diff --git a/integration/scripts/files/elements/root-passwd/README.rst b/integration/scripts/files/elements/root-passwd/README.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0610a89571
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration/scripts/files/elements/root-passwd/README.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+This element assigns a password to the root account in the image and enables
+password login via ssh.
+
+This is useful when booting outside of a cloud environment (e.g. manually via
+kvm) and for testing.
diff --git a/integration/scripts/files/elements/root-passwd/post-install.d/99-setup b/integration/scripts/files/elements/root-passwd/post-install.d/99-setup
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..1c93f459aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration/scripts/files/elements/root-passwd/post-install.d/99-setup
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+if [ -z "$DIB_PASSWORD" ]; then
+    echo "Error during setup password for root"
+    exit 1
+fi
+sed -i "s/disable_root: true/disable_root: false/" /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg
+install-packages augeas-tools openssh-server openssh-client
+augtool -s set /files/etc/ssh/sshd_config/PasswordAuthentication yes
+augtool -s set /files/etc/ssh/sshd_config/PermitRootLogin yes
+augtool -s set /files/etc/ssh/ssh_config/PasswordAuthentication yes
+echo -e "$DIB_PASSWORD\n$DIB_PASSWORD\n" | passwd
diff --git a/integration/scripts/functions_qemu b/integration/scripts/functions_qemu
index e6c00c91db..cfc9b32ac1 100644
--- a/integration/scripts/functions_qemu
+++ b/integration/scripts/functions_qemu
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ function build_guest_image() {
     local image_output=$5
     local image_type=${image_output##*.}
     local working_dir=$(dirname ${image_output})
+    local root_password=${TROVE_ROOT_PASSWORD}
 
     local elementes="base vm"
     local trove_elements_path=${PATH_TROVE}/integration/scripts/files/elements
@@ -60,6 +61,11 @@ function build_guest_image() {
     elementes="$elementes guest-agent"
     elementes="$elementes ${guest_os}-docker"
 
+    if [[ -n ${root_password} ]]; then
+        elementes="$elementes root-passwd"
+        export DIB_PASSWORD=${root_password}
+    fi
+
     # Build the image
     disk-image-create -x \
       -a amd64 \