diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a27ec3127c..1fc6155a93 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -61,6 +61,12 @@ ifeq (,$(installing))
     EXTRA_DEPS = clean
 endif
 
+ifeq (uncompressed,$(KERNELTYPE))
+    KERNEL_NAME = vmlinux.container
+else
+    KERNEL_NAME = vmlinuz.container
+endif
+
 LIBEXECDIR := $(PREFIX)/libexec
 SHAREDIR := $(PREFIX)/share
 DEFAULTSDIR := $(SHAREDIR)/defaults
@@ -77,7 +83,7 @@ PKGLIBDIR := $(LOCALSTATEDIR)/lib/$(PROJECT_DIR)
 PKGRUNDIR := $(LOCALSTATEDIR)/run/$(PROJECT_DIR)
 PKGLIBEXECDIR := $(LIBEXECDIR)/$(PROJECT_DIR)
 
-KERNELPATH := $(PKGDATADIR)/vmlinuz.container
+KERNELPATH := $(PKGDATADIR)/$(KERNEL_NAME)
 INITRDPATH := $(PKGDATADIR)/$(INITRDNAME)
 IMAGEPATH := $(PKGDATADIR)/$(IMAGENAME)
 FIRMWAREPATH :=
@@ -150,6 +156,7 @@ USER_VARS += INITRDNAME
 USER_VARS += INITRDPATH
 USER_VARS += MACHINETYPE
 USER_VARS += KERNELPATH
+USER_VARS += KERNELTYPE
 USER_VARS += FIRMWAREPATH
 USER_VARS += MACHINEACCELERATORS
 USER_VARS += KERNELPARAMS
diff --git a/arch/ppc64le-options.mk b/arch/ppc64le-options.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a309ca51db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arch/ppc64le-options.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2018 IBM
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+#
+
+# Power ppc64le settings
+
+MACHINETYPE := pseries
+KERNELPARAMS :=
+MACHINEACCELERATORS :=
+KERNELTYPE := uncompressed #This architecture must use an uncompressed kernel.
+QEMUCMD := qemu-system-ppc64le
diff --git a/cli/kata-check_ppc64le.go b/cli/kata-check_ppc64le.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ce27777438
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/kata-check_ppc64le.go
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2018 IBM
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+//
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+)
+
+// archRequiredCPUFlags maps a CPU flag value to search for and a
+// human-readable description of that value.
+var archRequiredCPUFlags = map[string]string{}
+
+// archRequiredCPUAttribs maps a CPU (non-CPU flag) attribute value to search for
+// and a human-readable description of that value.
+var archRequiredCPUAttribs = map[string]string{}
+
+// archRequiredKernelModules maps a required module name to a human-readable
+// description of the modules functionality and an optional list of
+// required module parameters.
+var archRequiredKernelModules = map[string]kernelModule{
+	"kvm": {
+		desc: "Kernel-based Virtual Machine",
+	},
+	"kvm_hv": {
+		desc: "Kernel-based Virtual Machine hardware virtualization",
+	},
+}
+
+func archHostCanCreateVMContainer() error {
+	return kvmIsUsable()
+}
+
+// hostIsVMContainerCapable checks to see if the host is theoretically capable
+// of creating a VM container.
+func hostIsVMContainerCapable(details vmContainerCapableDetails) error {
+	_, err := getCPUInfo(details.cpuInfoFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	count, err := checkKernelModules(details.requiredKernelModules, archKernelParamHandler)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if count == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return fmt.Errorf("ERROR: %s", failMessage)
+}
+
+// kvmIsUsable determines if it will be possible to create a full virtual machine
+// by creating a minimal VM and then deleting it.
+func kvmIsUsable() error {
+	return genericKvmIsUsable()
+}
+
+func archKernelParamHandler(onVMM bool, fields logrus.Fields, msg string) bool {
+	return genericArchKernelParamHandler(onVMM, fields, msg)
+}
diff --git a/cli/kata-env.go b/cli/kata-env.go
index 52bbfacb59..d0daf3490f 100644
--- a/cli/kata-env.go
+++ b/cli/kata-env.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/kata-containers/runtime/virtcontainers/pkg/oci"
 	specs "github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec/specs-go"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
+	runtim "runtime"
 )
 
 // Semantic version for the output of the command.
@@ -173,6 +174,9 @@ func getHostInfo() (HostInfo, error) {
 	}
 
 	hostVMContainerCapable := true
+	if runtim.GOARCH == "ppc64le" {
+		hostVMContainerCapable = false
+	}
 
 	details := vmContainerCapableDetails{
 		cpuInfoFile:           procCPUInfo,