usr/lib/firmware/rockchip
-	touch "$subpkgdir"/usr/lib/firmware/rockchip/ebc.wbf
-	touch "$subpkgdir"/usr/lib/firmware/rockchip/custom_wf.bin
-
 	# symbolic link for wifi firmware to where drivers expects it
 	mkdir -p "$subpkgdir"/usr/lib/firmware/brcm
 	ln -s ../cypress/cyfmac43455-sdio.bin.zst "$subpkgdir"/usr/lib/firmware/brcm/brcmfmac43455-sdio.pine64,pinenote-v1.2.bin.zst
diff --git a/device/community/device-pine64-pinenote/device-pine64-pinenote-nonfree-firmware.pre-install b/device/community/device-pine64-pinenote/device-pine64-pinenote-nonfree-firmware.pre-install
new file mode 120000
index 000000000..37d6bd8e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/device/community/device-pine64-pinenote/device-pine64-pinenote-nonfree-firmware.pre-install
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+device-pine64-pinenote-nonfree-firmware.pre-upgrade
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/device/community/device-pine64-pinenote/device-pine64-pinenote-nonfree-firmware.pre-upgrade b/device/community/device-pine64-pinenote/device-pine64-pinenote-nonfree-firmware.pre-upgrade
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..738fd9722
--- /dev/null
+++ b/device/community/device-pine64-pinenote/device-pine64-pinenote-nonfree-firmware.pre-upgrade
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# create empty waveform firmware so that initial mkinitfs doesn't fail
+if [ ! -d /usr/lib/firmware/rockchip ]; then
+	mkdir -p /usr/lib/firmware/rockchip
+fi
+touch /usr/lib/firmware/rockchip/ebc.wbf
+touch /usr/lib/firmware/rockchip/custom_wf.bin