diff --git a/tools/osbuilder/rootfs-builder/nvidia/nvidia_rootfs.sh b/tools/osbuilder/rootfs-builder/nvidia/nvidia_rootfs.sh
index 3d1f98a025..36b4d175aa 100644
--- a/tools/osbuilder/rootfs-builder/nvidia/nvidia_rootfs.sh
+++ b/tools/osbuilder/rootfs-builder/nvidia/nvidia_rootfs.sh
@@ -40,27 +40,14 @@ fi
 readonly stage_one="${BUILD_DIR:?}/rootfs-${BUILD_VARIANT:?}-stage-one"
 
 setup_nvidia-nvrc() {
-	local url ver
-	local nvrc=NVRC-${machine_arch}-unknown-linux-musl
-	url=$(get_package_version_from_kata_yaml "externals.nvrc.url")
-	ver=$(get_package_version_from_kata_yaml "externals.nvrc.version")
-
-	local dl="${url}/${ver}"
-	curl -fsSL -o "${BUILD_DIR}/${nvrc}.tar.xz" "${dl}/${nvrc}.tar.xz"
-	curl -fsSL -o "${BUILD_DIR}/${nvrc}.tar.xz.sig" "${dl}/${nvrc}.tar.xz.sig"
-	curl -fsSL -o "${BUILD_DIR}/${nvrc}.tar.xz.cert" "${dl}/${nvrc}.tar.xz.cert"
-
-	local id="^https://github.com/NVIDIA/nvrc/.github/workflows/.+@refs/heads/main$"
-	local oidc="https://token.actions.githubusercontent.com"
-
-	# Only allow releases from the NVIDIA/nvrc main branch and build by github actions
-	cosign verify-blob                                 \
-	  --rekor-url https://rekor.sigstore.dev           \
-	  --certificate "${BUILD_DIR}/${nvrc}.tar.xz.cert" \
-	  --signature   "${BUILD_DIR}/${nvrc}.tar.xz.sig"  \
-	  --certificate-identity-regexp "${id}"            \
-	  --certificate-oidc-issuer "${oidc}"              \
-	  "${BUILD_DIR}/${nvrc}.tar.xz"
+	# NVRC is built from a pinned git ref by the Kata "nvrc" static-build
+	# target (tools/packaging/static-build/nvrc), which produces
+	# kata-static-nvrc.tar.zst with the init binary under bin/. Unpack it
+	# verbatim into the rootfs (./bin/NVRC-<arch>-unknown-linux-musl).
+	local nvrc_tarball="${BUILD_DIR}/kata-static-nvrc.tar.zst"
+	[[ -e "${nvrc_tarball}" ]] || \
+		die "NVRC tarball not found: ${nvrc_tarball} (build the 'nvrc' target first)"
+	tar --zstd -xvf "${nvrc_tarball}" -C .
 }
 
 setup_nvidia_gpu_rootfs_stage_one() {
@@ -78,11 +65,7 @@ setup_nvidia_gpu_rootfs_stage_one() {
 
 	chmod +x ./nvidia_chroot.sh
 
-	local nvrc=NVRC-${machine_arch}-unknown-linux-musl
-	if [[ ! -e  "${BUILD_DIR}/${nvrc}.tar.xz" ]]; then
-		setup_nvidia-nvrc
-	fi
-	tar -xvf "${BUILD_DIR}/${nvrc}.tar.xz" -C ./bin/
+	setup_nvidia-nvrc
 
 	local appendix=""
 	if echo "${NVIDIA_GPU_STACK}" | grep -q '\<dragonball\>'; then
@@ -269,9 +252,12 @@ chisseled_init() {
 
 	local nvrc="NVRC-${machine_arch}-unknown-linux-musl"
 
-	cp -a "${stage_one}/bin/${nvrc}"      bin/.
-	cp -a "${stage_one}/bin/${nvrc}".cert bin/.
-	cp -a "${stage_one}/bin/${nvrc}".sig  bin/.
+	cp -a "${stage_one}/bin/${nvrc}" bin/.
+	# Sigstore signature/certificate only exist when NVRC is pulled from the
+	# official signed release; a source build (the composable-image path)
+	# produces just the binary.
+	[[ -e "${stage_one}/bin/${nvrc}.cert" ]] && cp -a "${stage_one}/bin/${nvrc}".cert bin/.
+	[[ -e "${stage_one}/bin/${nvrc}.sig" ]] && cp -a "${stage_one}/bin/${nvrc}".sig bin/.
 
