diff --git a/config/runtime/README.md b/config/runtime/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f268708d20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/runtime/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+# Runtime templates
+
+## QEMU container image for LAVA
+
+The `boot/qemu.jinja2` template uses `kernelci/qemu` by default. To use a
+mirror or another compatible QEMU image, set `qemu_docker_image` in a
+platform's `params`:
+
+```yaml
+platforms:
+  qemu-arm64:
+    arch: arm64
+    boot_method: qemu
+    context:
+      arch: arm64
+    params:
+      qemu_docker_image: registry.example.com:5000/kernelci/qemu:stable
+```
+
+A job can also set the parameter. Job parameters take precedence over
+platform parameters:
+
+```yaml
+jobs:
+  baseline:
+    template: base/lava.jinja2
+    params:
+      boot_commands: ramdisk
+      test_method: baseline
+      ramdiskroot: https://example.com/rootfs
+      qemu_docker_image: registry.example.com/kernelci/qemu:stable
+```
+
+Use a complete container image reference, including an optional registry,
+port, tag or digest. An omitted, null or empty value uses `kernelci/qemu`.
+The selected image must provide the platform's `qemu-system-<arch>` binary
+and be accessible to the LAVA worker. This parameter selects the boot
+action's container image; it is separate from the job's top-level `image`
+setting for its runtime environment.
diff --git a/config/runtime/base/lava.jinja2 b/config/runtime/base/lava.jinja2
index 852be98714..e372b21249 100644
--- a/config/runtime/base/lava.jinja2
+++ b/config/runtime/base/lava.jinja2
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 # * kernel image name
 # * UEFI binaries for QEMU etc.
 # * rootfs URL
-# * Docker image for QEMU
 
 job_name: "[{{ instanceid|default('KernelCI AKS')}}] {{ node.id }} {{ node.name }} {{ node.data.kernel_revision.describe }}"
 
diff --git a/config/runtime/boot/qemu.jinja2 b/config/runtime/boot/qemu.jinja2
index d427649fa8..8146658aff 100644
--- a/config/runtime/boot/qemu.jinja2
+++ b/config/runtime/boot/qemu.jinja2
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 - boot:
     docker:
       binary: qemu-system-{{ platform_config.arch }}
-      image: kernelci/qemu
+      image: '{{ qemu_docker_image | default("kernelci/qemu", true) }}'
     media: tmpfs
     method: qemu
     failure_retry: 3
diff --git a/tests/test_runtime_qemu.py b/tests/test_runtime_qemu.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4ec614ee35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_runtime_qemu.py
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2026 Jiakai Xu
+
+"""QEMU container image configuration in generated LAVA jobs."""
+
+import pytest
+import yaml
+
+from kernelci.config.job import Job as JobConfig
+from kernelci.config.platform import Platform
+from kernelci.config.runtime import RuntimeLAVA
+from kernelci.runtime import Job
+from kernelci.runtime.lava import LAVA
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("arch", ["arm64", "x86_64"])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("boot_commands", ["ramdisk", "rootfs"])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "platform_params,job_params,expected_image",
+    [
+        pytest.param({}, {}, "kernelci/qemu", id="default"),
+        pytest.param(
+            {"qemu_docker_image": "registry.example.com:5000/qemu:stable"},
+            {},
+            "registry.example.com:5000/qemu:stable",
+            id="platform",
+        ),
+        pytest.param(
+            {},
+            {"qemu_docker_image": "registry.example.com/qemu:latest"},
+            "registry.example.com/qemu:latest",
+            id="job",
+        ),
+        pytest.param(
+            {"qemu_docker_image": "registry.example.com/qemu:platform"},
+            {"qemu_docker_image": "registry.example.com/qemu:job"},
+            "registry.example.com/qemu:job",
+            id="job-overrides-platform",
+        ),
+        pytest.param(
+            {}, {"qemu_docker_image": None}, "kernelci/qemu", id="null"
+        ),
+        pytest.param(
+            {}, {"qemu_docker_image": ""}, "kernelci/qemu", id="empty"
+        ),
+        pytest.param(
+            {},
+            {
+                "qemu_docker_image": "registry.example.com/qemu@sha256:"
+                + "a" * 64
+            },
+            "registry.example.com/qemu@sha256:" + "a" * 64,
+            id="digest",
+        ),
+    ],
+)
+def test_qemu_docker_image(
+    arch, boot_commands, platform_params, job_params, expected_image, mocker
+):
+    """Render platform/job overrides through the real LAVA runtime offline."""
+    mocker.patch(
+        "requests.sessions.Session.request",
+        side_effect=AssertionError("Job generation must not contact a service"),
+    )
+    config = JobConfig(
+        name="baseline",
+        template="base/lava.jinja2",
+        params={
+            "boot_commands": boot_commands,
+            "test_method": "baseline",
+            "ramdiskroot": "https://example.com/rootfs",
+            "ramdisk": "https://example.com/rootfs.cpio.gz",
+            **job_params,
+        },
+    )
+    job = Job(
+        {
+            "id": "qemu-test",
+            "name": "baseline",
+            "data": {"kernel_revision": {"describe": "v6.12"}},
+            "artifacts": {
+                "kernel": "https://example.com/Image",
+                "modules": "https://example.com/modules.tar.xz",
+            },
+        },
+        config,
+    )
+    job.platform_config = Platform(
+        name=f"qemu-{arch}",
+        arch=arch,
+        boot_method="qemu",
+        context={"arch": arch},
+        params=platform_params,
+    )
+    runtime = LAVA(RuntimeLAVA(name="test-lab", lab_type="lava"))
+
+    definition = yaml.safe_load(runtime.generate(job, runtime.get_params(job)))
+
+    assert definition["actions"][1]["boot"]["docker"] == {
+        "binary": f"qemu-system-{arch}",
+        "image": expected_image,
+    }