diff --git a/bootstrapvz/common/task_groups.py b/bootstrapvz/common/task_groups.py
index d6370d0..f5b3592 100644
--- a/bootstrapvz/common/task_groups.py
+++ b/bootstrapvz/common/task_groups.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ from tasks import locale
 from tasks import network
 from tasks import initd
 from tasks import ssh
+from tasks import kernel
 
 
 def get_standard_groups(manifest):
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ def get_standard_groups(manifest):
 	if 'boot' in manifest.volume['partitions']:
 		group.extend(boot_partition_group)
 	group.extend(mounting_group)
+	group.extend(kernel_group)
 	group.extend(get_fs_specific_group(manifest))
 	group.extend(get_network_group(manifest))
 	group.extend(get_apt_group(manifest))
@@ -76,6 +78,9 @@ mounting_group = [filesystem.CreateMountDir,
                   filesystem.DeleteMountDir,
                   ]
 
+kernel_group = [kernel.DetermineKernelVersion,
+                ]
+
 ssh_group = [ssh.AddOpenSSHPackage,
              ssh.DisableSSHPasswordAuthentication,
              ssh.DisableSSHDNSLookup,
diff --git a/bootstrapvz/common/tasks/kernel.py b/bootstrapvz/common/tasks/kernel.py
index be978f7..5acecf6 100644
--- a/bootstrapvz/common/tasks/kernel.py
+++ b/bootstrapvz/common/tasks/kernel.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from bootstrapvz.base import Task
 from .. import phases
 from ..tasks import packages
+import logging
 
 
 class AddDKMSPackages(Task):
@@ -22,5 +23,30 @@ class UpdateInitramfs(Task):
 	@classmethod
 	def run(cls, info):
 		from bootstrapvz.common.tools import log_check_call
-	        # Update initramfs (-u) for all currently installed kernel versions (-k all)
+		# Update initramfs (-u) for all currently installed kernel versions (-k all)
 		log_check_call(['chroot', info.root, 'update-initramfs', '-u', '-k', 'all'])
+
+
+class DetermineKernelVersion(Task):
+	description = 'Determining kernel version'
+	phase = phases.package_installation
+	predecessors = [packages.InstallPackages]
+
+	@classmethod
+	def run(cls, info):
+		# Snatched from `extlinux-update' in wheezy
+		# list the files in boot/ that match vmlinuz-*
+		# sort what the * matches, the first entry is the kernel version
+		import os.path
+		import re
+		regexp = re.compile('^vmlinuz-(?P<version>.+)$')
+
+		def get_kernel_version(vmlinuz_path):
+			vmlinux_basename = os.path.basename(vmlinuz_path)
+			return regexp.match(vmlinux_basename).group('version')
+		from glob import glob
+		boot = os.path.join(info.root, 'boot')
+		vmlinuz_paths = glob('{boot}/vmlinuz-*'.format(boot=boot))
+		kernels = map(get_kernel_version, vmlinuz_paths)
+		info.kernel_version = sorted(kernels, reverse=True)[0]
+		logging.getLogger(__name__).debug('Kernel version is {version}'.format(version=info.kernel_version))