diff --git a/cli/main.go b/cli/main.go
index 72c9165e7d..ac44bcd413 100644
--- a/cli/main.go
+++ b/cli/main.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"syscall"
 
 	"github.com/kata-containers/runtime/pkg/katautils"
+	"github.com/kata-containers/runtime/pkg/rootless"
 	"github.com/kata-containers/runtime/pkg/signals"
 	vc "github.com/kata-containers/runtime/virtcontainers"
 	vf "github.com/kata-containers/runtime/virtcontainers/factory"
@@ -304,6 +305,12 @@ func beforeSubcommands(c *cli.Context) error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Check if running rootlessly, and setup for rootless execution
+	err = rootless.SetRootless()
+	if err != nil {
+		fatal(err)
+	}
+
 	configFile, runtimeConfig, err = katautils.LoadConfiguration(c.GlobalString(configFilePathOption), ignoreLogging, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		fatal(err)
diff --git a/pkg/rootless/rootless.go b/pkg/rootless/rootless.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..29949a86cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/rootless/rootless.go
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2019 Intel Corporation
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+//
+
+package rootless
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+var (
+	isRootless  bool
+	hostUID     int
+	rootlessDir string
+)
+
+// userMapping reads the map_uid file from proc and returns true if the
+// root container ID is mapped to a non root user ID.
+func userMapping() (bool, int, error) {
+	file, err := os.Open("/proc/self/uid_map")
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, 0, err
+	}
+	defer file.Close()
+
+	buf := bufio.NewReader(file)
+	for {
+		line, _, err := buf.ReadLine()
+		if err != nil {
+			if err == io.EOF {
+				return false, 0, nil
+			}
+			return false, 0, err
+		}
+		if line == nil {
+			return false, 0, nil
+		}
+
+		// if the container id (id[0]) is 0 (root inside the container)
+		// has a mapping to the host id (id[1]) that is not root, then
+		// it can be determined that the host user is running rootless
+		ids := strings.Fields(string(line))
+		if ids[0] == "0" && ids[1] != "0" {
+			uid, _ := strconv.Atoi(ids[1])
+			return true, uid, nil
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func setupDir(path string) error {
+	var err error
+	if _, err = os.Stat(path); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return os.MkdirAll(path, 0700)
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
+// setRootlessDir prepares the directory for rootless storage
+// use homedirPath as the default location for rootless execution, however
+// if unable to access or create directory fallback to the userpath.
+func setRootlessDir() error {
+	// TODO homedirpath doesn't work.
+	//homedirPath := "~/.local/kata-rootless"
+	//if err := setupDir(homedirPath); err == nil {
+	//	rootlessDir = homedirPath
+	//	return nil
+	//}
+
+	userPath := fmt.Sprintf("/run/user/%d", hostUID)
+	if err := setupDir(userPath); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to set rootless dir: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	rootlessDir = userPath
+	return nil
+}
+
+// SetRootless sets the isRootless variable depending on uid_mappings
+// This should only be called once at the beginning of kata call
+func SetRootless() error {
+	mappings, uid, err := userMapping()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// don't update isRootless or hostUID  until after mapping error handling
+	isRootless = mappings
+	hostUID = uid
+
+	if !isRootless {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return setRootlessDir()
+}
+
+// IsRootless states whether kata is being ran with root or not
+func IsRootless() bool {
+	return isRootless
+}
+
+// GetRootlessDir returns the path to the location for rootless
+// container and sandbox storage
+func GetRootlessDir() string {
+	return rootlessDir
+}
+
+// GetRootlessUID returns the UID of the user in the parent userNS
+func GetRootlessUID() int {
+	return hostUID
+}
diff --git a/pkg/rootless/rootless_test.go b/pkg/rootless/rootless_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4aa1893938
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/rootless/rootless_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2019 Intel Corporation
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+//
+
+package rootless
+
+// TODO