Techniques are described for providing a kernel with the ability to execute functions from a kernel module during processor initialization and initializing a platform using platform-specific modules. An initialization function of the platform-specific module is executed before a platform-independent phase of the kernel of the operating system is executed. In one example, a device includes a computer-readable medium that stores instructions for a platform-specific module comprising an initialization function, and instructions for an operating system comprising a kernel, wherein the kernel comprises a boot sequence comprising a platform-dependent phase and a platform-independent phase, and a processor to execute instructions stored in the computer-readable medium. The processor executes the initialization function of the platform-specific module to initialize the device during the platform-dependent phase of the kernel boot sequence, and wherein the processor executes the platform-independent phase of the kernel boot sequence after executing the initialization function of the platform-specific module.