diff --git a/cmd/osbuild-playground/main.go b/cmd/osbuild-playground/main.go
index 319f2fe0d..1173d6912 100644
--- a/cmd/osbuild-playground/main.go
+++ b/cmd/osbuild-playground/main.go
@@ -14,13 +14,14 @@ import (
 	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/distroregistry"
 	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/manifest"
 	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/rpmmd"
+	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/runner"
 )
 
 var ImageTypes = make(map[string]ImageType)
 
 type ImageType interface {
 	Name() string
-	InstantiateManifest(m *manifest.Manifest, repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, runner string) error
+	InstantiateManifest(m *manifest.Manifest, repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, runner runner.Runner) error
 	GetExports() []string
 	GetCheckpoints() []string
 }
diff --git a/cmd/osbuild-playground/my-image.go b/cmd/osbuild-playground/my-image.go
index bfcd36854..cb0932220 100644
--- a/cmd/osbuild-playground/my-image.go
+++ b/cmd/osbuild-playground/my-image.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/manifest"
 	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/platform"
 	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/rpmmd"
+	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/runner"
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ func (img *MyImage) Name() string {
 // Return nil when you are done, or an error if something
 // went wrong. Your manifest will be streamed to osbuild
 // for building.
-func (img *MyImage) InstantiateManifest(m *manifest.Manifest, repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, runner string) error {
+func (img *MyImage) InstantiateManifest(m *manifest.Manifest, repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig, runner runner.Runner) error {
 	// Let's create a simple OCI container!
 
 	// configure a build pipeline
diff --git a/cmd/osbuild-playground/playground.go b/cmd/osbuild-playground/playground.go
index 45d2a9e65..69643678d 100644
--- a/cmd/osbuild-playground/playground.go
+++ b/cmd/osbuild-playground/playground.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/manifest"
 	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/osbuild2"
 	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/rpmmd"
+	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/runner"
 )
 
 func RunPlayground(img ImageType, d distro.Distro, arch distro.Arch, repos map[string][]rpmmd.RepoConfig, state_dir string) {
@@ -22,8 +23,8 @@ func RunPlayground(img ImageType, d distro.Distro, arch distro.Arch, repos map[s
 
 	manifest := manifest.New()
 
-	// TODO: figure out the runner situation
-	err := img.InstantiateManifest(&manifest, repos[arch.Name()], "org.osbuild.fedora36")
+	// TODO: query distro for runner
+	err := img.InstantiateManifest(&manifest, repos[arch.Name()], &runner.Fedora{Version: 36})
 	if err != nil {
 		panic("InstantiateManifest() failed: " + err.Error())
 	}
diff --git a/internal/distro/fedora/distro.go b/internal/distro/fedora/distro.go
index e10de0ac0..be12d7ef1 100644
--- a/internal/distro/fedora/distro.go
+++ b/internal/distro/fedora/distro.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/manifest"
 	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/platform"
 	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/rpmmd"
+	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/runner"
 	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/workload"
 )
 
@@ -289,7 +290,7 @@ type distribution struct {
 	vendor             string
 	ostreeRefTmpl      string
 	isolabelTmpl       string
-	runner             string
+	runner             runner.Runner
 	arches             map[string]distro.Arch
 	defaultImageConfig *distro.ImageConfig
 }
@@ -311,7 +312,7 @@ var distroMap = map[string]distribution{
 		vendor:             "fedora",
 		ostreeRefTmpl:      "fedora/34/%s/iot",
 		isolabelTmpl:       "Fedora-34-BaseOS-%s",
-		runner:             "org.osbuild.fedora34",
+		runner:             &runner.Fedora{Version: 34},
 		defaultImageConfig: defaultDistroImageConfig,
 	},
 	fedora35Distribution: {
@@ -323,7 +324,7 @@ var distroMap = map[string]distribution{
 		vendor:             "fedora",
 		ostreeRefTmpl:      "fedora/35/%s/iot",
 		isolabelTmpl:       "Fedora-35-BaseOS-%s",
-		runner:             "org.osbuild.fedora35",
+		runner:             &runner.Fedora{Version: 35},
 		defaultImageConfig: defaultDistroImageConfig,
 	},
 	fedora36Distribution: {
@@ -335,7 +336,7 @@ var distroMap = map[string]distribution{
 		vendor:             "fedora",
 		ostreeRefTmpl:      "fedora/36/%s/iot",
 		isolabelTmpl:       "Fedora-36-BaseOS-%s",
-		runner:             "org.osbuild.fedora36",
+		runner:             &runner.Fedora{Version: 36},
 		defaultImageConfig: defaultDistroImageConfig,
 	},
 }
diff --git a/internal/manifest/anaconda.go b/internal/manifest/anaconda.go
index 2684fb72e..2278612a9 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/anaconda.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/anaconda.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ func NewAnacondaPipeline(m *Manifest,
 	product,
 	version string) *AnacondaPipeline {
 	p := &AnacondaPipeline{
-		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "anaconda-tree", buildPipeline, nil),
+		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "anaconda-tree", buildPipeline),
 		repos:        repos,
 		kernelName:   kernelName,
 		arch:         arch,
diff --git a/internal/manifest/build.go b/internal/manifest/build.go
index 0d1fb2a05..3a9e9ea88 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/build.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/build.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package manifest
 import (
 	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/osbuild2"
 	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/rpmmd"
+	"github.com/osbuild/osbuild-composer/internal/runner"
 )
 
