diff --git a/tests/integration/kubernetes/setup.sh b/tests/integration/kubernetes/setup.sh
index 63d9fb682b..639826bc86 100755
--- a/tests/integration/kubernetes/setup.sh
+++ b/tests/integration/kubernetes/setup.sh
@@ -14,6 +14,13 @@ set_runtime_class() {
     sed -i -e "s|runtimeClassName: kata|runtimeClassName: kata-${KATA_HYPERVISOR}|" ${kubernetes_dir}/runtimeclass_workloads/*.yaml
 }
 
+set_kernel_path() {
+    if [[ "${KATA_HOST_OS}" = "cbl-mariner" ]]; then
+        mariner_kernel_path="/usr/share/cloud-hypervisor/vmlinux.bin"
+        find ${kubernetes_dir}/runtimeclass_workloads/*.yaml -exec yq write -i {} 'metadata.annotations[io.katacontainers.config.hypervisor.kernel]' "${mariner_kernel_path}" \;
+    fi
+}
+
 set_initrd_path() {
     if [[ "${KATA_HOST_OS}" = "cbl-mariner" ]]; then
         initrd_path="/opt/kata/share/kata-containers/kata-containers-initrd-cbl-mariner.img"
@@ -24,6 +31,7 @@ set_initrd_path() {
 main() {
     INSTALL_IN_GOPATH=false bash "${repo_root_dir}/ci/install_yq.sh"
     set_runtime_class
+    set_kernel_path
     set_initrd_path
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/scripts/kata-deploy.sh b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/scripts/kata-deploy.sh
index 155bdf1ff0..368492bd7c 100755
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/scripts/kata-deploy.sh
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/scripts/kata-deploy.sh
@@ -65,9 +65,9 @@ function install_artifacts() {
 	[ -d /opt/kata/runtime-rs/bin ] && \
 		chmod +x /opt/kata/runtime-rs/bin/*
 
-	# Allow Mariner to specify a Mariner guest initrd.
+	# Allow Mariner to use custom configuration.
 	if [ "${HOST_OS:-}" == "cbl-mariner" ]; then
-		sed -i -E 's|(enable_annotations) = .+|\1 = ["enable_iommu", "initrd"]|' /opt/kata/share/defaults/kata-containers/configuration-clh.toml
+		sed -i -E 's|(enable_annotations) = .+|\1 = ["enable_iommu", "initrd", "kernel"]|' /opt/kata/share/defaults/kata-containers/configuration-clh.toml
 	fi
 }