diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 225641e..a18bfb8 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     # Runs each value defined in $SINGLE_FEATURES by itself in the order
     # the were defined.
     - os: linux
-      env: SINGLE_FEATURES="sig-ecdsa enc-kw"
+      env: SINGLE_FEATURES="sig-ecdsa enc-kw bootstrap"
     - os: linux
       env: SINGLE_FEATURES="none sig-rsa overwrite-only validate-slot0"
     - os: linux
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
       env: MULTI_FEATURES="enc-kw overwrite-only,enc-rsa overwrite-only"
     - os: linux
       env: MULTI_FEATURES="sig-rsa enc-rsa validate-slot0"
+    - os: linux
+      env: MULTI_FEATURES="sig-rsa enc-kw validate-slot0 bootstrap"
 
     # FIXME: this test actually fails and must be fixed
     #- os: linux
diff --git a/sim/Cargo.toml b/sim/Cargo.toml
index fe3087e..c70ac0f 100644
--- a/sim/Cargo.toml
+++ b/sim/Cargo.toml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 validate-slot0 = ["mcuboot-sys/validate-slot0"]
 enc-rsa = ["mcuboot-sys/enc-rsa"]
 enc-kw = ["mcuboot-sys/enc-kw"]
+bootstrap = ["mcuboot-sys/bootstrap"]
 
 [dependencies]
 libc = "0.2.0"
diff --git a/sim/mcuboot-sys/Cargo.toml b/sim/mcuboot-sys/Cargo.toml
index 09b323b..16cc8d5 100644
--- a/sim/mcuboot-sys/Cargo.toml
+++ b/sim/mcuboot-sys/Cargo.toml
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
 # Encrypt image in slot1 using AES-KW-128
 enc-kw = []
 
+# Allow bootstrapping an empty/invalid slot0 from a valid slot1
+bootstrap = []
+
 [build-dependencies]
 cc = "1.0.25"
 
diff --git a/sim/mcuboot-sys/build.rs b/sim/mcuboot-sys/build.rs
index c959bb2..12377db 100644
--- a/sim/mcuboot-sys/build.rs
+++ b/sim/mcuboot-sys/build.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
     let validate_slot0 = env::var("CARGO_FEATURE_VALIDATE_SLOT0").is_ok();
     let enc_rsa = env::var("CARGO_FEATURE_ENC_RSA").is_ok();
     let enc_kw = env::var("CARGO_FEATURE_ENC_KW").is_ok();
+    let bootstrap = env::var("CARGO_FEATURE_BOOTSTRAP").is_ok();
 
     let mut conf = cc::Build::new();
     conf.define("__BOOTSIM__", None);
@@ -23,6 +24,10 @@
     conf.define("MCUBOOT_HAVE_ASSERT_H", None);
     conf.define("MCUBOOT_MAX_IMG_SECTORS", Some("128"));
 
+    if bootstrap {
+        conf.define("MCUBOOT_BOOTSTRAP", None);
+    }
+
     if validate_slot0 {
         conf.define("MCUBOOT_VALIDATE_SLOT0", None);
     }