diff --git a/roles/openqa/worker/tasks/createhdds.yml b/roles/openqa/worker/tasks/createhdds.yml
index bf24140708..20a637999d 100644
--- a/roles/openqa/worker/tasks/createhdds.yml
+++ b/roles/openqa/worker/tasks/createhdds.yml
@@ -4,16 +4,36 @@
 - name: Install required packages
   dnf: name={{ item }} state=present
   with_items:
+  - libvirt-daemon-kvm
   - libvirt-python3
   - python3-libguestfs
   - python3-fedfind
+  - qemu-kvm
   - virt-install
   tags:
   - packages
 
+- name: Install PowerPC-specific packages
+  dnf: name=powerpc-utils state=present
+  when: ansible_architecture == 'ppc64' or ansible_architecture == 'ppc64le'
+  tags:
+  - packages
+
 - name: Allow libvirt to read/write to NFS
   seboolean: name=virt_use_nfs state=yes persistent=yes
 
+- name: Check if SMT setting needs changing
+  command: "ppc64_cpu --smt"
+  register: smtcheck
+  failed_when: "1 != 1"
+  changed_when: "1 != 1"
+  check_mode: no
+  when: ansible_architecture == 'ppc64' or ansible_architecture == 'ppc64le'
+
+- name: Change SMT setting if necessary
+  command: "ppc64_cpu --smt=off"
+  when: "smtcheck is defined and smtcheck.stdout.find('is off') == -1"
+
 - name: Check out createhdds
   git:
     repo: https://pagure.io/fedora-qa/createhdds.git