diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index e8701e3e7..6b7d7c660 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ jobs:
         run: sudo apt update && sudo apt install just
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: Build and run container integration tests
-        run: sudo just run-container-integration
+        run: sudo just run-container-integration run-container-external-tests
   cargo-deny:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
diff --git a/Justfile b/Justfile
index d9952fe4a..756866232 100644
--- a/Justfile
+++ b/Justfile
@@ -10,5 +10,9 @@ build-integration-test-image *ARGS: build
 run-container-integration: build-integration-test-image
     podman run --rm localhost/bootc-integration bootc-integration-tests container
 
+# These tests may spawn their own container images.
+run-container-external-tests:
+   ./tests/container/run localhost/bootc
+
 unittest *ARGS:
     podman build --jobs=4 --target units -t localhost/bootc-units --build-arg=unitargs={{ARGS}} .
diff --git a/crates/lib/src/cli.rs b/crates/lib/src/cli.rs
index d815c537b..9a04257f5 100644
--- a/crates/lib/src/cli.rs
+++ b/crates/lib/src/cli.rs
@@ -472,6 +472,9 @@ pub(crate) enum InternalsOpts {
         // The stateroot
         stateroot: String,
     },
+    /// Initiate a reboot the same way we would after --apply; intended
+    /// primarily for testing.
+    Reboot,
     #[cfg(feature = "rhsm")]
     /// Publish subscription-manager facts to /etc/rhsm/facts/bootc.facts
     PublishRhsmFacts,
@@ -1230,6 +1233,7 @@ async fn run_from_opt(opt: Opt) -> Result<()> {
                     Ok(())
                 }
             },
+            InternalsOpts::Reboot => crate::reboot::reboot(),
             InternalsOpts::Fsck => {
                 let sysroot = &get_storage().await?;
                 crate::fsck::fsck(&sysroot, std::io::stdout().lock()).await?;
diff --git a/tests/container/reboot/bootc-finish-test-reboot.service b/tests/container/reboot/bootc-finish-test-reboot.service
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..392a1f8da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/container/reboot/bootc-finish-test-reboot.service
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+[Unit]
+ConditionPathExists=!/etc/initrd-release 
+After=local-fs.target
+RequiresMountsFor=/run/bootc-test-reboot
+Before=bootc-test-reboot.service
+PartOf=bootc-test-reboot.service
+
+[Service]
+Type=oneshot
+RemainAfterExit=yes
+ExecStop=touch /run/bootc-test-reboot/success
diff --git a/tests/container/reboot/bootc-test-reboot.service b/tests/container/reboot/bootc-test-reboot.service
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..53c887d4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/container/reboot/bootc-test-reboot.service
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[Unit]
+ConditionPathExists=!/etc/initrd-release 
+Requires=bootc-finish-test-reboot.service
+After=bootc-finish-test-reboot.service
+
+[Service]
+Type=oneshot
+RemainAfterExit=yes
+ExecStart=bootc internals reboot
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
diff --git a/tests/container/reboot/run b/tests/container/reboot/run
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..41c524601
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/container/reboot/run
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Verify that invoking `bootc internals reboot` actually invokes a reboot, when
+# running inside systemd.
+# xref:
+# - https://github.com/bootc-dev/bootc/issues/1416
+# - https://github.com/bootc-dev/bootc/issues/1419
+set -euo pipefail
+image=$1
+tmpd=$(mktemp -d)
+log() {
+  echo "$@"
+  "$@"
+}
+log timeout 120 podman run --rm --systemd=always --privileged -v /sys:/sys:ro --label bootc.test=reboot --net=none -v $(pwd):/src:ro -v $tmpd:/run/bootc-test-reboot $image /bin/sh -c 'cp /src/*.service /etc/systemd/system && systemctl enable bootc-test-reboot && exec /sbin/init' || true
+ls -al $tmpd
+if test '!' -f $tmpd/success; then
+  echo "reboot failed" 1>&2
+  rm -rf "$tmpd"
+  exit 1
+fi
+rm -rf "$tmpd"
+echo "ok reboot"
diff --git a/tests/container/run b/tests/container/run
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..3e5e9266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/container/run
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -euo pipefail
+image=$1
+shift
+
+cd $(dirname $0)
+
+tests=$(find . -maxdepth 1 -type d)
+for case in $tests; do
+  if test $case = .; then continue; fi
+  echo "Running: $case"
+  cd $case
+  ./run $image
+  cd -
+  echo "ok $case"
+done