diff --git a/src/runtime-rs/Makefile b/src/runtime-rs/Makefile
index eee60818a..09ba3bc38 100644
--- a/src/runtime-rs/Makefile
+++ b/src/runtime-rs/Makefile
@@ -73,11 +73,15 @@ LIBEXECDIR := $(PREFIXDEPS)/libexec
 SHAREDIR := $(PREFIX)/share
 DEFAULTSDIR := $(SHAREDIR)/defaults
 CLHBINDIR := $(PREFIXDEPS)/bin
+QEMUBINDIR := $(PREFIXDEPS)/bin
 PROJECT_DIR = $(PROJECT_TAG)
 IMAGENAME = $(PROJECT_TAG).img
+INITRDNAME = $(PROJECT_TAG)-initrd.img
 TARGET = $(PROJECT_COMPONENT)
 SYSCONFDIR := /etc
+LOCALSTATEDIR := /var
 CONFIG_FILE = configuration.toml
+RUNTIMENAME := virt_container
 HYPERVISOR_DB = dragonball
 HYPERVISOR_ACRN = acrn
 HYPERVISOR_FC = firecracker
@@ -95,8 +99,10 @@ CLHVALIDHYPERVISORPATHS := [\"$(CLHPATH)\"]
 
 DBVALIDHYPERVISORPATHS := []
 PKGDATADIR := $(PREFIXDEPS)/share/$(PROJECT_DIR)
+PKGRUNDIR := $(LOCALSTATEDIR)/run/$(PROJECT_DIR)
 KERNELDIR := $(PKGDATADIR)
 IMAGEPATH := $(PKGDATADIR)/$(IMAGENAME)
+INITRDPATH := $(PKGDATADIR)/$(INITRDNAME)
 
 ROOTFSTYPE_EXT4 := \"ext4\"
 ROOTFSTYPE_XFS := \"xfs\"
@@ -135,11 +141,7 @@ DEFENTROPYSOURCE := /dev/urandom
 DEFVALIDENTROPYSOURCES := [\"/dev/urandom\",\"/dev/random\",\"\"]
 DEFDISABLEBLOCK := false
 DEFSHAREDFS_CLH_VIRTIOFS := virtio-fs
-DEFSHAREDFS_QEMU_VIRTIOFS := virtio-fs
-DEFVIRTIOFSDAEMON := $(LIBEXECDIR)/kata-qemu/virtiofsd
-ifeq ($(ARCH),x86_64)
 DEFVIRTIOFSDAEMON := $(LIBEXECDIR)/virtiofsd
-endif
 DEFVALIDVIRTIOFSDAEMONPATHS := [\"$(DEFVIRTIOFSDAEMON)\"]
 ##VAR DEFVIRTIOFSCACHESIZE=<cache_size> Default DAX mapping cache size in MiB
 # if value is 0, DAX is not enabled
@@ -176,7 +178,6 @@ MONITOR_OUTPUT = $(CURDIR)/$(MONITOR)
 MONITOR_DIR = $(CLI_DIR)/kata-monitor
 SOURCES := $(shell find . 2>&1 | grep -E '.*\.(c|h|go)$$')
 VERSION := ${shell cat ./VERSION}
-KERNELPARAMS := ""
 
 # List of configuration files to build and install
 CONFIGS =
@@ -245,14 +246,58 @@ ifneq (,$(CLHCMD))
     VMROOTFSDRIVER_CLH := virtio-pmem
 endif
 
