diff --git a/stages/org.osbuild.rpm b/stages/org.osbuild.rpm
index a667245c..b22b59e0 100755
--- a/stages/org.osbuild.rpm
+++ b/stages/org.osbuild.rpm
@@ -202,6 +202,14 @@ def main(tree, inputs, options):
                 "--define", macro,
             ]
 
+        env = os.environ.copy()
+        # update the environment with variables for kernel-install if any are defined
+        kernel_install_env = options.get("kernel_install_env", {})
+        if kernel_install_env:
+            boot_root = kernel_install_env.get("boot_root")
+            if boot_root:
+                env["BOOT_ROOT"] = boot_root
+
         with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(prefix="manifest.", mode='w') as manifest:
             manifest.writelines(c + '\n' for c in packages)
             manifest.flush()
@@ -216,7 +224,7 @@ def main(tree, inputs, options):
                 # reading.
                 "--nosignature",
                 "--install", manifest.name
-            ], cwd=pkgpath, check=True)
+            ], cwd=pkgpath, check=True, env=env)
 
         for key in options.get("gpgkeys.fromtree", []):
             path = os.path.join(tree, key.lstrip("/"))
diff --git a/stages/org.osbuild.rpm.meta.json b/stages/org.osbuild.rpm.meta.json
index 971c0c0f..a5051b02 100644
--- a/stages/org.osbuild.rpm.meta.json
+++ b/stages/org.osbuild.rpm.meta.json
@@ -146,6 +146,18 @@
         "ostree_booted": {
           "type": "boolean",
           "description": "Create the '/run/ostree-booted' marker"
+        },
+        "kernel_install_env": {
+          "description": "Set environment variables understood by kernel-install and plugins (kernel-install(8))",
+          "type": "object",
+          "additionalProperties": false,
+          "properties": {
+            "boot_root": {
+              "type": "string",
+              "pattern": "^\\/?(?!\\.\\.)((?!\\/\\.\\.\\/).)+$",
+              "description": "Sets $BOOT_ROOT for kernel-install to override $KERNEL_INSTALL_BOOT_ROOT, the installation location for boot entries"
+            }
+          }
         }
       }
     },