diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/scripts/kata-deploy.sh b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/scripts/kata-deploy.sh
index 178a33279c..e8555fe55b 100755
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/scripts/kata-deploy.sh
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/scripts/kata-deploy.sh
@@ -105,6 +105,42 @@ function get_container_runtime() {
 	fi
 }
 
+function get_kata_containers_config_path() {
+	local shim="$1"
+
+	# Directory holding pristine configuration files for the current default golang runtime.
+	local golang_config_path="/opt/kata/share/defaults/kata-containers/"
+
+	# Directory holding pristine configuration files for the new rust runtime.
+	#
+	# These are put into a separate directory since:
+	#
+	# - In some cases, the rust runtime configuration syntax is
+	#   slightly different to the golang runtime configuration files
+	#   so some hypervisors need two different configuration files,
+	#   one for reach runtime type (for example Cloud Hypervisor which
+	#   uses 'clh' for the golang runtime and 'cloud-hypervisor' for
+	#   the rust runtime.
+	#
+	# - Some hypervisors only currently work with the golang runtime.
+	#
+	# - Some hypervisors only work with the rust runtime (dragonball).
+	#
+	# See: https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/issues/6020
+	local rust_config_path="${golang_config_path}/runtime-rs"
+
+	local config_path
+
+	# Map the runtime shim name to the appropriate configuration
+	# file directory.
+	case "$shim" in
+		dragonball) config_path="$rust_config_path" ;;
+		*) config_path="$golang_config_path" ;;
+	esac
+
+	echo "$config_path"
+}
+
 function install_artifacts() {
 	echo "copying kata artifacts onto host"
 	cp -au /opt/kata-artifacts/opt/kata/* /opt/kata/
@@ -112,8 +148,12 @@ function install_artifacts() {
 	[ -d /opt/kata/runtime-rs/bin ] && \
 		chmod +x /opt/kata/runtime-rs/bin/*
 
-	config_path="/opt/kata/share/defaults/kata-containers/"
+	local config_path
+
 	for shim in "${shims[@]}"; do
+		config_path=$(get_kata_containers_config_path "${shim}")
+		mkdir -p "$config_path"
+
 		local kata_config_file="${config_path}/configuration-${shim}.toml"
 		# Allow enabling debug for Kata Containers
 		if [[ "${DEBUG}" == "true" ]]; then
@@ -257,9 +297,11 @@ function configure_crio_runtime() {
 		configuration+="-$1"
 	fi
 
+	local config_path=$(get_kata_containers_config_path "${1}")
+
 	local kata_path="/usr/local/bin/containerd-shim-${runtime}-v2"
 	local kata_conf="crio.runtime.runtimes.${runtime}"
-	local kata_config_path="/opt/kata/share/defaults/kata-containers/$configuration.toml"
+	local kata_config_path="${config_path}/${configuration}.toml"
 
 	cat <<EOF | tee -a "$crio_drop_in_conf_file"
 
@@ -314,7 +356,7 @@ function configure_containerd_runtime() {
 	local runtime_table="plugins.${pluginid}.containerd.runtimes.$runtime"
 	local runtime_type="io.containerd.$runtime.v2"
 	local options_table="$runtime_table.options"
-	local config_path="/opt/kata/share/defaults/kata-containers/$configuration.toml"
+	local config_path="$(get_kata_containers_config_path "$2")/$configuration.toml"
 	if grep -q "\[$runtime_table\]" $containerd_conf_file; then
 		echo "Configuration exists for $runtime_table, overwriting"
 		sed -i "/\[$runtime_table\]/,+1s#runtime_type.*#runtime_type = \"${runtime_type}\"#" $containerd_conf_file