diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 5950fb288d..a2f627cb62 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -33,5 +33,16 @@ jobs:
       with:
         image: ghcr.io/osbuild/osbuild-ci:latest-202308241910
         run: |
+          # Note that only "test.run.test_stages" runs in parallel because
+          # the other tests are not sufficiently isolated and will cause
+          # random failures. But test_stages is the long running one with
+          # almost 2h.
+          if [ "${{ matrix.test }}" = "test.run.test_stages" ]; then
+              # Using 4 workers is a bit arbitrary, "auto" is probably too
+              # aggressive.
+              export TEST_WORKERS="-n 4"
+              # Share the store between the workers speeds things up further
+              export OSBUILD_TEST_STORE=/var/tmp/osbuild-test-store
+          fi
           TEST_CATEGORY="${{ matrix.test }}" \
           tox -e "${{ matrix.environment }}"
diff --git a/osbuild.spec b/osbuild.spec
index a2fc4adeff..d2d48e43e1 100644
--- a/osbuild.spec
+++ b/osbuild.spec
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 %global         forgeurl https://github.com/osbuild/osbuild
 %global         selinuxtype targeted
 
-Version:        99
+Version:        100
 
 %forgemeta
 
diff --git a/osbuild/__init__.py b/osbuild/__init__.py
index 91a837f04f..19942f675e 100644
--- a/osbuild/__init__.py
+++ b/osbuild/__init__.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 from .pipeline import Manifest, Pipeline, Stage
 
-__version__ = "99"
+__version__ = "100"
 
 __all__ = [
     "Manifest",
diff --git a/osbuild/testutil/__init__.py b/osbuild/testutil/__init__.py
index 09d6d43b24..cdaf849242 100644
--- a/osbuild/testutil/__init__.py
+++ b/osbuild/testutil/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
 """
 Test related utilities
 """
+import shutil
+
+
+def has_executable(executable: str) -> bool:
+    return shutil.which(executable) is not None
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 1a293d4d69..82be9be8ef 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 setuptools.setup(
     name="osbuild",
-    version="99",
+    version="100",
     description="A build system for OS images",
     packages=["osbuild", "osbuild.formats", "osbuild.util"],
     license='Apache-2.0',
diff --git a/stages/org.osbuild.kickstart b/stages/org.osbuild.kickstart
index 82f949c173..3994aa0429 100755
--- a/stages/org.osbuild.kickstart
+++ b/stages/org.osbuild.kickstart
@@ -139,6 +139,13 @@ SCHEMA = r"""
   "clearpart": {
     "description": "Removes partitions from the system, prior to creation of new partitions",
     "type": "object",
+    "anyOf": [
+      {"required": ["all"]},
+      {"required": ["drives"]},
+      {"required": ["list"]},
+      {"required": ["disklabel"]},
+      {"required": ["linux"]}
+    ],
     "properties": {
       "all": {
         "description": "Erases all partitions from the system",
@@ -170,6 +177,27 @@ SCHEMA = r"""
         "type": "boolean"
       }
     }
+  },
+  "reboot": {
+    "description": "Reboot after the installation is successfully completed",
+    "oneOf": [
+    {
+      "type": "boolean"
+    }, {
+      "type": "object",
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "anyOf": [{"required": ["eject"]}, {"required": ["kexec"]}],
+      "properties": {
+        "eject": {
+          "description": "Attempt to eject the installation media before rebooting",
+          "type": "boolean"
+        },
+        "kexec": {
+          "description": "Use this option to reboot into the new system using the kexec",
+          "type": "boolean"
+        }
+      }
+    }]
   }
 }
 """
@@ -259,6 +287,19 @@ def make_clearpart(options: Dict) -> str:
     return cmd
 
 
+def make_reboot(options):
+    reboot = options.get("reboot", None)
+    if not reboot:
+        return ""
+    cmd = "reboot"
+    if isinstance(reboot, dict):
+        if reboot.get("eject"):
+            cmd += " --eject"
+        if reboot.get("kexec"):
+            cmd += " --kexec"
+    return cmd
+
+
 def main(tree, options):
     path = options["path"].lstrip("/")
     ostree = options.get("ostree")
@@ -302,6 +343,10 @@ def main(tree, options):
     if clearpart:
         config += [clearpart]
 
