diff --git a/roles/sideload_kernel/README.md b/roles/sideload_kernel/README.md
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+# Sideload-kernel utility role
+
+This role will side-load a given realtime kernel onto an OpenShift SNO instance for
+development and testing purposes.  It will replace the stock standard kernel, or
+the stock realtime kernel if that has been enabled via MachineConfig or
+NodeTuningOperator CRs.
+
+Note: Only supported for side-loading custom realtime kernels, and only tested
+on SNO installations.
+
+## Variables
+
+| Variable                    | Default     | Required | Description           |
+| --------------------------- | ----------- | -------- | --------------------- |
+| sideload_kernel_uri         | undefined   | Yes      | The full URI to the kernel-rt-core rpm package to be installed, or the special value `"reset"` to reset back to the original kernel. |
+| sideload_kernel_namespace   | `"default"` | No       | The namespace where the job and pods run that conduct the change. Must be privileged. |
+| sideload_kernel_force       | `false`     | No       | Forces re-creation of the kubernetes job even if no changes occurred. |
+| sideload_kernel_job_timeout | `15`        | No       | The amount of time to wait for the sideload operation to complete (in minutes) |
+| sideload_kernel_base_image  | `"ubi9"`    | No       | The image used to run the script on the cluster. |
+| k8s_auth                    | `{}`        | No       | See the "Authentication" section below. |
+
+## Requirements
+
+- python3-kubernetes (or [kubernetes python library](https://pypi.org/project/kubernetes/))
+
+## Authentication
+
+The steps taken by this role require proper kubernetes authentication be set up
+on the ansible host (or localhost) for the cluster in question.  This may be
+done in 3 ways:
+
+- If the ansible host has a valid kubeconfig in ~/.kube/config, this will be
+  used by default.
+- You can set the appropriate environment variables via the `k8s_auth` role
+  variable. These will be named K8S_AUTH_* and are outlined in [kubernetes.core.k8s](https://galaxy.ansible.com/ui/repo/published/kubernetes/core/content/module/k8s/)
+
+## Usage example
+
+- Side-load a kernel, assuming ~/.kube/config is authenticated to
+  the proper kubernetes cluster:
+
+```yaml
+- name: Sideload a kernel
+  ansible.builtin.include_role:
+    name: redhatci.ocp.sideload_kernel
+  vars:
+    sideload_kernel_uri: "https://example.com/packages/kernel/5.14.0/417.el9/x86_64/kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-417.el9.x86_64.rpm"
+```
+
+- Side-load a kernel, specifying the path to an alternative
+  kubeconfig file:
+
+```yaml
+- name: Sideload a kernel
+  ansible.builtin.include_role:
+    name: redhatci.ocp.sideload_kernel
+  vars:
+    sideload_kernel_uri: "https://mymirror.local/kernels/kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-417.el9.x86_64.rpm"
+    k8s_auth:
+      K8S_AUTH_KUBECONFIG: /var/lib/clusterauth/kubeconfig
+```
+
+- Reset back to the original kernel
+
+```yaml
+- name: Reset to the custom standard kernel
+  ansible.builtin.include_role:
+    name: redhatci.ocp.sideload_kernel
+  vars:
+    sideload_kernel_uri: "reset"
+    k8s_auth:
+      K8S_AUTH_KUBECONFIG: /var/lib/clusterauth/kubeconfig
+```
diff --git a/roles/sideload_kernel/defaults/main.yml b/roles/sideload_kernel/defaults/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e42e1cb4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/sideload_kernel/defaults/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+sideload_kernel_namespace: default
+sideload_kernel_force: false
+sideload_kernel_job_timeout: 15
+sideload_kernel_base_image: ubi9
+k8s_auth: {}
diff --git a/roles/sideload_kernel/files/flip_kernel b/roles/sideload_kernel/files/flip_kernel
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..45c2402fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/sideload_kernel/files/flip_kernel
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+#!/bin/bash -eu
+#
+# Note: This script is designed to run inside a privileged OCP container that
+# has been chroot'd into the host filesystem, as it deals directly  with
+# rpm-ostree.
+#
+# Upon execution, one of 3 results will happen
+# - It will return 0 if the desired kernel is installed and active
+# - It will return 1 if there is any error
+# - It will reboot the system if the requested kernel is not yet active
+#
+# Run this script with '-h' for usage instructions.
