diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index 3841f030..eaf83f27 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -76,3 +76,33 @@ jobs:
         # XDG_RUNTIME_DIR is set.
         # TODO: figure out what exactly podman needs
         sudo -E XDG_RUNTIME_DIR= pytest-3 -s -vv
+
+  integration-macos:
+    name: "Integration macos"
+    # needed to get latest cpu
+    runs-on: macos-13
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      with:
+        ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
+    - name: Setup up python
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+    - name: Setup up podman
+      run: |
+        sysctl -a
+        brew install podman
+        # need to map only a subset of /var/tmp into the bootc tests
+        sudo mkdir -p /var/tmp/bootc-tests
+        # TODO: this is "security_model=mapped" is needed or the build
+        # will not be able to be copied back to the host dir with an
+        # "cp: failed to preserve ownership for '/output/qcow2/./disk.qcow2': Operation not permited
+        podman machine init --rootful -v /var/tmp/bootc-tests:/var/tmp/bootc-tests:security_model=mapped
+        podman machine start
+        # debug only
+        podman info
+    - name: Install test dependencies
+      run: |
+        sudo pip install pytest flake8
+    - name: Run tests
+      run: |
+        sudo pytest -s -vv
diff --git a/test/test_smoke.py b/test/test_smoke.py
index 1f6cb6fb..49ed1e51 100644
--- a/test/test_smoke.py
+++ b/test/test_smoke.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import os
 import pathlib
 import subprocess
+import tempfile
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -10,10 +11,23 @@
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(name="output_path")
-def output_path_fixture(tmp_path):
-    output_path = tmp_path / "output"
-    output_path.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
-    return output_path
+def output_path_fixture():
+    # quirky setup to workaround macos weirdness:
+    # 1. we need a dir shared between "podman machine" and host to inspect
+    #    the output image
+    # 2. *but* just sharing /var/tmp will result in errors because inside
+    #    podman things like lchown in /var/tmp that happen during the container
+    #    build will affect the host and cause "operation not permitted" errors
+    base_tmp = pathlib.Path("/var/tmp/bootc-tests")
+    base_tmp.mkdir(exist_ok=True, mode=0o700)
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(dir=base_tmp) as tmp_dir:
+        # HACKKKKKK: macos keeps giving "permission denied" in podman
+        # without this - however given that the parent is 0700 we should be ok
+        os.chmod(tmp_dir, 0o777)
+        tmp_path = pathlib.Path(tmp_dir)
+        output_path = tmp_path / "output"
+        output_path.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+        yield tmp_path
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(name="config_json")
@@ -36,16 +50,22 @@ def config_json_fixture(output_path):
     return config_json_path
 
 
+@pytest.fixture(name="journal_cursor")
+def journal_cursor_fixture():
+    if not testutil.has_executable("journalctl"):
+        return None
+    return testutil.journal_cursor()
+
+
 @pytest.mark.skipif(os.getuid() != 0, reason="needs root")
 @pytest.mark.skipif(not testutil.has_executable("podman"), reason="need podman")
-def test_smoke(output_path, config_json):
+def test_smoke(output_path, journal_cursor, config_json):
     # build local container
     subprocess.check_call([
         "podman", "build",
         "-f", "Containerfile",
         "-t", "osbuild-deploy-container-test",
     ])
-    cursor = testutil.journal_cursor()
     # and run container to deploy an image into output/disk.qcow2
     subprocess.check_call([
         "podman", "run", "--rm",
@@ -59,8 +79,9 @@ def test_smoke(output_path, config_json):
     # check that there are no denials
     # TODO: actually check this once https://github.com/osbuild/images/pull/287
     #       is merged
-    journal_output = testutil.journal_after_cursor(cursor)
-    assert journal_output != ""
+    if journal_cursor:
+        journal_output = testutil.journal_after_cursor(journal_cursor)
+        assert journal_output != ""
     generated_img = pathlib.Path(output_path) / "qcow2/disk.qcow2"
     assert generated_img.exists(), f"output file missing, dir content: {os.listdir(os.fspath(output_path))}"
     # TODO: boot and do basic checks, see