diff --git a/cluster.yml b/cluster.yml
index e10c0d2c9..ce169a161 100644
--- a/cluster.yml
+++ b/cluster.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
   roles:
     - { role: kubernetes/preinstall, tags: preinstall }
     - { role: docker, tags: docker }
+    - { role: rkt, tags: rkt }
 
 - hosts: etcd:!k8s-cluster
   any_errors_fatal: true
diff --git a/inventory/group_vars/all.yml b/inventory/group_vars/all.yml
index 839da100a..a3598e9db 100644
--- a/inventory/group_vars/all.yml
+++ b/inventory/group_vars/all.yml
@@ -197,3 +197,7 @@ k8s_image_pull_policy: IfNotPresent
 # default packages to install within the cluster
 kpm_packages: []
 #  - name: kube-system/grafana
+
+rkt_version: 1.21.0
+etcd_deployment_type: rkt
+kubelet_deployment_type: docker
diff --git a/roles/download/defaults/main.yml b/roles/download/defaults/main.yml
index df9bd75c7..8c1225527 100644
--- a/roles/download/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/download/defaults/main.yml
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ downloads:
     unarchive: true
     owner: "etcd"
     mode: "0755"
-    container: "{{ etcd_deployment_type == 'docker' }}"
+    container: "{{ etcd_deployment_type }} in [ 'docker', 'rkt' ]"
     repo: "{{ etcd_image_repo }}"
     tag: "{{ etcd_image_tag }}"
   hyperkube:
diff --git a/roles/rkt/defaults/main.yml b/roles/rkt/defaults/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6794429a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/rkt/defaults/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+
+rkt_version: 1.12.0
+rkt_pkg_version: "{{ rkt_version }}-1"
+rkt_download_src: https://github.com/coreos/rkt
+rkt_download_url: "{{ rkt_download_src }}/releases/download/v{{ rkt_version }}"
diff --git a/roles/rkt/tasks/install.yml b/roles/rkt/tasks/install.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0317c7a7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/rkt/tasks/install.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+---
+- name: gather os specific variables for rkt
+  include_vars: "{{ item }}"
+  with_first_found:
+    - files:
+      - "{{ ansible_distribution|lower }}-{{ ansible_distribution_version|lower|replace('/', '_') }}.yml"
+      - "{{ ansible_distribution|lower }}-{{ ansible_distribution_release }}.yml"
+      - "{{ ansible_distribution|lower }}-{{ ansible_distribution_major_version|lower|replace('/', '_') }}.yml"
+      - "{{ ansible_distribution|lower }}.yml"
+      - "{{ ansible_os_family|lower }}.yml"
+      - defaults.yml
+      paths:
+      - ../vars
+      skip: true
+  tags: facts
+
+#- name: download rkt pkg
+#  get_url:
+#    url: "{{ rkt_download_url }}/{{rkt_pkg_name}}"
+#    dest: "{{ local_release_dir }}" 
+#  when: (ansible_os_family != "CoreOS") and "rkt" in [ etcd_deployment_type, kubelet_deployment_type ]
+
+- name: install rkt pkg on ubuntu
+  apt:
+    deb: "{{ rkt_download_url }}/{{ rkt_pkg_name }}"
+    state: present
+  register: rkt_task_result
+  until: rkt_task_result|success
+  retries: 4
+  delay: "{{ retry_stagger | random + 3 }}"
+  when: ansible_os_family == "Debian" and "rkt" in [ etcd_deployment_type, kubelet_deployment_type ]
+
+- name: "install rkt pkg on centos"
+  yum:
+    pkg: "{{ rkt_download_url }}/{{ rkt_pkg_name }}"
+    state: present
+  register: rkt_task_result
+  until: rkt_task_result|success
+  retries: 4
+  delay: "{{ retry_stagger | random + 3 }}"
+  when: ansible_os_family == "RedHat" and "rkt" in [ etcd_deployment_type, kubelet_deployment_type ]
diff --git a/roles/rkt/tasks/main.yml b/roles/rkt/tasks/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9d87123bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/rkt/tasks/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+
+- name: Install rkt
+  include: install.yml
diff --git a/roles/rkt/vars/debian.yml b/roles/rkt/vars/debian.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9cfffe5c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/rkt/vars/debian.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+---
+rkt_pkg_name: "rkt_{{ rkt_pkg_version }}_amd64.deb"
diff --git a/roles/rkt/vars/fedora.yml b/roles/rkt/vars/fedora.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..13149e8fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/rkt/vars/fedora.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+---
+rkt_pkg_name: "rkt-{{ rkt_pkg_version }}.x86_64.rpm"
diff --git a/roles/rkt/vars/redhat.yml b/roles/rkt/vars/redhat.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..13149e8fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/rkt/vars/redhat.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+---
+rkt_pkg_name: "rkt-{{ rkt_pkg_version }}.x86_64.rpm"