+ifneq (,$(QEMUCMD))
+    KNOWN_HYPERVISORS += $(HYPERVISOR_QEMU)
+
+    CONFIG_FILE_QEMU = configuration-qemu.toml
+    CONFIG_QEMU = config/$(CONFIG_FILE_QEMU)
+    CONFIG_QEMU_IN = $(CONFIG_QEMU).in
+
+    QEMUPATH := $(QEMUBINDIR)/$(QEMUCMD)
+    QEMUVALIDHYPERVISORPATHS := [\"$(QEMUPATH)\"]
+
+    CONFIG_PATH_QEMU = $(abspath $(CONFDIR)/$(CONFIG_FILE_QEMU))
+    CONFIG_PATHS += $(CONFIG_PATH_QEMU)
+
+    SYSCONFIG_QEMU = $(abspath $(SYSCONFDIR)/$(CONFIG_FILE_QEMU))
+    SYSCONFIG_PATHS += $(SYSCONFIG_QEMU)
+
+    CONFIGS += $(CONFIG_QEMU)
+
+    KERNELTYPE_QEMU = uncompressed
+    KERNEL_NAME_QEMU = $(call MAKE_KERNEL_NAME,$(KERNELTYPE_QEMU))
+    KERNELPATH_QEMU = $(KERNELDIR)/$(KERNEL_NAME_QEMU)
+
+    # overriding options
+    DEFSTATICRESOURCEMGMT = true
+
+    # qemu-specific options
+    DEFSANDBOXCGROUPONLY_QEMU := false
+    VMROOTFSDRIVER_QEMU := virtio-pmem
+    DEFVCPUS_QEMU := 1
+    DEFMAXVCPUS_QEMU := 0
+    DEFSHAREDFS_QEMU_VIRTIOFS := virtio-fs
+    DEFBLOCKSTORAGEDRIVER_QEMU := virtio-scsi
+    DEFBLOCKDEVICEAIO_QEMU := io_uring
+    DEFNETWORKMODEL_QEMU := tcfilter
+    DEFDISABLEGUESTSELINUX := true
+    DEFSECCOMPSANDBOXPARAM := on,obsolete=deny,spawn=deny,resourcecontrol=deny
+    DEFGUESTSELINUXLABEL := system_u:system_r:container_t
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(DEFAULT_HYPERVISOR),$(HYPERVISOR_DB))
     DEFAULT_HYPERVISOR_CONFIG = $(CONFIG_FILE_DB)
 endif
+
+ifeq ($(DEFAULT_HYPERVISOR),$(HYPERVISOR_QEMU))
+    DEFAULT_HYPERVISOR_CONFIG = $(CONFIG_FILE_QEMU)
+endif
 # list of variables the user may wish to override
 USER_VARS += ARCH
 USER_VARS += BINDIR
 USER_VARS += CONFIG_DB_IN
 USER_VARS += CONFIG_PATH
+USER_VARS += CONFIG_QEMU_IN
 USER_VARS += DESTDIR
 USER_VARS += DEFAULT_HYPERVISOR
 USER_VARS += DBCMD
@@ -263,19 +308,23 @@ USER_VARS += DBCTLPATH
 USER_VARS += DBVALIDCTLPATHS
 USER_VARS += CLHPATH
 USER_VARS += CLHVALIDHYPERVISORPATHS
+USER_VARS += QEMUPATH
+USER_VARS += QEMUVALIDHYPERVISORPATHS
 USER_VARS += FIRMWAREPATH_CLH
 USER_VARS += KERNELPATH_CLH
 USER_VARS += SYSCONFIG
 USER_VARS += IMAGENAME
 USER_VARS += IMAGEPATH
+USER_VARS += INITRDPATH
 USER_VARS += DEFROOTFSTYPE
 USER_VARS += VMROOTFSDRIVER_DB
 USER_VARS += VMROOTFSDRIVER_CLH
+USER_VARS += VMROOTFSDRIVER_QEMU
 USER_VARS += MACHINETYPE
 USER_VARS += KERNELDIR
 USER_VARS += KERNELTYPE
 USER_VARS += KERNELPATH_DB
-USER_VARS += KERNELPATH
+USER_VARS += KERNELPATH_QEMU
 USER_VARS += KERNELVIRTIOFSPATH
 USER_VARS += FIRMWAREPATH
 USER_VARS += FIRMWAREVOLUMEPATH
@@ -300,21 +349,27 @@ USER_VARS += RUNTIME_NAME
 USER_VARS += SHAREDIR
 USER_VARS += SYSCONFDIR
 USER_VARS += DEFVCPUS