+    reboot = make_reboot(options)
+    if reboot:
+        config += [reboot]
+
     target = os.path.join(tree, path)
     base = os.path.dirname(target)
     os.makedirs(base, exist_ok=True)
diff --git a/stages/test/test_kickstart.py b/stages/test/test_kickstart.py
index 22a3b78ca3..45d8956e90 100644
--- a/stages/test/test_kickstart.py
+++ b/stages/test/test_kickstart.py
@@ -1,23 +1,137 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python3
 
 import os.path
+import subprocess
 
 import pytest
 
+import osbuild.meta
+from osbuild.testutil import has_executable
 from osbuild.testutil.imports import import_module_from_path
 
-
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("test_input,expected", [
+TEST_INPUT = [
     ({"lang": "en_US.UTF-8"}, "lang en_US.UTF-8"),
     ({"keyboard": "us"}, "keyboard us"),
     ({"timezone": "UTC"}, "timezone UTC"),
-    ({"lang": "en_US.UTF-8",
-      "keyboard": "us",
-      "timezone": "UTC",
-      },
-     "lang en_US.UTF-8\nkeyboard us\ntimezone UTC"),
-])
-def test_kickstart(tmp_path, test_input, expected):
+    (
+        {
+            "lang": "en_US.UTF-8",
+            "keyboard": "us",
+            "timezone": "UTC",
+        },
+        "lang en_US.UTF-8\nkeyboard us\ntimezone UTC",
+    ),
+    (
+        {
+            "ostree": {
+                "osname": "some-osname",
+                "url": "http://some-ostree-url.com/foo",
+                "ref": "some-ref",
+                "remote": "some-remote",
+                "gpg": True,
+            },
+            "liveimg": {
+                "url": "some-liveimg-url",
+            },
+            "groups": {
+                "somegrp": {
+                    "gid": 2337,
+                },
+            },
+            "users": {
+                "someusr": {
+                    "uid": 1337,
+                    "gid": 1337,
+                    "groups": [
+                        "grp1",
+                        "grp2",
+                    ],
+                    "home": "/other/home/someusr",
+                    "shell": "/bin/ksh",
+                    "password": "$1$notreally",
+                    "key": "ssh-rsa not-really-a-real-key",
+                },
+            },
+        },
+        "ostreesetup --osname=some-osname --url=http://some-ostree-url.com/foo --ref=some-ref --remote=some-remote\n"
+        + "liveimg --url some-liveimg-url\ngroup --name somegrp --gid 2337\n"
+        + "user --name someusr --password $1$notreally --iscrypted --shell /bin/ksh --uid 1337 --gid 1337 --groups grp1,grp2 --homedir /other/home/someusr\n"
+        + 'sshkey --username someusr "ssh-rsa not-really-a-real-key"',
+    ),
+    ({"zerombr": True}, "zerombr"),
+    ({"clearpart": {"all": True}}, "clearpart --all"),
+    (
+        {"clearpart": {"drives": ["sd*|hd*|vda", "/dev/vdc"]}},
+        "clearpart --drives=sd*|hd*|vda,/dev/vdc",
+    ),
+    ({"clearpart": {"drives": ["hda"]}}, "clearpart --drives=hda"),
+    (
+        {"clearpart": {"drives": ["disk/by-id/scsi-58095BEC5510947BE8C0360F604351918"]}},
+        "clearpart --drives=disk/by-id/scsi-58095BEC5510947BE8C0360F604351918"
+    ),
+    ({"clearpart": {"list": ["sda2", "sda3"]}}, "clearpart --list=sda2,sda3"),
+    ({"clearpart": {"list": ["sda2"]}}, "clearpart --list=sda2"),
+    (
+        {"clearpart": {"disklabel": "some-label"}},
+        "clearpart --disklabel=some-label",
+    ),
+    ({"clearpart": {"linux": True}}, "clearpart --linux"),
+    (
+        {
+            "clearpart": {
+                "all": True,
+                "drives": ["hda", "hdb"],
+                "list": ["sda2", "sda3"],
+                "disklabel": "some-label",
+                "linux": True,
+            },
+        },
+        "clearpart --all --drives=hda,hdb --list=sda2,sda3 --disklabel=some-label --linux",
+    ),
+    (
+        {
+            "lang": "en_US.UTF-8",
+            "keyboard": "us",
+            "timezone": "UTC",
+            "zerombr": True,
+            "clearpart": {"all": True, "drives": ["sd*|hd*|vda", "/dev/vdc"]},
+        },
+        "lang en_US.UTF-8\nkeyboard us\ntimezone UTC\nzerombr\nclearpart --all --drives=sd*|hd*|vda,/dev/vdc",
+    ),
+    # no reboot for an empty dict
+    ({"reboot": True}, "reboot"),
+    ({"reboot": {"eject": False}}, "reboot"),
+    ({"reboot": {"eject": True}}, "reboot --eject"),
+    ({"reboot": {"kexec": False}}, "reboot"),
+    ({"reboot": {"kexec": True}}, "reboot --kexec"),
+    ({"reboot": {"eject": True, "kexec": True}}, "reboot --eject --kexec"),
+]
+
+
+def schema_validate_kickstart_stage(test_data):
+    name = "org.osbuild.kickstart"
+    root = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "../..")
+    mod_info = osbuild.meta.ModuleInfo.load(root, "Stage", name)
+    schema = osbuild.meta.Schema(mod_info.get_schema(), name)
+    test_input = {
+        "name": "org.osbuild.kickstart",
+        "options": {
+            "path": "some-path",
+        }
+    }
+    test_input["options"].update(test_data)
+    return schema.validate(test_input)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("test_input,expected", TEST_INPUT)
+def test_kickstart_test_cases_valid(test_input, expected):  # pylint: disable=unused-argument
+    """ ensure all test inputs are valid """
+    res = schema_validate_kickstart_stage(test_input)
+    assert res.valid is True, f"input: {test_input}\nerr: {[e.as_dict() for e in res.errors]}"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("test_input,expected", TEST_INPUT)
+def test_kickstart_write(tmp_path, test_input, expected):
     ks_stage_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "../org.osbuild.kickstart")
     ks_stage = import_module_from_path("ks_stage", ks_stage_path)
 
