diff --git a/tools/mkimage.c b/tools/mkimage.c
index 8a20594f316e558a63d9511316fadc38f946846d..2bf9a5b5eb500336b838c11ead83307082d699db 100644
--- a/tools/mkimage.c
+++ b/tools/mkimage.c
@@ -232,6 +232,12 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 				params.type = IH_TYPE_FLATDT;
 				params.datafile = *++argv;
 				params.fflag = 1;
+
+				/*
+				 * The flattened image tree (FIT) format
+				 * requires a flattened device tree image type
+				 */
+				params.type = IH_TYPE_FLATDT;
 				goto NXTARG;
 			case 'n':
 				if (--argc <= 0)