diff --git a/cmd/kured/main.go b/cmd/kured/main.go
index a35d67475..741b4f9f4 100644
--- a/cmd/kured/main.go
+++ b/cmd/kured/main.go
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"regexp"
+	"strings"
+	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -127,6 +129,16 @@ func newCommand(name string, arg ...string) *exec.Cmd {
 func sentinelExists() bool {
 	// Relies on hostPID:true and privileged:true to enter host mount space
 	sentinelCmd := newCommand("/usr/bin/nsenter", "-m/proc/1/ns/mnt", "--", "/usr/bin/test", "-f", rebootSentinel)
+
+	if strings.EqualFold(os.Getenv("UNPRIVILEGED"), "true") {
+		// Relies on the sentinel existing inside the same container mount namespace.
+		// Note that by default the host sentinel tends to be placed in a sensitive folder (/var/run/),
+		// mounting that as a volume is not recommended - but probably still safer than running the container as privileged.
+
+		// Other approaches could involve an external process to check the existance of the sentinel and safely place a file
+		// in a location that is safe to be mounted into this container.
+		sentinelCmd = newCommand("/usr/bin/test", "-f", rebootSentinel)
+	}
 	if err := sentinelCmd.Run(); err != nil {
 		switch err := err.(type) {
 		case *exec.ExitError:
@@ -265,9 +277,32 @@ func commandReboot(nodeID string) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Relies on hostPID:true and privileged:true to enter host mount space
-	rebootCmd := newCommand("/usr/bin/nsenter", "-m/proc/1/ns/mnt", "/bin/systemctl", "reboot")
-	if err := rebootCmd.Run(); err != nil {
+	var err error
+	if strings.EqualFold(os.Getenv("UNPRIVILEGED"), "true") {
+		ch := make(chan bool, 1)
+		defer close(ch)
+
+		go func() {
+			// Commits filesystem caches to disk in order to avoid data loss.
+			syscall.Sync()
+		}()
+
+		select {
+		case <-ch:
+			log.Info("sync successful")
+		case <-time.After(30 * time.Second):
+			log.Error("sync timed out")
+		}
+
+		// Relies on hostPID:true and SYS_BOOT to restart machine
+		err = syscall.Reboot(syscall.LINUX_REBOOT_CMD_RESTART)
+	} else {
+		// Relies on hostPID:true and privileged:true to enter host mount space
+		rebootCmd := newCommand("/usr/bin/nsenter", "-m/proc/1/ns/mnt", "/bin/systemctl", "reboot")
+		err = rebootCmd.Run()
+	}
+
+	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("Error invoking reboot command: %v", err)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/kured-ds-unprivileged.yaml b/kured-ds-unprivileged.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7362d688b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kured-ds-unprivileged.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+---
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: ServiceAccount
+metadata:
+  name: kured
+  namespace: kube-system
+---
+apiVersion: apps/v1
+kind: DaemonSet
+metadata:
+  name: kured            # Must match `--ds-name`
+  namespace: kube-system # Must match `--ds-namespace`
+spec:
+  selector:
+    matchLabels:
+      name: kured
+  updateStrategy:
+    type: RollingUpdate
+  template:
+    metadata:
+      labels:
+        name: kured
+    spec:
+      serviceAccountName: kured
+      tolerations:
+        - key: node-role.kubernetes.io/master
+          effect: NoSchedule
+      hostPID: true # Required to execute reboot syscall
+      restartPolicy: Always
+      volumes:
+        - name: host-opt-kured
+          hostPath:
+            path: /opt/kured
+            type: DirectoryOrCreate
+      containers:
+        - name: kured
+          image: docker.io/weaveworks/kured
+                  # If you find yourself here wondering why there is no
+                  # :latest tag on Docker Hub,see the FAQ in the README
+          imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
+          volumeMounts:
+            - name: host-opt-kured
+              mountPath: /opt/kured
+              readOnly: true
+          securityContext:
+            allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
+            capabilities:
+              add: ["SYS_BOOT"]
+              drop: ["ALL"]
+          env:
+            - name: UNPRIVILEGED
+              value: "true"
+            # Pass in the name of the node on which this pod is scheduled
+            # for use with drain/uncordon operations and lock acquisition
+            - name: KURED_NODE_ID
+              valueFrom:
+                fieldRef:
+                  fieldPath: spec.nodeName
+          command:
+            - /usr/bin/kured
+            - --reboot-sentinel=/opt/kured/reboot-required
+#            - --alert-filter-regexp=^RebootRequired$
+#            - --blocking-pod-selector=runtime=long,cost=expensive
+#            - --blocking-pod-selector=name=temperamental
+#            - --blocking-pod-selector=...
+#            - --ds-name=kured
+#            - --ds-namespace=kube-system
+#            - --end-time=23:59:59
+#            - --lock-annotation=weave.works/kured-node-lock
+#            - --period=1h
+#            - --prometheus-url=http://prometheus.monitoring.svc.cluster.local
+#            - --reboot-days=sun,mon,tue,wed,thu,fri,sat
+#            - --slack-hook-url=https://hooks.slack.com/...
+#            - --slack-username=prod
+#            - --slack-channel=alerting
+#            - --start-time=0:00
+#            - --time-zone=UTC
+---
+# kured-sentinel-sync places the sentinel into /opt/kured
+# which is a safer place for kured to mount. This can be 
+# safely replaced by a similar process happening at the host.
+apiVersion: apps/v1
+kind: DaemonSet
+metadata:
+  name: kured-sentinel-sync # Must match `--ds-name`
+  namespace: kube-system # Must match `--ds-namespace`
+spec:
+  selector:
+    matchLabels:
+      name: kured-sentinel-sync
+  updateStrategy:
+    type: RollingUpdate
+  template:
+    metadata:
+      labels:
+        name: kured-sentinel-sync
+    spec:
+      automountServiceAccountToken: false
+      tolerations:
+        - key: node-role.kubernetes.io/master
+          effect: NoSchedule
+      restartPolicy: Always
+      volumes:
+        - name: host-opt-kured
+          hostPath:
+            path: /opt/kured
+            type: DirectoryOrCreate
+        - name: host-var-run
+          hostPath:
+            path: /var/run
+            type: Directory
+      containers:
+        - name: sentinel-sync
+          image: bash:5.0
+          command: [bash, -c]
+          args:
+            - |+
+              while true
+              do
+                  if [ -f $REBOOT_SENTINEL ]; then
+                    /bin/touch /opt/kured/reboot-required
+                  else
+                    /bin/rm /opt/kured/reboot-required
+                  fi
+                  /bin/sleep 60
+              done
+          env:
+            - name: REBOOT_SENTINEL
+              value: /var/run/reboot-required
+          volumeMounts:
+            - name: host-opt-kured
+              mountPath: /opt/kured
+            - name: host-var-run
+              mountPath: /var/run
+              readOnly: true
+          securityContext:
+            allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
+            readOnlyRootFilesystem: true
+            capabilities:
+              drop: ["ALL"]