diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-sysroot-deploy.c b/src/libostree/ostree-sysroot-deploy.c
index 5b126d89df..2c471be568 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-sysroot-deploy.c
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-sysroot-deploy.c
@@ -647,6 +647,22 @@ checkout_deployment_tree (OstreeSysroot     *sysroot,
                                 cancellable, error))
     return FALSE;
 
+#ifdef HAVE_COMPOSEFS
+  /* Create a composefs image and put in deploy dir as .ostree.cfs */
+  OstreeRepoCheckoutComposefsOptions composefs_opts = { 0 };
+  g_autoptr(OstreeComposefsTarget) target = ostree_composefs_target_new ();
+
+  composefs_opts.ensure_rootfs_dirs = TRUE;
+  if (!ostree_repo_checkout_composefs (repo, &composefs_opts, target, csum,
+                                       cancellable, error))
+    return FALSE;
+
+  g_autofree char *composefs_cfs_path = g_strdup_printf("%s/.ostree.cfs", checkout_target_name);
+  if (!ostree_composefs_target_write_at (target, osdeploy_dfd, composefs_cfs_path, NULL,
+                                         cancellable, error))
+    return FALSE;
+#endif
+
   return glnx_opendirat (osdeploy_dfd, checkout_target_name, TRUE, out_deployment_dfd,
                          error);
 }