diff --git a/neonvm-runner/Dockerfile b/neonvm-runner/Dockerfile
index 526292cfb..a21c87504 100644
--- a/neonvm-runner/Dockerfile
+++ b/neonvm-runner/Dockerfile
@@ -25,8 +25,11 @@ RUN apk add --no-cache \
     cgroup-tools \
     openssh
 
+
 COPY --from=builder /runner /usr/bin/runner
 COPY neonvm-kernel/vmlinuz /vm/kernel/vmlinuz
 COPY neonvm-runner/ssh_config /etc/ssh/ssh_config
+# QEMU_EFI used only by runner running on the arm architecture
+RUN wget https://releases.linaro.org/components/kernel/uefi-linaro/16.02/release/qemu64/QEMU_EFI.fd -O /vm/QEMU_EFI.fd
 
 ENTRYPOINT ["/sbin/tini", "--", "runner"]
diff --git a/neonvm-runner/cmd/main.go b/neonvm-runner/cmd/main.go
index b92ed5dea..82cd44639 100644
--- a/neonvm-runner/cmd/main.go
+++ b/neonvm-runner/cmd/main.go
@@ -862,6 +862,10 @@ func buildQEMUCmd(
 		qemuCmd = append(qemuCmd, "-drive", fmt.Sprintf("id=%s,file=%s,if=virtio,media=disk,%s,discard=unmap", swapName, dPath, cfg.diskCacheSettings))
 	}
 
+	if cfg.architecture == architectureArm64 {
+		qemuCmd = append(qemuCmd, "-bios", "/vm/QEMU_EFI_ARM.fd")
+	}
+
 	for _, disk := range vmSpec.Disks {
 		switch {
 		case disk.EmptyDisk != nil:
@@ -1015,6 +1019,11 @@ func makeKernelCmdline(cfg *Config, vmSpec *vmv1.VirtualMachineSpec, vmStatus *v
 		cmdlineParts = append(cmdlineParts, fmt.Sprintf("maxcpus=%d", vmSpec.Guest.CPUs.Min.RoundedUp()))
 	}
 
+	if cfg.architecture == architectureArm64 {
+		// explicitly enable acpi if we run on arm
+		cmdlineParts = append(cmdlineParts, "acpi=on")
+	}
+
 	return strings.Join(cmdlineParts, " ")
 }