diff --git a/classes/image.bbclass b/classes/image.bbclass
index ab58031..9dce609 100644
--- a/classes/image.bbclass
+++ b/classes/image.bbclass
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ IMAGE_INITSCRIPTS ?= "initscripts"
 #
 IMAGE_LOGIN_MANAGER ?= "tinylogin"
 
+# set sane default for the SPLASH variable
+SPLASH ?= ""
+
 IMAGE_KEEPROOTFS ?= ""
 IMAGE_KEEPROOTFS[doc] = "Set to non-empty to keep ${IMAGE_ROOTFS} around after image creation."
 
diff --git a/recipes/images/console-base-image.bb b/recipes/images/console-base-image.bb
index d25a4fc..9bd5031 100644
--- a/recipes/images/console-base-image.bb
+++ b/recipes/images/console-base-image.bb
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ IMAGE_PREPROCESS_COMMAND = "create_etc_timestamp"
 
 ANGSTROM_EXTRA_INSTALL ?= ""
 
-SPLASH ?= ""
 ZZAPSPLASH = ' ${@base_contains("MACHINE_FEATURES", "screen", "psplash-zap", "",d)}'
 
 DEPENDS = "task-base \
diff --git a/recipes/images/gnuradio-image.bb b/recipes/images/gnuradio-image.bb
index 53e79b8..6bccda0 100644
--- a/recipes/images/gnuradio-image.bb
+++ b/recipes/images/gnuradio-image.bb
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ IMAGE_PREPROCESS_COMMAND = "create_etc_timestamp"
 
 IMAGE_EXTRA_INSTALL ?= ""
 
-SPLASH ?= ""
 ZZAPSPLASH = ' ${@base_contains("MACHINE_FEATURES", "screen", "psplash-zap", "",d)}'
 
 DEPENDS = "task-base-extended \
diff --git a/recipes/images/minimal-image.bb b/recipes/images/minimal-image.bb
index e9abcb3..0bd8019 100644
--- a/recipes/images/minimal-image.bb
+++ b/recipes/images/minimal-image.bb
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@
 ANGSTROM_EXTRA_INSTALL ?= ""
 DISTRO_SSH_DAEMON ?= "dropbear"
 
-SPLASH ?= " "
-
 IMAGE_PREPROCESS_COMMAND = "create_etc_timestamp"
 
 IMAGE_INSTALL = "task-boot \