+#
+
+NONRT=(kernel{-core,-modules,-modules-core,-modules-extra})
+RT=(kernel-rt{-core,-modules,-modules-core,-modules-extra})
+PREFETCH=/tmp
+
+replace_standard_kernel() {
+    local -a install
+    for pkg in "$@"; do
+        install+=(--install "${pkg}")
+    done
+    rpm-ostree override remove kernel "${NONRT[@]}" "${install[@]}"
+}
+
+reinstall_kernel_packages() {
+    local -a install
+    for pkg in "$@"; do
+        install+=(--install "${pkg}")
+    done
+    rpm-ostree uninstall --all "${install[@]}"
+}
+
+replaced_base_kernel() {
+    rpm-ostree status --json | jq -r '.deployments[0]."requested-base-removals"[]' | grep -q kernel-core
+}
+
+is_rpmostree_staged() {
+    [[ $(rpm-ostree status --json | jq '.deployments[0].staged') == "true" ]]
+}
+
+is_pkg_installed() {
+    local basename
+    basename=$(basename "$1" .rpm)
+    rpm -q "$basename" >/dev/null
+}
+
+reboot_if_staged() {
+    rpm-ostree status
+    if is_rpmostree_staged; then
+        # TODO: There is a race with MCD which may run 'rpm-ostree cleanup -p'
+        # on us and blow away our staged changes before they take effect.
+        # Attempt to make the window smaller by rebooting immediately
+        echo "Rebooting!"
+        systemctl reboot
+    else
+        echo "No changes staged!"
+        return 1
+    fi
+}
+
+inject_kernel_rpms() {
+    if is_pkg_installed "$1"; then
+        echo "$(basename "$1") is already installed; nothing to do!"
+        uname -r
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    if replaced_base_kernel; then
+        reinstall_kernel_packages "$@" || return $?
+    else
+        replace_standard_kernel "$@" || return $?
+    fi
+    reboot_if_staged
+}
+
+inject_from_dir() {
+    local pkgdir=${1:-/tmp}
+    local -a rpms
+    rpms=("$pkgdir/kernel-*.rpm")
+    inject_kernel_rpms "${rpms[@]}"
+}
+
+get_kernel_rpms_from_uri() {
+    local -n uris=$1; shift
+    uris=()
+    local prefix=$1; shift
+    local suffix=$1; shift
+    for pkg in "$@"; do
+        local uri="$prefix/$pkg-$suffix"
+        local fetch="-I"
+        if [[ -d $PREFETCH ]]; then
+            pushd "$PREFETCH" >/dev/null || return 1
+            fetch="-O"
+        fi
+        if ! curl "$fetch" -fksS "$uri" >/dev/null; then
+            echo "Error: Could not fetch RPM '$uri'"
+            return 1
+        fi
+        if [[ -d $PREFETCH ]]; then
+            uris+=("$PREFETCH/$(basename "$uri")")
+            popd >/dev/null || return 1
+        else
+            uris+=("$uri")
+        fi
+    done
+}
+
+inject_from_uri() {
+    local base=$1
+    local -a rpms
+    local prefix suffix
+    local -a pkglist
+    if [[ $base =~ .*/kernel-core-.*.rpm ]]; then
+      prefix=${base%%/kernel-core-*}
+      suffix=${base##*/kernel-core-}
+      pkglist=("${NONRT[@]}")
+    elif [[ $base =~ .*/kernel-rt-core-.*.rpm ]]; then
+      prefix=${base%%/kernel-rt-core-*}
+      suffix=${base##*/kernel-rt-core-}
+      pkglist=("${RT[@]}")
+    else
+        echo "URI must point to either the kernel-rt-core or kernel-core RPM"
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    get_kernel_rpms_from_uri rpms "$prefix" "$suffix" "${pkglist[@]}" || return 1
+    inject_kernel_rpms "${rpms[@]}"
+}
+
+reset_kernel() {
+    if ! replaced_base_kernel; then
+        echo "The standard kernel is already running; nothing to do!"
+        uname -r
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    rpm-ostree reset
+    reboot_if_staged
+}
+
+usage() {
+    echo "Switches to arbitrary kernel-[rt-]*.rpm packages"
+    echo
+    echo "Usage:"
+    echo "  $(basename "$0") http[s]://full-uri-to/kernel-[rt-]core-\$SOMEVERSION.rpm"
+    echo "    Fetches the kernel packages at the URI given, provided:"
+    echo "     - the URI must be to the 'kernel-rt-core' or 'kernel-core' package"
+    echo "     - the other packages must be in the same directory on the HTTP server"
+    echo
+    echo "  $(basename "$0") /path/to/pkgdir"
+    echo "    Installs a set of kernel packages from a local directory"
+    echo "    Must only contain one set of kernel packages"
+    echo
+    echo "  $(basename "$0") reset"
+    echo "    Resets the kernel back to the default standard kernel"
+    return 1
+}
+
+main() {
+    if [[ $1 == "-h" || $1 == "--help" ]]; then
+        usage
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    if [[ $(id -u) -ne 0 ]]; then
+        echo "This script must be run as root"
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    if [[ $1 == "reset" ]]; then
+        reset_kernel
+    elif [[ $1 =~ https?:// ]]; then
+        inject_from_uri "$1"
+    elif [[ -d $1 ]]; then
+        inject_from_dir "$1"
+    else
+        echo "'$1' was not a URI or a local directory."
