diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 38787fe63..595993180 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde_yaml",
  "similar-asserts",
  "tempfile",
+ "tini",
  "tokio",
  "tokio-util",
  "toml",
@@ -2037,6 +2038,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "num_cpus",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "tini"
+version = "1.3.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e004df4c5f0805eb5f55883204a514cfa43a6d924741be29e871753a53d5565a"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "tinyvec"
 version = "1.6.0"
diff --git a/lib/Cargo.toml b/lib/Cargo.toml
index 6afd0b2d0..db5368448 100644
--- a/lib/Cargo.toml
+++ b/lib/Cargo.toml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ liboverdrop = "0.1.0"
 libsystemd = "0.7"
 openssl = "^0.10.64"
 # TODO drop this in favor of rustix
-nix = { version = "0.29", features = ["ioctl", "sched"] }
+nix = { version = "0.29", features = ["ioctl", "sched" ] }
 regex = "1.10.4"
 rustix = { "version" = "0.38.34", features = ["thread", "fs", "system", "process"] }
 schemars = { version = "0.8.17", features = ["chrono"] }
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ tempfile = "3.10.1"
 toml = "0.8.12"
 xshell = { version = "0.2.6", optional = true }
 uuid = { version = "1.8.0", features = ["v4"] }
+tini = "1.3.0"
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 similar-asserts = { version = "1.5.0" }
diff --git a/lib/src/boundimage.rs b/lib/src/boundimage.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a9cfd23ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/src/boundimage.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,290 @@
+use crate::task::Task;
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
+use camino::Utf8Path;
+use cap_std_ext::cap_std::fs::Dir;
+use cap_std_ext::dirext::CapStdExtDirExt;
+use fn_error_context::context;
+use ostree_ext::ostree::Deployment;
+use ostree_ext::sysroot::SysrootLock;
+use rustix::fd::BorrowedFd;
+use rustix::fs::{OFlags, ResolveFlags};
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::io::Read;
+use std::os::unix::io::AsFd;
+
+const BOUND_IMAGE_DIR: &str = "usr/lib/bootc-experimental/bound-images.d";
+
+// Access the file descriptor for a sysroot
+#[allow(unsafe_code)]
+pub(crate) fn sysroot_fd(sysroot: &ostree_ext::ostree::Sysroot) -> BorrowedFd {
+    unsafe { BorrowedFd::borrow_raw(sysroot.fd()) }
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn pull_bound_images(sysroot: &SysrootLock, deployment: &Deployment) -> Result<()> {
+    let sysroot_fd = sysroot_fd(&sysroot);
+    let sysroot_fd = Dir::reopen_dir(&sysroot_fd)?;
+    let deployment_root_path = sysroot.deployment_dirpath(&deployment);
+    let deployment_root = &sysroot_fd.open_dir(&deployment_root_path)?;
+
+    let bound_images = parse_spec_dir(&deployment_root, BOUND_IMAGE_DIR)?;
+    pull_images(deployment_root, bound_images)?;
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[context("parse bound image spec dir")]
+fn parse_spec_dir(root: &Dir, spec_dir: &str) -> Result<Vec<BoundImage>> {
+    let Some(bound_images_dir) = root.open_dir_optional(spec_dir)? else {
+        return Ok(Default::default());
+    };
+
+    let mut bound_images = Vec::new();
+
+    for entry in bound_images_dir
+        .entries()
+        .context("Unable to read entries")?
+    {
+        //validate entry is a symlink with correct extension
+        let entry = entry?;
+        let file_name = entry.file_name();
+        let file_name = if let Some(n) = file_name.to_str() {
+            n
+        } else {
+            anyhow::bail!("Invalid non-UTF8 filename: {file_name:?} in {}", spec_dir);
+        };
+
+        if !entry.file_type()?.is_symlink() {
+            anyhow::bail!("Not a symlink: {file_name}");
+        }
+
+        //parse the file contents
+        let path = Utf8Path::new(spec_dir).join(file_name);
+        let mut file: File = rustix::fs::openat2(
+            root.as_fd(),
+            path.as_std_path(),
+            OFlags::CLOEXEC | OFlags::RDONLY,
+            rustix::fs::Mode::empty(),
+            ResolveFlags::IN_ROOT,
+        )
+        .context("Unable to openat")?
+        .into();
+
+        let mut file_contents = String::new();
+        file.read_to_string(&mut file_contents)
+            .context("Unable to read file contents")?;
+
+        let file_ini = tini::Ini::from_string(&file_contents).context("Parse to ini")?;
+        let file_extension = Utf8Path::new(file_name).extension();
+        let bound_image = match file_extension {
+            Some("image") => parse_image_file(file_name, &file_ini),
+            Some("container") => parse_container_file(file_name, &file_ini),
+            _ => anyhow::bail!("Invalid file extension: {file_name}"),
+        }?;
+
+        bound_images.push(bound_image);
+    }
+
+    Ok(bound_images)
+}
+
+#[context("parse image file {file_name}")]
+fn parse_image_file(file_name: &str, file_contents: &tini::Ini) -> Result<BoundImage> {
+    let image: String = file_contents
+        .get("Image", "Image")
+        .ok_or_else(|| anyhow::anyhow!("Missing Image field in {file_name}"))?;
+
+    //TODO: auth_files have some semi-complicated edge cases that we need to handle,
+    //      so for now let's bail out if we see one since the existence of an authfile
+    //      will most likely result in a failure to pull the image
+    let auth_file: Option<String> = file_contents.get("Image", "AuthFile");
+    if auth_file.is_some() {
+        anyhow::bail!("AuthFile is not supported by bound bootc images");
+    }
+
+    let bound_image = BoundImage::new(image.to_string(), None)?;
+    Ok(bound_image)
+}
+
+#[context("parse container file {file_name}")]
+fn parse_container_file(file_name: &str, file_contents: &tini::Ini) -> Result<BoundImage> {
+    let image: String = file_contents
+        .get("Container", "Image")
+        .ok_or_else(|| anyhow::anyhow!("Missing Image field in {file_name}"))?;
+
+    let bound_image = BoundImage::new(image.to_string(), None)?;
+    Ok(bound_image)
+}
+
+#[context("pull bound images")]
+fn pull_images(_deployment_root: &Dir, bound_images: Vec<BoundImage>) -> Result<()> {
+    //TODO: do this in parallel
+    for bound_image in bound_images {
+        let mut task = Task::new("Pulling bound image", "/usr/bin/podman")
+            .arg("pull")
+            .arg(&bound_image.image);
+        if let Some(auth_file) = &bound_image.auth_file {
+            task = task.arg("--authfile").arg(auth_file);
+        }
+        task.run()?;
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[derive(PartialEq, Eq)]
+struct BoundImage {
+    image: String,
+    auth_file: Option<String>,
+}
+
+impl BoundImage {
+    fn new(image: String, auth_file: Option<String>) -> Result<BoundImage> {
+        validate_spec_value(&image).context("Invalid image value")?;
+
+        if let Some(auth_file) = &auth_file {
+            validate_spec_value(auth_file).context("Invalid auth_file value")?;
+        }
+
+        Ok(BoundImage { image, auth_file })
+    }
+}
+
+fn validate_spec_value(value: &String) -> Result<()> {
+    let mut number_of_percents = 0;
+    for char in value.chars() {
+        if char == '%' {
+            number_of_percents += 1;
+        } else if number_of_percents % 2 != 0 {
+            anyhow::bail!("Systemd specifiers are not supported by bound bootc images: {value}");
+        } else {
+            number_of_percents = 0;
+        }
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use cap_std_ext::cap_std;
+    use std::io::Write;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_parse_spec_dir() -> Result<()> {
+        const CONTAINER_IMAGE_DIR: &'static str = "usr/share/containers/systemd";
+
+        // Empty dir should return an empty vector
+        let td = &cap_std_ext::cap_tempfile::TempDir::new(cap_std::ambient_authority())?;
+        let images = parse_spec_dir(td, &BOUND_IMAGE_DIR).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(images.len(), 0);
+
+        td.create_dir_all(BOUND_IMAGE_DIR).unwrap();
+        td.create_dir_all(CONTAINER_IMAGE_DIR).unwrap();
+        let images = parse_spec_dir(td, &BOUND_IMAGE_DIR).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(images.len(), 0);
+
+        // Should return BoundImages
+        let mut foo_file = td
+            .create(format!("{CONTAINER_IMAGE_DIR}/foo.image"))
+            .unwrap();
+        foo_file.write_all(b"[Image]\n").unwrap();
+        foo_file.write_all(b"Image=quay.io/foo/foo:latest").unwrap();
+        td.symlink_contents(
+            format!("/{CONTAINER_IMAGE_DIR}/foo.image"),
+            format!("{BOUND_IMAGE_DIR}/foo.image"),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+        let mut bar_file = td
+            .create(format!("{CONTAINER_IMAGE_DIR}/bar.image"))
+            .unwrap();
+        bar_file.write_all(b"[Image]\n").unwrap();
+        bar_file.write_all(b"Image=quay.io/bar/bar:latest").unwrap();
+        td.symlink_contents(
