diff --git a/roles/edpm_bootstrap/defaults/main.yml b/roles/edpm_bootstrap/defaults/main.yml
index 63f22f3aa..bbfb07b2b 100644
--- a/roles/edpm_bootstrap/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/edpm_bootstrap/defaults/main.yml
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ edpm_bootstrap_packages_bootstrap:
   - sysstat
   - iproute-tc
   - ksmtuned
+  # This is required for correct management of cgroups applied to qemu
+  # instances without this libvirt falls back to a legacy cgroup
+  # codepath that is no-longer tested or supported in rhel as of rhel 8...
+  - systemd-container
 
 edpm_bootstrap_release_version_package:
   - rhosp-release
diff --git a/roles/edpm_bootstrap/meta/argument_specs.yml b/roles/edpm_bootstrap/meta/argument_specs.yml
index 65ec51b9b..521aafac2 100644
--- a/roles/edpm_bootstrap/meta/argument_specs.yml
+++ b/roles/edpm_bootstrap/meta/argument_specs.yml
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ argument_specs:
           - sysstat
           - iproute-tc
           - ksmtuned
+          - systemd-container
         description: "List of packages that are requred to bootstrap EDPM."
 
       edpm_bootstrap_release_version_package: