diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ffd08c80..a4a74839 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -299,6 +299,7 @@ $(CNI_PLUGINS_DIR): | $(CNI_PLUGINS_BASE_DIR)
 
 cni-plugins: $(CNI_PLUGINS_DIR)
 
+
 # CONTAINERD CLI
 
 # NERDCTL install
diff --git a/nodelet/Makefile b/nodelet/Makefile
index f8dc0d4f..a5d5400e 100644
--- a/nodelet/Makefile
+++ b/nodelet/Makefile
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ DOCKER_BUILD_CMD=${DOCKER} build
 DOCKER_RMI_CMD=${DOCKER} rmi
 RM=rm
 REPEAT_TESTS ?= "1"
+WGET_CMD ?= "wget"
+
 
 # Using PWD is not guaranteed to be the directory of the Makefile. Use these instead:
 MAKE_PATH := $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
@@ -43,8 +45,24 @@ GOLANG_DOCKER_MARKER := ${NODELET_BUILD_DIR}/${COMPILE_IMAGE}.marker
 .PHONY: nodelet-setup nodelet nodelet-test nodelet-clean
 .DEFAULT_GOAL:= nodelet
 
+# Download containerd
+CONTAINERD_VERSION := 1.6.1
+CONTAINERD_BASE_DIR := $(NODELET_SRC_DIR)/pkg/phases/container_runtime/containerd
+CONTAINERD_FILE_NAME := containerd-${CONTAINERD_VERSION}-linux-amd64.tar.gz
+CONTAINERD_FILE := $(CONTAINERD_BASE_DIR)/containerd.tar.gz
+CONTAINERD_URL := https://github.com/containerd/containerd/releases/download/v${CONTAINERD_VERSION}/${CONTAINERD_FILE_NAME}
+
+$(CONTAINERD_BASE_DIR):
+	echo "make CONTAINERD_BASE_DIR: $(CONTAINERD_BASE_DIR)"
+	mkdir -p $@
+
+$(CONTAINERD_FILE): | $(CONTAINERD_BASE_DIR)
+	echo "make CONTAINERD_FILE: $(CONTAINERD_FILE)"
+	${WGET_CMD} ${CONTAINERD_URL}  -O ${CONTAINERD_FILE}
+
+
 # Download/create build envs
-nodelet-setup: ${NODELET_BIN_DIR} ${GOLANG_DOCKER_MARKER}
+nodelet-setup: ${NODELET_BIN_DIR} ${GOLANG_DOCKER_MARKER} $(CONTAINERD_FILE)
 	echo "setting up env for nodeletd"
 	cd ${NODELET_SRC_DIR} && go mod vendor || true
 
diff --git a/nodelet/go.mod b/nodelet/go.mod
index 19c3a4fb..f04bfa0d 100644
--- a/nodelet/go.mod
+++ b/nodelet/go.mod
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/cenkalti/backoff v2.2.1+incompatible
 	github.com/choria-io/go-validator v1.1.1
 	github.com/containerd/containerd v1.6.2
+	github.com/coreos/go-systemd v0.0.0-20190321100706-95778dfbb74e
 	github.com/erwinvaneyk/goversion v0.1.3
 	github.com/ghodss/yaml v1.0.0
 	github.com/golang/mock v1.6.0
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/go-openapi/jsonreference v0.19.5 // indirect
 	github.com/go-openapi/swag v0.19.14 // indirect
 	github.com/gogo/googleapis v1.4.0 // indirect
+	github.com/godbus/dbus v0.0.0-20190422162347-ade71ed3457e // indirect
 	github.com/gogo/protobuf v1.3.2 // indirect
 	github.com/golang/groupcache v0.0.0-20210331224755-41bb18bfe9da // indirect
 	github.com/golang/protobuf v1.5.2 // indirect
diff --git a/nodelet/go.sum b/nodelet/go.sum
index 44969af4..387687ef 100644
--- a/nodelet/go.sum
+++ b/nodelet/go.sum
@@ -264,6 +264,7 @@ github.com/coreos/go-semver v0.2.0/go.mod h1:nnelYz7RCh+5ahJtPPxZlU+153eP4D4r3Ee
 github.com/coreos/go-semver v0.3.0/go.mod h1:nnelYz7RCh+5ahJtPPxZlU+153eP4D4r3EedlOD2RNk=
 github.com/coreos/go-systemd v0.0.0-20161114122254-48702e0da86b/go.mod h1:F5haX7vjVVG0kc13fIWeqUViNPyEJxv/OmvnBo0Yme4=
 github.com/coreos/go-systemd v0.0.0-20180511133405-39ca1b05acc7/go.mod h1:F5haX7vjVVG0kc13fIWeqUViNPyEJxv/OmvnBo0Yme4=
+github.com/coreos/go-systemd v0.0.0-20190321100706-95778dfbb74e h1:Wf6HqHfScWJN9/ZjdUKyjop4mf3Qdd+1TvvltAvM3m8=
 github.com/coreos/go-systemd v0.0.0-20190321100706-95778dfbb74e/go.mod h1:F5haX7vjVVG0kc13fIWeqUViNPyEJxv/OmvnBo0Yme4=
 github.com/coreos/go-systemd/v22 v22.0.0/go.mod h1:xO0FLkIi5MaZafQlIrOotqXZ90ih+1atmu1JpKERPPk=
 github.com/coreos/go-systemd/v22 v22.1.0/go.mod h1:xO0FLkIi5MaZafQlIrOotqXZ90ih+1atmu1JpKERPPk=
@@ -390,6 +391,7 @@ github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql v1.6.0/go.mod h1:DCzpHaOWr8IXmIStZouvnhqoel9Qv2LB
 github.com/go-stack/stack v1.8.0/go.mod h1:v0f6uXyyMGvRgIKkXu+yp6POWl0qKG85gN/melR3HDY=
 github.com/godbus/dbus v0.0.0-20151105175453-c7fdd8b5cd55/go.mod h1:/YcGZj5zSblfDWMMoOzV4fas9FZnQYTkDnsGvmh2Grw=