+USER_VARS += DEFVCPUS_QEMU
 USER_VARS += DEFMAXVCPUS
 USER_VARS += DEFMAXVCPUS_ACRN
 USER_VARS += DEFMAXVCPUS_DB
+USER_VARS += DEFMAXVCPUS_QEMU
 USER_VARS += DEFMEMSZ
 USER_VARS += DEFMEMSLOTS
 USER_VARS += DEFMAXMEMSZ
 USER_VARS += DEFBRIDGES
 USER_VARS += DEFNETWORKMODEL_DB
 USER_VARS += DEFNETWORKMODEL_CLH
+USER_VARS += DEFNETWORKMODEL_QEMU
 USER_VARS += DEFDISABLEGUESTEMPTYDIR
 USER_VARS += DEFDISABLEGUESTSECCOMP
 USER_VARS += DEFDISABLESELINUX
+USER_VARS += DEFDISABLEGUESTSELINUX
 USER_VARS += DEFAULTEXPFEATURES
 USER_VARS += DEFDISABLEBLOCK
 USER_VARS += DEFBLOCKSTORAGEDRIVER_DB
+USER_VARS += DEFBLOCKSTORAGEDRIVER_QEMU
+USER_VARS += DEFBLOCKDEVICEAIO_QEMU
 USER_VARS += DEFSHAREDFS_CLH_VIRTIOFS
 USER_VARS += DEFSHAREDFS_QEMU_VIRTIOFS
 USER_VARS += DEFVIRTIOFSDAEMON
@@ -325,6 +380,8 @@ USER_VARS += DEFVIRTIOFSQUEUESIZE
 USER_VARS += DEFVIRTIOFSEXTRAARGS
 USER_VARS += DEFENABLEANNOTATIONS
 USER_VARS += DEFENABLEIOTHREADS
+USER_VARS += DEFSECCOMPSANDBOXPARAM
+USER_VARS += DEFGUESTSELINUXLABEL
 USER_VARS += DEFENABLEVHOSTUSERSTORE
 USER_VARS += DEFVHOSTUSERSTOREPATH
 USER_VARS += DEFVALIDVHOSTUSERSTOREPATHS
@@ -334,6 +391,7 @@ USER_VARS += DEFMSIZE9P
 USER_VARS += DEFENTROPYSOURCE
 USER_VARS += DEFVALIDENTROPYSOURCES
 USER_VARS += DEFSANDBOXCGROUPONLY
+USER_VARS += DEFSANDBOXCGROUPONLY_QEMU
 USER_VARS += DEFSTATICRESOURCEMGMT
 USER_VARS += DEFSTATICRESOURCEMGMT_DB
 USER_VARS += DEFBINDMOUNTS
@@ -342,6 +400,7 @@ USER_VARS += BUILDFLAGS
 USER_VARS += RUNTIMENAME
 USER_VARS += HYPERVISOR_DB
 USER_VARS += HYPERVISOR_CLH
+USER_VARS += HYPERVISOR_QEMU
 USER_VARS += PIPESIZE
 USER_VARS += DBSHAREDFS
 USER_VARS += KATA_INSTALL_GROUP
diff --git a/src/runtime-rs/config/configuration-qemu.toml.in b/src/runtime-rs/config/configuration-qemu.toml.in
index e9b6c33dc..933960b82 100644
--- a/src/runtime-rs/config/configuration-qemu.toml.in
+++ b/src/runtime-rs/config/configuration-qemu.toml.in
@@ -648,7 +648,7 @@ disable_guest_seccomp=@DEFDISABLEGUESTSECCOMP@
 # The sandbox cgroup path is the parent cgroup of a container with the PodSandbox annotation.
 # The sandbox cgroup is constrained if there is no container type annotation.
 # See: https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/src/runtime/virtcontainers#ContainerType
-sandbox_cgroup_only=@DEFSANDBOXCGROUPONLY@
+sandbox_cgroup_only=@DEFSANDBOXCGROUPONLY_QEMU@
 
 # If enabled, the runtime will attempt to determine appropriate sandbox size (memory, CPU) before booting the virtual machine. In
 # this case, the runtime will not dynamically update the amount of memory and CPU in the virtual machine. This is generally helpful