diff --git a/internal/distro/rhel8/pipelines.go b/internal/distro/rhel8/pipelines.go
index 59180e30e..5dc68278c 100644
--- a/internal/distro/rhel8/pipelines.go
+++ b/internal/distro/rhel8/pipelines.go
@@ -664,6 +664,19 @@ func osPipeline(t *imageType,
 		}))
 	}
 
+	if t.rpmOstree {
+		p.AddStage(osbuild.NewSystemdJournaldStage(
+			&osbuild.SystemdJournaldStageOptions{
+				Filename: "10-persistent.conf",
+				Config: osbuild.SystemdJournaldConfigDropin{
+					Journal: osbuild.SystemdJournaldConfigJournalSection{
+						Storage: osbuild.StoragePresistent,
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		))
+	}
+
 	// Relabel the tree, unless the `NoSElinux` flag is explicitly set to `true`
 	if imageConfig.NoSElinux == nil || imageConfig.NoSElinux != nil && !*imageConfig.NoSElinux {
 		p.AddStage(osbuild.NewSELinuxStage(selinuxStageOptions(false)))
diff --git a/internal/manifest/os.go b/internal/manifest/os.go
index 1b8998074..a5aa7431a 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/os.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/os.go
@@ -530,6 +530,18 @@ func (p *OS) serialize() osbuild.Pipeline {
 		}))
 	}
 
+	if p.OSTreeRef != "" {
+		pipeline.AddStage(osbuild.NewSystemdJournaldStage(
+			&osbuild.SystemdJournaldStageOptions{
+				Filename: "10-persistent.conf",
+				Config: osbuild.SystemdJournaldConfigDropin{
+					Journal: osbuild.SystemdJournaldConfigJournalSection{
+						Storage: osbuild.StoragePresistent,
+					},
+				},
+			}))
+	}
+
 	if p.SElinux != "" {
 		pipeline.AddStage(osbuild.NewSELinuxStage(&osbuild.SELinuxStageOptions{
 			FileContexts: fmt.Sprintf("etc/selinux/%s/contexts/files/file_contexts", p.SElinux),