 github.com/godbus/dbus v0.0.0-20180201030542-885f9cc04c9c/go.mod h1:/YcGZj5zSblfDWMMoOzV4fas9FZnQYTkDnsGvmh2Grw=
+github.com/godbus/dbus v0.0.0-20190422162347-ade71ed3457e h1:BWhy2j3IXJhjCbC68FptL43tDKIq8FladmaTs3Xs7Z8=
 github.com/godbus/dbus v0.0.0-20190422162347-ade71ed3457e/go.mod h1:bBOAhwG1umN6/6ZUMtDFBMQR8jRg9O75tm9K00oMsK4=
 github.com/godbus/dbus/v5 v5.0.3/go.mod h1:xhWf0FNVPg57R7Z0UbKHbJfkEywrmjJnf7w5xrFpKfA=
 github.com/godbus/dbus/v5 v5.0.4/go.mod h1:xhWf0FNVPg57R7Z0UbKHbJfkEywrmjJnf7w5xrFpKfA=
@@ -998,6 +1000,7 @@ golang.org/x/mod v0.4.0/go.mod h1:s0Qsj1ACt9ePp/hMypM3fl4fZqREWJwdYDEqhRiZZUA=
 golang.org/x/mod v0.4.1/go.mod h1:s0Qsj1ACt9ePp/hMypM3fl4fZqREWJwdYDEqhRiZZUA=
 golang.org/x/mod v0.4.2 h1:Gz96sIWK3OalVv/I/qNygP42zyoKp3xptRVCWRFEBvo=
 golang.org/x/mod v0.4.2/go.mod h1:s0Qsj1ACt9ePp/hMypM3fl4fZqREWJwdYDEqhRiZZUA=
+golang.org/x/mod v0.5.1/go.mod h1:5OXOZSfqPIIbmVBIIKWRFfZjPR0E5r58TLhUjH0a2Ro=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20180724234803-3673e40ba225/go.mod h1:mL1N/T3taQHkDXs73rZJwtUhF3w3ftmwwsq0BUmARs4=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20180826012351-8a410e7b638d/go.mod h1:mL1N/T3taQHkDXs73rZJwtUhF3w3ftmwwsq0BUmARs4=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20180906233101-161cd47e91fd/go.mod h1:mL1N/T3taQHkDXs73rZJwtUhF3w3ftmwwsq0BUmARs4=
diff --git a/nodelet/pkg/phases/container_runtime/containerd_configure.go b/nodelet/pkg/phases/container_runtime/containerd_configure.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..317f05f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nodelet/pkg/phases/container_runtime/containerd_configure.go
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+package containerruntime
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"embed"
+	"fmt"
+
+	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
+
+	"github.com/coreos/go-systemd/dbus"
+	"github.com/platform9/nodelet/nodelet/pkg/untar"
+
+	"github.com/platform9/nodelet/nodelet/pkg/embedutil"
+	"github.com/platform9/nodelet/nodelet/pkg/utils/config"
+	"github.com/platform9/nodelet/nodelet/pkg/utils/constants"
+	sunpikev1alpha1 "github.com/platform9/pf9-qbert/sunpike/apiserver/pkg/apis/sunpike/v1alpha1"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
+)
+
+//go:embed containerd/containerd.tar.gz
+var containerdZip embed.FS
+
+type ContainerdConfigPhase struct {
+	baseDir   string
+	hostPhase *sunpikev1alpha1.HostPhase
+	embedFs   *embedutil.EmbedFS
+	conn      *dbus.Conn
+	containerdRunPhase *ContainerdRunPhase
+}
+
+// Extract containerd zip to the specified directory
+func NewContainerdConfigPhase(baseDir string) (*ContainerdConfigPhase, error) {
+
+	conn, err := dbus.NewSystemConnection()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error connecting to dbus: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	embedFs := embedutil.EmbedFS{
+		Fs:   containerdZip,
+		Root: baseDir,
+	}
+	containerdRunPhase, err := newContainerdRunPhaseInternal(conn, baseDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error creating containerd run phase: %v", err)
+	}
+	runtimeConfigPhase := &ContainerdConfigPhase{
+		baseDir: baseDir,
+		hostPhase: &sunpikev1alpha1.HostPhase{
+			Name:  "Configure Container Runtime",
+			Order: int32(constants.ConfigureRuntimePhaseOrder),
+		},
+		embedFs: &embedFs,
+		conn:    conn,
+		containerdRunPhase: containerdRunPhase,
+	}
+	return runtimeConfigPhase, nil
+}
+
+// PhaseInterface is an interface to interact with the phases
+func (cp *ContainerdConfigPhase) GetHostPhase() sunpikev1alpha1.HostPhase {
+	return *cp.hostPhase
+}
+
+func (cp *ContainerdConfigPhase) GetPhaseName() string {
+	return cp.hostPhase.Name
+}
+
+func (cp *ContainerdConfigPhase) GetOrder() int {
+	return int(cp.hostPhase.Order)
+}
+
+// This code assumes the containerd version is tied to the nodelet version
+// in future version we should break that tie
+// Extract the Containerd zip to the specified directory
+func (cp *ContainerdConfigPhase) Start(context.Context, config.Config) error {