+        usage
+    fi
+}
+
+[[ "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" == "$0" ]] && main "$@"
diff --git a/roles/sideload_kernel/tasks/main.yml b/roles/sideload_kernel/tasks/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8bab1abe2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/sideload_kernel/tasks/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+---
+- name: Validate required variables
+  ansible.builtin.assert:
+    that:
+      - sideload_kernel_uri | string
+
+- name: Sideload-kernel job namespace
+  community.kubernetes.k8s:
+    state: present
+    api_version: v1
+    kind: Namespace
+    name: "{{ sideload_kernel_namespace }}"
+  environment: "{{ k8s_auth }}"
+
+- name: Sideload-kernel configmap
+  community.kubernetes.k8s:
+    state: present
+    apply: true
+    definition:
+      apiVersion: v1
+      kind: ConfigMap
+      metadata:
+        name: sideload-kernel
+        namespace: "{{ sideload_kernel_namespace }}"
+      data:
+        KERNEL_URI: "{{ sideload_kernel_uri }}"
+        flip_kernel: "{{ lookup('file', 'flip_kernel') }}"
+  environment: "{{ k8s_auth }}"
+  register: configmap_created
+
+- name: Clean out any previous jobs
+  community.kubernetes.k8s:
+    state: absent
+    api_version: batch/v1
+    kind: Job
+    name: flip-kernel
+    namespace: "{{ sideload_kernel_namespace }}"
+  environment: "{{ k8s_auth }}"
+  when: configmap_created.changed or sideload_kernel_force | bool
+
+- name: Sideload-kernel job
+  community.kubernetes.k8s:
+    state: present
+    definition:
+      apiVersion: batch/v1
+      kind: Job
+      metadata:
+        name: flip-kernel
+        namespace: "{{ sideload_kernel_namespace }}"
+      spec:
+        backoffLimit: 3
+        # TODO: Add a selector for multi-node cluster cases?
+        template:
+          spec:
+            containers:
+              - command:
+                  - /bin/bash
+                args:
+                  - "-c"
+                  - "install /script/flip_kernel /host/tmp && chroot /host /tmp/flip_kernel ${KERNEL_URI}"
+                env:
+                  - name: KERNEL_URI
+                    valueFrom:
+                      configMapKeyRef:
+                        name: sideload-kernel
+                        key: KERNEL_URI
+                image: "{{ sideload_kernel_base_image }}"
+                imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
+                name: flipper
+                securityContext:
+                  privileged: true
+                  runAsUser: 0
+                volumeMounts:
+                  - mountPath: /host
+                    name: host
+                  - mountPath: /script
+                    name: script
+            hostIPC: true
+            hostNetwork: true
+            hostPID: true
+            restartPolicy: Never
+            volumes:
+              - name: host
+                hostPath:
+                  path: /
+                  type: Directory
+              - name: script
+                configMap:
+                  name: sideload-kernel
+  environment: "{{ k8s_auth }}"
+
+- name: Warn about a potentially long wait
+  ansible.builtin.debug:
+    msg: "Waiting for the job to reach a completed state (may take up to {{ sideload_kernel_job_timeout }} mins)..."
+
+- name: Wait for job completion
+  community.kubernetes.k8s_info:
+    api_version: batch/v1
+    kind: Job
+    name: flip-kernel
+    namespace: "{{ sideload_kernel_namespace }}"
+  environment: "{{ k8s_auth }}"
+  register: job_state
+  until: not job_state.failed and "conditions" in job_state.resources[0].status and job_state.resources[0].status.conditions[0].status == "True"
+  # A successful job may a long time, including waiting for a host reboot
+  retries: "{{ sideload_kernel_job_timeout * 4 | int }}"
+  delay: 15
+
+- name: Ensure the job completed successfully
+  ansible.builtin.fail:
+    msg: "Job state is {{ job_state.resources[0].status.conditions[0].type }}"
+  when: job_state.resources[0].status.conditions[0].type != 'Complete'
+...