 // A BuildPipeline represents the build environment for other pipelines. As a
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 type BuildPipeline struct {
 	BasePipeline
 
+	runner       runner.Runner
 	dependents   []Pipeline
 	repos        []rpmmd.RepoConfig
 	packageSpecs []rpmmd.PackageSpec
@@ -22,9 +24,10 @@ type BuildPipeline struct {
 
 // NewBuildPipeline creates a new build pipeline from the repositories in repos
 // and the specified packages.
-func NewBuildPipeline(m *Manifest, runner string, repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig) *BuildPipeline {
+func NewBuildPipeline(m *Manifest, runner runner.Runner, repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig) *BuildPipeline {
 	pipeline := &BuildPipeline{
-		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "build", nil, &runner),
+		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "build", nil),
+		runner:       runner,
 		dependents:   make([]Pipeline, 0),
 		repos:        repos,
 	}
@@ -37,17 +40,16 @@ func (p *BuildPipeline) addDependent(dep Pipeline) {
 }
 
 func (p *BuildPipeline) getPackageSetChain() []rpmmd.PackageSet {
-	// TODO: have a runner abstraction that provides the necessary packages
 	// TODO: make the /usr/bin/cp dependency conditional
 	// TODO: make the /usr/bin/xz dependency conditional
 	packages := []string{
 		"selinux-policy-targeted", // needed to build the build pipeline
 		"coreutils",               // /usr/bin/cp - used all over
-		"glibc",                   // ldconfig - used in the runner
-		"systemd",                 // systemd-tmpfiles and systemd-sysusers - used in the runner
 		"xz",                      // usage unclear
 	}
 
+	packages = append(packages, p.runner.GetBuildPackages()...)
+
 	for _, pipeline := range p.dependents {
 		packages = append(packages, pipeline.getBuildPackages()...)
 	}
@@ -83,6 +85,7 @@ func (p *BuildPipeline) serialize() osbuild2.Pipeline {
 		panic("serialization not started")
 	}
 	pipeline := p.BasePipeline.serialize()
+	pipeline.Runner = p.runner.String()
 
 	pipeline.AddStage(osbuild2.NewRPMStage(osbuild2.NewRPMStageOptions(p.repos), osbuild2.NewRpmStageSourceFilesInputs(p.packageSpecs)))
 	pipeline.AddStage(osbuild2.NewSELinuxStage(&osbuild2.SELinuxStageOptions{
diff --git a/internal/manifest/commit.go b/internal/manifest/commit.go
index e22040327..35bae2d5a 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/commit.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/commit.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func NewOSTreeCommitPipeline(m *Manifest,
 	treePipeline *OSPipeline,
 	ref string) *OSTreeCommitPipeline {
 	p := &OSTreeCommitPipeline{
-		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "ostree-commit", buildPipeline, nil),
+		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "ostree-commit", buildPipeline),
 		treePipeline: treePipeline,
 		ref:          ref,
 	}
diff --git a/internal/manifest/commit_server_tree.go b/internal/manifest/commit_server_tree.go
index 9e6778f6f..dbd8df631 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/commit_server_tree.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/commit_server_tree.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func NewOSTreeCommitServerTreePipeline(m *Manifest,
 	nginxConfigPath,
 	listenPort string) *OSTreeCommitServerTreePipeline {
 	p := &OSTreeCommitServerTreePipeline{
-		BasePipeline:    NewBasePipeline(m, "container-tree", buildPipeline, nil),
+		BasePipeline:    NewBasePipeline(m, "container-tree", buildPipeline),
 		repos:           repos,
 		commitPipeline:  commitPipeline,
 		nginxConfigPath: nginxConfigPath,
diff --git a/internal/manifest/iso.go b/internal/manifest/iso.go
index ffb1aaa63..fe6b75e58 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/iso.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/iso.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func NewISOPipeline(m *Manifest,
 	treePipeline *ISOTreePipeline,
 	filename string) *ISOPipeline {
 	p := &ISOPipeline{
-		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "bootiso", buildPipeline, nil),
+		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "bootiso", buildPipeline),
 		treePipeline: treePipeline,
 		filename:     filename,
 	}
diff --git a/internal/manifest/iso_tree.go b/internal/manifest/iso_tree.go
index 8e93437a8..4cb06735a 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/iso_tree.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/iso_tree.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func NewISOTreePipeline(m *Manifest,
 	isoLabel := fmt.Sprintf(isoLabelTmpl, anacondaPipeline.arch)
 