+
+	// first make sure if the service exists it is stopped
+	cp.containerdRunPhase.Stop(context.Background(), config.Config{})
+	
+	zap.S().Infof("Extracting containerd zip to %s", cp.baseDir)
+	err := cp.embedFs.Extract(cp.baseDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error extracting containerd zip: to baseDir %s,  %v", cp.baseDir, err)
+	}
+
+	// now extract the tar files
+	zap.S().Infof("Untarring containerd zip to %s", cp.baseDir)
+
+	matches, err := filepath.Glob(path.Join(cp.baseDir, "containerd*.tar.gz"))
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Errorf("error finding containerd tar files: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	for _, match := range matches {
+		zap.S().Infof("Untarring %s", match)
+		err = untar.Extract(match, cp.baseDir)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("error untarring containerd tar file: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+	// now reload the dbus daemon and start the service
+
+	// Reload dbus daemon to load new services
+	zap.S().Infof("Reloading dbus")
+	err = cp.conn.Reload()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error reloading dbus: %v", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (cp *ContainerdConfigPhase) Stop(context.Context, config.Config) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (cp *ContainerdConfigPhase) Status(context.Context, config.Config) error {
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/nodelet/pkg/phases/container_runtime/containerd_runtime.go b/nodelet/pkg/phases/container_runtime/containerd_runtime.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f2e645fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nodelet/pkg/phases/container_runtime/containerd_runtime.go
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+package containerruntime
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+
+
+	"github.com/coreos/go-systemd/dbus"
+	"github.com/platform9/nodelet/nodelet/pkg/utils/config"
+	"github.com/platform9/nodelet/nodelet/pkg/utils/constants"
+	sunpikev1alpha1 "github.com/platform9/pf9-qbert/sunpike/apiserver/pkg/apis/sunpike/v1alpha1"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
+)
+
+
+type ContainerdRunPhase struct {
+	baseDir   string
+	hostPhase *sunpikev1alpha1.HostPhase
+	conn	  *dbus.Conn
+}
+
+
+// Extract containerd zip to the specified directory
+func NewContainerdRunPhase(baseDir string) (*ContainerdRunPhase, error) {
+
+	conn, err:= dbus.NewSystemConnection()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error connecting to dbus: %v", err)
+	}	
+
+	return newContainerdRunPhaseInternal(conn, baseDir)
+}
+	
+func newContainerdRunPhaseInternal(conn *dbus.Conn, baseDir string) (*ContainerdRunPhase, error) {
+
+	runtimeConfigPhase := &ContainerdRunPhase{
+		baseDir: baseDir,
+		hostPhase: &sunpikev1alpha1.HostPhase{
+			Name:  "Configure Container Runtime",
+			Order: int32(constants.ConfigureRuntimePhaseOrder),
+		},
+		conn: conn,
+	}
+	return runtimeConfigPhase, nil
+}
+
+// PhaseInterface is an interface to interact with the phases
+func (cp *ContainerdRunPhase) GetHostPhase() sunpikev1alpha1.HostPhase {
+	return *cp.hostPhase
+}
+
+func (cp *ContainerdRunPhase) GetPhaseName() string {
+	return cp.hostPhase.Name
+}
+
+func (cp *ContainerdRunPhase) GetOrder() int {
+	return int(cp.hostPhase.Order)
+}
+
+// This code assumes the containerd version is tied to the nodelet version
+// in future version we should break that tie
+// Extract the Containerd zip to the specified directory
+func (cp *ContainerdRunPhase) Start(context.Context, config.Config) error {
+	zap.S().Infof("Starting containerd")
+
+	// Start the containerd service
+	jobId, err := cp.conn.StartUnit("containerd.service", "replace", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error starting containerd: %v", err)
+	}
+	zap.S().Infof("Started containerd with job id %s", jobId)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (cp *ContainerdRunPhase) Stop(context.Context, config.Config) error {