 	setup_nvrc_init_symlinks
 
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/local-build/kata-deploy-binaries.sh b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/local-build/kata-deploy-binaries.sh
index 8747ab8b79..40f5e2af18 100755
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/local-build/kata-deploy-binaries.sh
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/local-build/kata-deploy-binaries.sh
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ readonly versions_yaml="${repo_root_dir}/versions.yaml"
 readonly busybox_builder="${static_build_dir}/busybox/build.sh"
 readonly agent_builder="${static_build_dir}/agent/build.sh"
 readonly coco_guest_components_builder="${static_build_dir}/coco-guest-components/build.sh"
+readonly nvrc_builder="${static_build_dir}/nvrc/build.sh"
 readonly clh_builder="${static_build_dir}/cloud-hypervisor/build-static-clh.sh"
 readonly firecracker_builder="${static_build_dir}/firecracker/build-static-firecracker.sh"
 readonly kernel_builder="${static_build_dir}/kernel/build.sh"
@@ -416,7 +417,21 @@ get_latest_nvidia_ctk_version() {
 }
 
 get_latest_nvidia_nvrc_version() {
-	get_from_kata_deps ".externals.nvrc.version"
+	# NVRC is built from source at a pinned git ref, so the cache key tracks
+	# the ref and toolchain (not just the release version) to invalidate the
+	# dependent images whenever any of them change.
+	local version ref toolchain
+	version="$(get_from_kata_deps ".externals.nvrc.version")"
+	ref="$(get_from_kata_deps ".externals.nvrc.ref")"
+	toolchain="$(get_from_kata_deps ".externals.nvrc.toolchain")"
+	echo "${version}-${ref}-${toolchain}"
+}
+
+get_nvrc_tarball_path() {
+	nvrc_local_build_dir="${repo_root_dir}/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/local-build/build"
+	nvrc_tarball_name="kata-static-nvrc.tar.zst"
+
+	echo "${nvrc_local_build_dir}/${nvrc_tarball_name}"
 }
 
 get_latest_nvidia_nvat_version() {
@@ -1436,6 +1451,23 @@ install_coco_guest_components() {
 	DESTDIR="${destdir}" "${coco_guest_components_builder}"
 }
 
+install_nvrc() {
+	latest_artefact="$(get_latest_nvidia_nvrc_version)"
+	artefact_tag="$(get_from_kata_deps ".externals.nvrc.version")"
+	latest_builder_image="$(get_nvrc_image_name)"
+
+	install_cached_tarball_component \
+		"${build_target}" \
+		"${latest_artefact}" \
+		"${latest_builder_image}" \
+		"${final_tarball_name}" \
+		"${final_tarball_path}" \
+		&& return 0
+
+	info "build static nvrc"
+	DESTDIR="${destdir}" "${nvrc_builder}"
+}
+
 install_pause_image() {
 	latest_artefact="$(get_from_kata_deps ".externals.pause.repo")-$(get_from_kata_deps ".externals.pause.version")"
 	artefact_tag=${latest_artefact}
@@ -1650,6 +1682,8 @@ handle_build() {
 
 	coco-guest-components) install_coco_guest_components ;;
 
+	nvrc) install_nvrc ;;
+
 	cloud-hypervisor) install_clh ;;
 
