diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/Dockerfile b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/Dockerfile
index f8b9edf4caf9..8e7f6e2ac119 100644
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/Dockerfile
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/Dockerfile
@@ -28,3 +28,4 @@ tar xvf ${WORKDIR}/${KATA_ARTIFACTS} -C ${DESTINATION} && \
 rm -f ${WORKDIR}/${KATA_ARTIFACTS}
 
 COPY scripts ${DESTINATION}/scripts
+COPY runtimeclasses ${DESTINATION}/runtimeclasses
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml
index 9ef9e04faa14..36d1b9b5b892 100644
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ spec:
         labels:
           name: kubelet-kata-cleanup
     spec:
-      serviceAccountName: kata-label-node
+      serviceAccountName: kata-deploy-sa
       nodeSelector:
           katacontainers.io/kata-runtime: cleanup
       containers:
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ spec:
           value: "clh dragonball fc qemu-nvidia-gpu qemu-sev qemu-snp qemu-tdx qemu"
         - name: DEFAULT_SHIM
           value: "qemu"
+        - name: CREATE_RUNTIMECLASSES
+          value: "false"
+        - name: CREATE_DEFAULT_RUNTIMECLASS
+          value: "false"
         securityContext:
           privileged: true
         volumeMounts:
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml
index ccab22c3447f..5431a47fae1e 100644
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ spec:
         labels:
           name: kata-deploy
     spec:
-      serviceAccountName: kata-label-node
+      serviceAccountName: kata-deploy-sa
       containers:
       - name: kube-kata
         image: quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:latest
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ spec:
           value: "clh dragonball fc qemu qemu-nvidia-gpu qemu-sev qemu-snp qemu-tdx"
         - name: DEFAULT_SHIM
           value: "qemu"
+        - name: CREATE_RUNTIMECLASSES
+          value: "false"
+        - name: CREATE_DEFAULT_RUNTIMECLASS
+          value: "false"
         securityContext:
           privileged: true
         volumeMounts:
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-rbac/base/kata-rbac.yaml b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-rbac/base/kata-rbac.yaml
index 408b5be90718..3bde9f0a8dd5 100644
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-rbac/base/kata-rbac.yaml
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-rbac/base/kata-rbac.yaml
@@ -2,28 +2,30 @@
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: ServiceAccount
 metadata:
-  name: kata-label-node
+  name: kata-deploy-sa
   namespace: kube-system
 ---
 kind: ClusterRole
 apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
 metadata:
-  name: node-labeler
+  name: kata-deploy-role
 rules:
 - apiGroups: [""]
   resources: ["nodes"]
   verbs: ["get", "patch"]
+- apiGroups: ["node.k8s.io"]
+  resources: ["runtimeclasses"]
+  verbs: ["create", "delete", "get", "list", "patch", "update", "watch"]
 ---
 kind: ClusterRoleBinding
 apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
 metadata:
-  name: kata-label-node-rb
+  name: kata-deploy-rb
 roleRef:
   apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io
   kind: ClusterRole
-  name: node-labeler
+  name: kata-deploy-role
 subjects:
 - kind: ServiceAccount
-  name: kata-label-node
+  name: kata-deploy-sa
   namespace: kube-system
-
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/scripts/kata-deploy.sh b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/scripts/kata-deploy.sh
index 05f1af213815..a1eda4b64202 100755
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/scripts/kata-deploy.sh
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/scripts/kata-deploy.sh
@@ -29,6 +29,41 @@ function print_usage() {
 	echo "Usage: $0 [install/cleanup/reset]"
 }
 
+function create_runtimeclasses() {
+	echo "Creating the runtime classes"
+
+	for shim in "${shims[@]}"; do
+		echo "Creating the kata-${shim} runtime class"
+		kubectl apply -f /opt/kata-artifacts/runtimeclasses/kata-${shim}.yaml
+	done
+
+	if [[ "${CREATE_DEFAULT_RUNTIMECLASS}" == "true" ]]; then
+		echo "Creating the kata runtime class for the default shim (an alias for kata-${default_shim})"
+		cp /opt/kata-artifacts/runtimeclasses/kata-${default_shim}.yaml /tmp/kata.yaml
+		sed -i -e 's/kata-'${default_shim}'/kata/g' /tmp/kata.yaml
+		kubectl apply -f /tmp/kata.yaml
+		rm -f /tmp/kata.yaml
+	fi
+}
+
+function delete_runtimeclasses() {
+	echo "Deleting the runtime classes"
+
+	for shim in "${shims[@]}"; do
+		echo "Deleting the kata-${shim} runtime class"
+		kubectl delete -f /opt/kata-artifacts/runtimeclasses/kata-${shim}.yaml
+	done
+
+
+	if [[ "${CREATE_DEFAULT_RUNTIMECLASS}" == "true" ]]; then
+		echo "Deleting the kata runtime class for the default shim (an alias for kata-${default_shim})"
+		cp /opt/kata-artifacts/runtimeclasses/kata-${default_shim}.yaml /tmp/kata.yaml
+		sed -i -e 's/kata-'${default_shim}'/kata/g' /tmp/kata.yaml
+		kubectl delete -f /tmp/kata.yaml
+		rm -f /tmp/kata.yaml
+	fi
+}
+
 function get_container_runtime() {
 
 	local runtime=$(kubectl get node $NODE_NAME -o jsonpath='{.status.nodeInfo.containerRuntimeVersion}')
@@ -75,6 +110,10 @@ function install_artifacts() {
 		sed -i -E "s|(valid_hypervisor_paths) = .+|\1 = [\"${clh_path}\"]|" "${config_path}"
 		sed -i -E "s|(path) = \".+/cloud-hypervisor\"|\1 = \"${clh_path}\"|" "${config_path}"
 	fi
+
+	if [[ "${CREATE_RUNTIMECLASSES}" == "true" ]]; then
+		create_runtimeclasses
+	fi
 }
 
 function wait_till_node_is_ready() {
@@ -174,6 +213,10 @@ function cleanup_different_shims_base() {
 
 	rm "${default_shim_file}" || true
 	restore_shim "${default_shim_file}"
+
+	if [[ "${CREATE_RUNTIMECLASSES}" == "true" ]]; then
+		delete_runtimeclasses
+	fi
 }
 
 function configure_crio_runtime() {