+	// Stop the containerd service
+	zap.S().Infof("Stopping containerd")
+	_, err := cp.conn.StopUnit("containerd.service", "replace", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error stopping containerd: %v", err)
+	}
+	zap.S().Infof("Stopped containerd")
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (cp *ContainerdRunPhase) Status(context.Context, config.Config) error {
+	// Get the containerd service status
+	zap.S().Infof("Getting containerd status")
+	unitStatuses, err := cp.conn.ListUnitsByNames([]string{"containerd.service"})
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error getting containerd status: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(unitStatuses) == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("containerd service not found")
+	}	
+	zap.S().Infof("containerd service status: %s", unitStatuses[0].ActiveState)
+	// check the actual state of the service
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/nodelet/pkg/untar/untar.go b/nodelet/pkg/untar/untar.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4f918a6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nodelet/pkg/untar/untar.go
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+package untar
+
+import (
+	"archive/tar"
+	"compress/gzip"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+)
+
+// extract the targz file to the destination directory
+func Extract(tgzFile string, destDir string) error {
+
+	f, err := os.Open(tgzFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error opening tgz file: %s %v", tgzFile, err)
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	gzf, err := gzip.NewReader(f)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error creating gzip reader: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer gzf.Close()
+	tarReader := tar.NewReader(gzf)
+
+	for {
+		f, err := tarReader.Next()
+		if err == io.EOF {
+			break
+		}
+
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("error reading tar file: %v", err)
+		}
+		fpath := filepath.Join(destDir, f.Name)
+		fi := f.FileInfo()
+		mode := fi.Mode()
+		switch {
+		case mode.IsDir():
+			err = os.MkdirAll(fpath, 0755)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("error creating directory: %s %v", fpath, err)
+			}
+		case mode.IsRegular():
+			// this is redundant
+			err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(fpath), 0755)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("error creating directory: %s %v", filepath.Dir(fpath), err)
+			}
+			destFile, err := os.OpenFile(fpath, os.O_CREATE|os.O_RDWR, 0755)
+			defer destFile.Close()
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("error creating file: %s %v", fpath, err)
+			}
+			n, err := io.Copy(destFile, tarReader)
+
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("error copying file: %s %v", fpath, err)
+			}
+			if n != f.Size {
+				return fmt.Errorf("error copying file size written not equal: expected %d, got %d, %s %v", f.Size, n, fpath, err)
+			}
+
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/nodelet/vendor/modules.txt b/nodelet/vendor/modules.txt
index bec26a3d..19e4837f 100644
--- a/nodelet/vendor/modules.txt
+++ b/nodelet/vendor/modules.txt
@@ -125,6 +125,9 @@ github.com/containerd/ttrpc
 # github.com/containerd/typeurl v1.0.2
 ## explicit; go 1.13
 github.com/containerd/typeurl
+# github.com/coreos/go-systemd v0.0.0-20190321100706-95778dfbb74e
+## explicit
+github.com/coreos/go-systemd/dbus
 # github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1
 ## explicit
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew/spew
@@ -165,6 +168,9 @@ github.com/go-openapi/jsonreference
 # github.com/go-openapi/swag v0.19.14
 ## explicit; go 1.11
 github.com/go-openapi/swag
+# github.com/godbus/dbus v0.0.0-20190422162347-ade71ed3457e
+## explicit; go 1.12
+github.com/godbus/dbus
 # github.com/gogo/googleapis v1.4.0
 ## explicit; go 1.12
 github.com/gogo/googleapis/google/rpc