 	firecracker) install_firecracker ;;
diff --git a/tools/packaging/scripts/lib.sh b/tools/packaging/scripts/lib.sh
index fa519847de..5ceefe5691 100644
--- a/tools/packaging/scripts/lib.sh
+++ b/tools/packaging/scripts/lib.sh
@@ -257,3 +257,8 @@ get_pause_image_name() {
 	pause_image_script_dir="${repo_root_dir}/tools/packaging/static-build/pause-image"
 	echo "${BUILDER_REGISTRY}:pause-image-$(get_last_modification "${pause_image_script_dir}")-$(uname -m)"
 }
+
+get_nvrc_image_name() {
+	nvrc_script_dir="${repo_root_dir}/tools/packaging/static-build/nvrc"
+	echo "${BUILDER_REGISTRY}:nvrc-$(get_from_kata_deps ".externals.nvrc.toolchain")-$(get_last_modification "${nvrc_script_dir}")-$(uname -m)"
+}
diff --git a/tools/packaging/static-build/nvrc/Dockerfile b/tools/packaging/static-build/nvrc/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1007bd4bc6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/packaging/static-build/nvrc/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2024 NVIDIA Corporation
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+FROM ubuntu:24.04
+ARG RUST_TOOLCHAIN
+
+ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
+
+ENV RUSTUP_HOME="/opt/rustup"
+ENV CARGO_HOME="/opt/cargo"
+ENV PATH="/opt/cargo/bin/:${PATH}"
+
+SHELL ["/bin/bash", "-o", "pipefail", "-c"]
+
+RUN mkdir ${RUSTUP_HOME} ${CARGO_HOME}
+
+RUN apt-get update && \
+	apt-get --no-install-recommends install -y \
+	ca-certificates \
+	curl \
+	binutils \
+	gcc \
+	libc6-dev \
+	git \
+	make \
+	musl-tools && \
+	apt-get clean && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/ && \
+	curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh -s -- -y --default-toolchain ${RUST_TOOLCHAIN}
+
+# NVRC is shipped as a fully static musl binary so it can serve as init in the
+# minimal GPU guest regardless of the rootfs libc.
+RUN ARCH=$(uname -m); \
+	rust_arch=""; \
+	case "${ARCH}" in \
+		"aarch64") rust_arch="${ARCH}" ;; \
+		"x86_64") rust_arch="${ARCH}" ;; \
+		*) echo "Unsupported architecture: ${ARCH}" && exit 1 ;; \
+	esac; \
+	echo "RUST_ARCH=${rust_arch}" > /etc/profile.d/rust.sh; \
+	rustup target add "${rust_arch}-unknown-linux-musl"
+
+RUN chmod -R a+rwX ${RUSTUP_HOME} ${CARGO_HOME}
diff --git a/tools/packaging/static-build/nvrc/build-static-nvrc.sh b/tools/packaging/static-build/nvrc/build-static-nvrc.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..2338ca31a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/packaging/static-build/nvrc/build-static-nvrc.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2024 NVIDIA Corporation
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+set -o errexit
+set -o nounset
+set -o pipefail
+
+script_dir="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+
+# shellcheck source=/dev/null
+source "${script_dir}/../../scripts/lib.sh"
+
+# shellcheck disable=SC2154
+[[ -n "${nvrc_repo}" ]] || die "failed to get nvrc repo"
+# shellcheck disable=SC2154
+[[ -n "${nvrc_ref}" ]] || die "failed to get nvrc git ref"
+# shellcheck disable=SC2154
+[[ -n "${nvrc_toolchain}" ]] || die "failed to get nvrc rust toolchain"
+
+# The NVRC checkout lives inside the kata-containers tree, whose root carries a
+# rust-toolchain.toml. rustup walks parent directories and would honour that pin
+# (a different channel than the one baked into this builder image, which is the
+# only toolchain with the musl target installed). Force our toolchain so the
+# build is decoupled from kata's root pin and the musl std is always found.
+export RUSTUP_TOOLCHAIN="${nvrc_toolchain}"
+
+[[ -d "nvrc" ]] && rm -rf nvrc
+
+build_nvrc_from_source() {
+	echo "build nvrc from source"
+
+	# shellcheck source=/dev/null