 	p := &ISOTreePipeline{
-		BasePipeline:     NewBasePipeline(m, "bootiso-tree", buildPipeline, nil),
+		BasePipeline:     NewBasePipeline(m, "bootiso-tree", buildPipeline),
 		anacondaPipeline: anacondaPipeline,
 		isoLabel:         isoLabel,
 		osTreeCommit:     osTreeCommit,
diff --git a/internal/manifest/live.go b/internal/manifest/live.go
index e4975a0f4..e3b1307a5 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/live.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/live.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func NewLiveImgPipeline(m *Manifest,
 	treePipeline *OSPipeline,
 	filename string) *LiveImgPipeline {
 	p := &LiveImgPipeline{
-		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "image", buildPipeline, nil),
+		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "image", buildPipeline),
 		treePipeline: treePipeline,
 		filename:     filename,
 	}
diff --git a/internal/manifest/oci_container.go b/internal/manifest/oci_container.go
index 825c4134e..e0c3433c9 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/oci_container.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/oci_container.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ func NewOCIContainerPipeline(m *Manifest,
 	architecture,
 	filename string) *OCIContainerPipeline {
 	p := &OCIContainerPipeline{
-		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "container", buildPipeline, nil),
+		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "container", buildPipeline),
 		treePipeline: treePipeline,
 		architecture: architecture,
 		filename:     filename,
diff --git a/internal/manifest/os.go b/internal/manifest/os.go
index ec68af833..d50525281 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/os.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/os.go
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func NewOSPipeline(m *Manifest,
 	platform platform.Platform,
 	repos []rpmmd.RepoConfig) *OSPipeline {
 	p := &OSPipeline{
-		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "os", buildPipeline, nil),
+		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "os", buildPipeline),
 		repos:        repos,
 		platform:     platform,
 		Language:     "C.UTF-8",
diff --git a/internal/manifest/pipeline.go b/internal/manifest/pipeline.go
index d8b9f35a1..1f802d72c 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/pipeline.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/pipeline.go
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ type Pipeline interface {
 type BasePipeline struct {
 	manifest *Manifest
 	name     string
-	runner   string
 	build    *BuildPipeline
 }
 
