diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index c73403e2..5171e98f 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 FROM debian:jessie
 ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND noninteractive
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y grub2 parted
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y grub2 parted kexec-tools
 
 COPY ./scripts/installer /scripts
 COPY ./build.conf /scripts/
diff --git a/cmd/control/os.go b/cmd/control/os.go
index b02ffd28..54b2f8e2 100644
--- a/cmd/control/os.go
+++ b/cmd/control/os.go
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ func osSubcommands() []cli.Command {
 					Name:  "no-reboot",
 					Usage: "do not reboot after upgrade",
 				},
+				cli.BoolFlag{
+					Name:  "kexec",
+					Usage: "reboot using kexec",
+				},
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -149,7 +153,7 @@ func osUpgrade(c *cli.Context) {
 	if c.Args().Present() {
 		log.Fatalf("invalid arguments %v", c.Args())
 	}
-	if err := startUpgradeContainer(image, c.Bool("stage"), c.Bool("force"), !c.Bool("no-reboot")); err != nil {
+	if err := startUpgradeContainer(image, c.Bool("stage"), c.Bool("force"), !c.Bool("no-reboot"), c.Bool("kexec")); err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 }
@@ -168,21 +172,28 @@ func yes(in *bufio.Reader, question string) bool {
 	return strings.ToLower(line[0:1]) == "y"
 }
 
-func startUpgradeContainer(image string, stage, force, reboot bool) error {
+func startUpgradeContainer(image string, stage, force, reboot, kexec bool) error {
 	in := bufio.NewReader(os.Stdin)
 
+	command := []string{
+		"-t", "rancher-upgrade",
+		"-r", config.VERSION,
+	}
+
+	if kexec {
+		command = append(command, "-k")
+	}
+
 	container, err := compose.CreateService(nil, "os-upgrade", &project.ServiceConfig{
 		LogDriver:  "json-file",
 		Privileged: true,
 		Net:        "host",
+		Pid:        "host",
 		Image:      image,
 		Labels: project.NewSliceorMap(map[string]string{
 			config.SCOPE: config.SYSTEM,
 		}),
-		Command: project.NewCommand(
-			"-t", "rancher-upgrade",
-			"-r", config.VERSION,
-		),
+		Command: project.NewCommand(command...),
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/scripts/installer/lay-down-os b/scripts/installer/lay-down-os
index f782a173..cae0414a 100755
--- a/scripts/installer/lay-down-os
+++ b/scripts/installer/lay-down-os
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ SCRIPTS_DIR=$(dirname ${0})
 . "${SCRIPTS_DIR}/build.conf"
 VERSION=${VERSION:?"VERSION not set"}
 
-while getopts "i:f:c:d:t:r:o:p:" OPTION
+while getopts "i:f:c:d:t:r:o:p:k" OPTION
 do
     case ${OPTION} in
         i) DIST="$OPTARG" ;;
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ do
         o) OEM="$OPTARG" ;;
         p) PARTITION="$OPTARG" ;;
         r) ROLLBACK_VERSION="$OPTARG" ;;
+        k) KEXEC=y ;;
         t) ENV="$OPTARG" ;;
         *) exit 1 ;;
     esac
@@ -187,3 +188,7 @@ fi
 grub2_config "${KERNEL_ARGS}"
 pvgrub_config "${KERNEL_ARGS}"
 install_rancher
+
+if [ "$KEXEC" = "y" ]; then
+    kexec -l ${DIST}/vmlinuz --initrd=${DIST}/initrd -f
+fi