+	. /etc/profile.d/rust.sh
+
+	# `ref` may be a branch, tag or commit, so clone then fetch the exact ref.
+	git clone "${nvrc_repo}" nvrc
+	pushd nvrc
+
+	git fetch origin "${nvrc_ref}"
+	git checkout FETCH_HEAD
+
+	# shellcheck disable=SC2154
+	local target="${RUST_ARCH}-unknown-linux-musl"
+	cargo build --release --target "${target}"
+	strip "target/${target}/release/NVRC"
+
+	# Mirror the NVRC release tarball layout: the init binary lands in /bin
+	# named for its target triple. nvidia_rootfs.sh extracts this tarball
+	# verbatim into the guest rootfs.
+	local nvrc_name="NVRC-${target}"
+	install -D -m0755 "target/${target}/release/NVRC" "${DESTDIR}/bin/${nvrc_name}"
+
+	popd
+}
+
+build_nvrc_from_source "$@"
diff --git a/tools/packaging/static-build/nvrc/build.sh b/tools/packaging/static-build/nvrc/build.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..cc0411bfa3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/packaging/static-build/nvrc/build.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2024 NVIDIA Corporation
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+set -o errexit
+set -o nounset
+set -o pipefail
+
+script_dir="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+readonly nvrc_builder="${script_dir}/build-static-nvrc.sh"
+
+# shellcheck source=/dev/null
+source "${script_dir}/../../scripts/lib.sh"
+
+DESTDIR=${DESTDIR:-${PWD}}
+
+nvrc_repo="${nvrc_repo:-}"
+nvrc_ref="${nvrc_ref:-}"
+nvrc_toolchain="${nvrc_toolchain:-}"
+
+[[ -n "${nvrc_repo}" ]] || nvrc_repo=$(get_from_kata_deps ".externals.nvrc.repo")
+[[ -n "${nvrc_ref}" ]] || nvrc_ref=$(get_from_kata_deps ".externals.nvrc.ref")
+[[ -n "${nvrc_toolchain}" ]] || nvrc_toolchain=$(get_from_kata_deps ".externals.nvrc.toolchain")
+
+[[ -n "${nvrc_repo}" ]] || die "Failed to get nvrc repo"
+[[ -n "${nvrc_ref}" ]] || die "Failed to get nvrc git ref"
+[[ -n "${nvrc_toolchain}" ]] || die "Failed to get the rust toolchain to build nvrc"
+
+container_image="${NVRC_CONTAINER_BUILDER:-$(get_nvrc_image_name)}"
+# shellcheck disable=SC2154
+[[ "${CROSS_BUILD}" == "true" ]] && container_image="${container_image}-cross-build"
+
+# shellcheck disable=SC2154,SC2086
+docker pull "${container_image}" || \
+	(docker ${BUILDX} build ${PLATFORM} \
+		--build-arg RUST_TOOLCHAIN="${nvrc_toolchain}" \
+		-t "${container_image}" "${script_dir}" && \
+	 # No-op unless PUSH_TO_REGISTRY is exported as "yes"
+	 push_to_registry "${container_image}")
+
+# shellcheck disable=SC2154
+docker run --rm -i -v "${repo_root_dir}:${repo_root_dir}" \
+	-w "${PWD}" \
+	--env DESTDIR="${DESTDIR}" \
+	--env nvrc_repo="${nvrc_repo}" \
+	--env nvrc_ref="${nvrc_ref}" \
+	--env nvrc_toolchain="${nvrc_toolchain}" \
+	--user "$(id -u)":"$(id -g)" \
+	"${container_image}" \
+	bash -c "${nvrc_builder}"
diff --git a/versions.yaml b/versions.yaml
index 22af6490a7..939485c4b0 100644
--- a/versions.yaml
+++ b/versions.yaml
@@ -234,8 +234,15 @@ externals:
   nvrc:
     # yamllint disable-line rule:line-length
     desc: "The NVRC project provides a Rust binary that implements a simple init system for microVMs"
-    version: "v0.1.4"
+    version: "v0.1.5"
     url: "https://github.com/NVIDIA/nvrc/releases/download/"
+    # While the composable-image work is in flight NVRC is built from source at
+    # a pinned git reference (tools/packaging/static-build/nvrc) instead of
+    # downloading the signed release from `url` above. `ref` may be a commit,
+    # tag or branch; pin to a commit for reproducible builds.
+    repo: "https://github.com/fidencio/nvrc.git"
+    ref: "20d38ea9c310c323718515bbaa3df9e3156f224c"
+    toolchain: "1.90.0"
 
   nvidia:
     desc: "NVIDIA compute stack"