+            format!("/{CONTAINER_IMAGE_DIR}/bar.image"),
+            format!("{BOUND_IMAGE_DIR}/bar.image"),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+        let mut images = parse_spec_dir(td, &BOUND_IMAGE_DIR).unwrap();
+        images.sort_by(|a, b| a.image.as_str().cmp(&b.image.as_str()));
+        assert_eq!(images.len(), 2);
+        assert_eq!(images[0].image, "quay.io/bar/bar:latest");
+        assert_eq!(images[1].image, "quay.io/foo/foo:latest");
+
+        // Invalid symlink should return an error
+        td.symlink("./blah", format!("{BOUND_IMAGE_DIR}/blah.image"))
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(parse_spec_dir(td, &BOUND_IMAGE_DIR).is_err());
+
+        // Invalid image contents should return an error
+        let mut error_file = td.create("error.image").unwrap();
+        error_file.write_all(b"[Image]\n").unwrap();
+        td.symlink_contents("/error.image", format!("{BOUND_IMAGE_DIR}/error.image"))
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(parse_spec_dir(td, &BOUND_IMAGE_DIR).is_err());
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_validate_spec_value() -> Result<()> {
+        //should not return an error with no % characters
+        let value = String::from("[Image]\nImage=quay.io/foo/foo:latest");
+        validate_spec_value(&value).unwrap();
+
+        //should return error when % is NOT followed by another %
+        let value = String::from("[Image]\nImage=quay.io/foo/%foo:latest");
+        assert!(validate_spec_value(&value).is_err());
+
+        //should not return an error when % is followed by another %
+        let value = String::from("[Image]\nImage=quay.io/foo/%%foo:latest");
+        validate_spec_value(&value).unwrap();
+
+        //should not return an error when %% is followed by a specifier
+        let value = String::from("[Image]\nImage=quay.io/foo/%%%foo:latest");
+        assert!(validate_spec_value(&value).is_err());
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_parse_image_file() -> Result<()> {
+        //should return BoundImage when no auth_file is present
+        let file_contents =
+            tini::Ini::from_string("[Image]\nImage=quay.io/foo/foo:latest").unwrap();
+        let bound_image = parse_image_file("foo.image", &file_contents).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(bound_image.image, "quay.io/foo/foo:latest");
+        assert_eq!(bound_image.auth_file, None);
+
+        //should error when auth_file is present
+        let file_contents = tini::Ini::from_string(
+            "[Image]\nImage=quay.io/foo/foo:latest\nAuthFile=/etc/containers/auth.json",
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        assert!(parse_image_file("foo.image", &file_contents).is_err());
+
+        //should return error when missing image field
+        let file_contents = tini::Ini::from_string("[Image]\n").unwrap();
+        assert!(parse_image_file("foo.image", &file_contents).is_err());
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_parse_container_file() -> Result<()> {
+        //should return BoundImage
+        let file_contents =
+            tini::Ini::from_string("[Container]\nImage=quay.io/foo/foo:latest").unwrap();
+        let bound_image = parse_container_file("foo.container", &file_contents).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(bound_image.image, "quay.io/foo/foo:latest");
+        assert_eq!(bound_image.auth_file, None);
+
+        //should return error when missing image field
+        let file_contents = tini::Ini::from_string("[Container]\n").unwrap();
+        assert!(parse_container_file("foo.container", &file_contents).is_err());
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/lib/src/deploy.rs b/lib/src/deploy.rs
index ff66562c3..6d8a640e8 100644
--- a/lib/src/deploy.rs
+++ b/lib/src/deploy.rs
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn stage(
 ) -> Result<()> {
     let merge_deployment = sysroot.merge_deployment(Some(stateroot));
     let origin = origin_from_imageref(spec.image)?;
-    crate::deploy::deploy(
+    let deployment = crate::deploy::deploy(
         sysroot,
         merge_deployment.as_ref(),
         stateroot,
@@ -391,6 +391,9 @@ pub(crate) async fn stage(
         &origin,
     )
     .await?;
+
+    crate::boundimage::pull_bound_images(sysroot, &deployment)?;
+
     crate::deploy::cleanup(sysroot).await?;
     println!("Queued for next boot: {:#}", spec.image);
     if let Some(version) = image.version.as_deref() {
diff --git a/lib/src/lib.rs b/lib/src/lib.rs
index 9f8d4ac51..600856f9d 100644
--- a/lib/src/lib.rs
+++ b/lib/src/lib.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #![allow(clippy::needless_borrow)]
 #![allow(clippy::needless_borrows_for_generic_args)]
 
+mod boundimage;
 pub mod cli;
 pub(crate) mod deploy;
 pub(crate) mod generator;