diff --git a/buildkernel b/buildkernel
index 299d7a7..738b248 100755
--- a/buildkernel
+++ b/buildkernel
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ shopt -s nullglob
 # ********************** variables ********************* 
 PROGNAME="$(basename "${0}")"
 CONFFILE="/etc/${PROGNAME}.conf"
-VERSION="1.0.27"
+VERSION="1.0.28"
 ETCPROFILE="/etc/profile"
 DEFAULTEFIBOOTFILE="bootx64.efi"
 EFIBOOTFILE="${DEFAULTEFIBOOTFILE}"
@@ -1740,7 +1740,8 @@ kernel_build_pass_1() {
     fi
 
     show "Installing firmware..."
-    ${MAKE} firmware_install
+    show "(where supported; in-kernel firmware was dropped in 4.14)"
+    ${MAKE} firmware_install || true
 }
 rebuild_external_modules_if_necessary() {
     if ((ARG_REBUILD_EXTERNAL_MODULES==1)); then
diff --git a/buildkernel.8 b/buildkernel.8
index fea6c2d..ec5eb0f 100644
--- a/buildkernel.8
+++ b/buildkernel.8
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH BUILDKERNEL 8 "Version 1.0.27: November 2017"
+.TH BUILDKERNEL 8 "Version 1.0.28: November 2017"
 .SH NAME
 buildkernel \- build secure boot kernel, save to EFI system partition
 .SH SYNOPSIS
diff --git a/buildkernel.conf.5 b/buildkernel.conf.5
index 8e85de8..9e28261 100644
--- a/buildkernel.conf.5
+++ b/buildkernel.conf.5
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH BUILDKERNEL 5 "Version 1.0.27: November 2017"
+.TH BUILDKERNEL 5 "Version 1.0.28: November 2017"
 .SH NAME
 buildkernel.conf \- a configuration file for \fBbuildkernel\fR(8)
 .SH SYNOPSIS