diff --git a/site/profiles/manifests/base.pp b/site/profiles/manifests/base.pp
index 6d1d6dc..b1a26de 100644
--- a/site/profiles/manifests/base.pp
+++ b/site/profiles/manifests/base.pp
@@ -47,4 +47,8 @@ class profiles::base (
     secure_path => '/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/opt/puppetlabs/bin'
   }
 
+  # manage virtualised guest agents
+  if $::facts['is_virtual'] and $::facts['dmi']['manufacturer'] == 'QEMU' {
+    include profiles::qemu::agent
+  }
 }
diff --git a/site/profiles/manifests/qemu/agent.pp b/site/profiles/manifests/qemu/agent.pp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a9eeba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site/profiles/manifests/qemu/agent.pp
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# profiles::qemu::agent
+class profiles::qemu::agent (
+  Boolean $enabled = true,
+  String  $package = 'qemu-guest-agent',
+  String  $service = 'qemu-guest-agent',
+){
+
+  if $enabled {
+    package { $package:
+      ensure => installed,
+    }
+
+    service { $service:
+      ensure  => running,
+      enable  => true,
+      require => Package[$package],
+    }
+  } else {
+    service { $service:
+      ensure => stopped,
+      enable => false,
+    }
+
+    package { $package:
+      ensure => absent,
+    }
+  }
+}