diff --git a/cmd/virt-launcher/BUILD.bazel b/cmd/virt-launcher/BUILD.bazel
index d9cc5f25244e..59cc2f4d9473 100644
--- a/cmd/virt-launcher/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/cmd/virt-launcher/BUILD.bazel
@@ -154,6 +154,18 @@ pkg_tar(
     package_dir = "/etc",
 )
 
+# Workaround for https://github.com/moby/moby/issues/44106
+# Need to create the directory upfront, otherwise it gets assigned wrong
+# permissions when unpacked.
+pkg_tar(
+    name = "qemu-kvm-modules-dir-tar",
+    empty_dirs = [
+        "usr/lib64/qemu-kvm",
+    ],
+    mode = "0755",
+    owner = "0.0",
+)
+
 container_image(
     name = "version-container",
     directory = "/",
@@ -163,12 +175,14 @@ container_image(
             ":libvirt-config",
             ":passwd-tar",
             ":nsswitch-tar",
+            ":qemu-kvm-modules-dir-tar",
             "//rpm:launcherbase_aarch64",
         ],
         "//conditions:default": [
             ":libvirt-config",
             ":passwd-tar",
             ":nsswitch-tar",
+            ":qemu-kvm-modules-dir-tar",
             "//rpm:launcherbase_x86_64",
         ],
     }),