diff --git a/roles/openqa/worker/files/openqa-ppc64-prep.service b/roles/openqa/worker/files/openqa-ppc64-prep.service
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2f1a92bfcd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/openqa/worker/files/openqa-ppc64-prep.service
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=openQA ppc64 worker prep script
+
+[Service]
+Type=oneshot
+ExecStart=/usr/local/sbin/openqa-ppc64-prep.sh
+ExecReload=/bin/true
+ExecStop=/bin/true
+RemainAfterExit=yes
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
diff --git a/roles/openqa/worker/files/openqa-ppc64-prep.sh b/roles/openqa/worker/files/openqa-ppc64-prep.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..b90b5d98e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/openqa/worker/files/openqa-ppc64-prep.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# On boot, /dev/kvm perms are 0600 for some reason
+chmod ugo+rw /dev/kvm
+
+# SMT must be off for qemu to work properly
+ppc64_cpu --smt=off
diff --git a/roles/openqa/worker/tasks/main.yml b/roles/openqa/worker/tasks/main.yml
index 83a1e448cc..dc8e70a841 100644
--- a/roles/openqa/worker/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/openqa/worker/tasks/main.yml
@@ -33,6 +33,23 @@
   - packages
   when: "ansible_architecture is defined and ansible_architecture == 'x86_64'"
 
+- name: Install boot script (to set /dev/kvm perms and disable SMT) (ppc64 only)
+  copy: src=openqa-ppc64-prep.sh dest=/usr/local/sbin/openqa-ppc64-prep.sh owner=root group=root mode=0755
+  when: "ansible_architecture is defined and ansible_architecture == 'ppc64le'"
+
+- name: Install systemd service to run boot script (ppc64 only)
+  copy: src=openqa-ppc64-prep.service dest=/etc/systemd/system/openqa-ppc64-prep.service
+  when: "ansible_architecture is defined and ansible_architecture == 'ppc64le'"
+  register: prepservice
+
+- name: Do systemctl daemon-reload to register new service (ppc64 only)
+  command: "systemctl daemon-reload"
+  when: "prepservice is defined and prepservice|changed"
+
+- name: Enable systemd service to run boot script (ppc64 only)
+  service: name=openqa-ppc64-prep enabled=yes state=started
+  when: "ansible_architecture is defined and ansible_architecture == 'ppc64le'"
+
 - include: nfs-client.yml
   when: openqa_hostname is defined and openqa_hostname != "localhost"