An example of a method for facilitating split booting includes executing a base system image file of a system, initializing components of the first computing device, loading the extended system image file, and executing the extended system image file from the first computing device without booting the first computing device. The base system image file and an extended system image file of the system are built from a single executable system image file of the system. An example of a method for building system images includes building, as a single executable file, a system image file of a system and dividing the system image file into a base system image file and an extended system image file. An example of a machine-readable storage medium having code for carrying out the method, an apparatus having the machine-readable storage medium, and an apparatus having means for carrying out the method is disclosed.