@@ -67,7 +66,7 @@ func (p BasePipeline) getInline() []string {
 // the build host's filesystem is used as the build root. The runner specifies how to use this
 // pipeline as a build pipeline, by naming the distro it contains. When the host system is used
 // as a build root, then the necessary runner is autodetected.
-func NewBasePipeline(m *Manifest, name string, build *BuildPipeline, runner *string) BasePipeline {
+func NewBasePipeline(m *Manifest, name string, build *BuildPipeline) BasePipeline {
 	p := BasePipeline{
 		manifest: m,
 		name:     name,
@@ -77,12 +76,6 @@ func NewBasePipeline(m *Manifest, name string, build *BuildPipeline, runner *str
 		if build.BasePipeline.manifest != m {
 			panic("build pipeline from a different manifest")
 		}
-		if build.BasePipeline.runner == "" {
-			panic("build pipeline does not have runner")
-		}
-	}
-	if runner != nil {
-		p.runner = *runner
 	}
 	return p
 }
@@ -101,13 +94,11 @@ func (p BasePipeline) serializeEnd() {
 // meant to be treated as opaque and not to be modified further outside of the pipeline
 // package.
 func (p BasePipeline) serialize() osbuild2.Pipeline {
-	var buildName string
+	pipeline := osbuild2.Pipeline{
+		Name: p.name,
+	}
 	if p.build != nil {
-		buildName = "name:" + p.build.Name()
-	}
-	return osbuild2.Pipeline{
-		Name:   p.name,
-		Runner: p.runner,
-		Build:  buildName,
+		pipeline.Build = "name:" + p.build.Name()
 	}
+	return pipeline
 }
diff --git a/internal/manifest/qcow2.go b/internal/manifest/qcow2.go
index a3903a595..f04622c77 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/qcow2.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/qcow2.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func NewQCOW2Pipeline(m *Manifest,
 	imgPipeline *LiveImgPipeline,
 	filename string) *QCOW2Pipeline {
 	p := &QCOW2Pipeline{
-		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "qcow2", buildPipeline, nil),
+		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "qcow2", buildPipeline),
 		imgPipeline:  imgPipeline,
 		filename:     filename,
 	}
diff --git a/internal/manifest/tar.go b/internal/manifest/tar.go
index c175ced69..7f55fdda4 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/tar.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/tar.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ func NewTarPipeline(m *Manifest,
 	pipelinename,
 	filename string) *TarPipeline {
 	p := &TarPipeline{
-		BasePipeline:  NewBasePipeline(m, pipelinename, buildPipeline, nil),
+		BasePipeline:  NewBasePipeline(m, pipelinename, buildPipeline),
 		inputPipeline: inputPipeline,
 		filename:      filename,
 	}
diff --git a/internal/manifest/vmdk.go b/internal/manifest/vmdk.go
index 756e24946..8bb58d441 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/vmdk.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/vmdk.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func NewVMDKPipeline(m *Manifest,
 	imgPipeline *LiveImgPipeline,
 	filename string) *VMDKPipeline {
 	p := &VMDKPipeline{
-		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "vmdk", buildPipeline, nil),
+		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "vmdk", buildPipeline),
 		imgPipeline:  imgPipeline,
 		filename:     filename,
 	}
diff --git a/internal/manifest/vpc.go b/internal/manifest/vpc.go
index 35df0ffd0..ca694c95d 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/vpc.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/vpc.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ func NewVPCPipeline(m *Manifest,
 	imgPipeline *LiveImgPipeline,
 	filename string) *VPCPipeline {
 	p := &VPCPipeline{
-		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "vpc", buildPipeline, nil),
+		BasePipeline: NewBasePipeline(m, "vpc", buildPipeline),
 		imgPipeline:  imgPipeline,
 		filename:     filename,
 	}
diff --git a/internal/runner/fedora.go b/internal/runner/fedora.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cf555bab8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/runner/fedora.go
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+package runner
+
+import "fmt"
+
+type Fedora struct {
+	Version uint64
+}
+
+func (r *Fedora) String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("org.osbuild.fedora%d", r.Version)
+}
+
+func (p *Fedora) GetBuildPackages() []string {
+	return []string{
+		"glibc",   // ldconfig
+		"systemd", // systemd-tmpfiles and systemd-sysusers
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/runner/linux.go b/internal/runner/linux.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5f42a843d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/runner/linux.go
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+package runner
+
+type Linux struct {
+}
+
+func (r *Linux) String() string {
+	return "org.osbuild.linux"
+}
+
+func (p *Linux) GetBuildPackages() []string {
+	return []string{
+		"glibc",   // ldconfig
+		"systemd", // systemd-tmpfiles and systemd-sysusers
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/runner/rhel.go b/internal/runner/rhel.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dd17e4f61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/runner/rhel.go
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+package runner
+
+import "fmt"
+
+type RHEL struct {
+	Major uint64
+	Minor uint64
+}
+
+func (r *RHEL) String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("org.osbuild.fedora%d%d", r.Major, r.Minor)
+}
+
+func (p *RHEL) GetBuildPackages() []string {
+	packages := []string{
+		"glibc", // ldconfig
+	}
+	if p.Major >= 8 {
+		packages = append(packages,
+			"systemd", // systemd-tmpfiles and systemd-sysusers
+		)
+	}
+	return packages
+}
diff --git a/internal/runner/runner.go b/internal/runner/runner.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..60679ba28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/runner/runner.go
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+package runner
+
+type Runner interface {
+	String() string
+	GetBuildPackages() []string
+}