@@ -27,6 +141,53 @@ def test_kickstart(tmp_path, test_input, expected):
 
     ks_stage.main(tmp_path, options)
 
-    with open(os.path.join(tmp_path, ks_path), encoding="utf-8") as fp:
+    ks_path = os.path.join(tmp_path, ks_path)
+    with open(ks_path, encoding="utf-8") as fp:
         ks_content = fp.read()
     assert ks_content == expected + "\n"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(not has_executable("ksvalidator"), reason="`ksvalidator` is required")
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("test_input,expected", TEST_INPUT)
+def test_kickstart_valid(tmp_path, test_input, expected):  # pylint: disable=unused-argument
+    ks_stage_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "../org.osbuild.kickstart")
+    ks_stage = import_module_from_path("ks_stage", ks_stage_path)
+
+    ks_path = "kickstart/kfs.cfg"
+    options = {"path": ks_path}
+    options.update(test_input)
+
+    ks_stage.main(tmp_path, options)
+
+    ks_path = os.path.join(tmp_path, ks_path)
+
+    # check with pykickstart if the file looks valid
+    subprocess.check_call(["ksvalidator", ks_path])
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "test_data,expected_err",
+    [
+        # BAD pattern, ensure some obvious ways to write arbitrary
+        # kickstart files will not work
+        ({"clearpart": {}}, "{} is not valid "),
+        ({"clearpart": {"disklabel": r"\n%pre\necho p0wnd"}}, r"p0wnd' does not match"),
+        ({"clearpart": {"drives": [" --spaces-dashes-not-allowed"]}}, "' --spaces-dashes-not-allowed' does not match"),
+        ({"clearpart": {"drives": ["\n%pre not allowed"]}}, "not allowed' does not match"),
+        ({"clearpart": {"drives": ["no,comma"]}}, "no,comma' does not match"),
+        ({"clearpart": {"list": ["\n%pre not allowed"]}}, "not allowed' does not match"),
+        ({"clearpart": {"list": ["no,comma"]}}, "no,comma' does not match"),
+        ({"clearpart": {"disklabel": "\n%pre not allowed"}}, "not allowed' does not match"),
+        # schema ensures reboot has at least one option set
+        ({"reboot": {}}, "{} is not valid under any of the given schemas"),
+        ({"reboot": "random-string"}, "'random-string' is not valid "),
+        ({"reboot": {"random": "option"}}, "{'random': 'option'} is not valid "),
+    ],
+)
+def test_schema_validation_bad_apples(test_data, expected_err):
+    res = schema_validate_kickstart_stage(test_data)
+
+    assert res.valid is False
+    assert len(res.errors) == 1
+    err_msgs = [e.as_dict()["message"] for e in res.errors]
+    assert expected_err in err_msgs[0]
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 031a4d90f6..3e0bdfce5d 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -13,10 +13,14 @@ labels =
 description = "run osbuild unit tests"
 deps =
     pytest
+    pytest-xdist
     jsonschema
     mako
     iniparse
     pyyaml
+    pykickstart
+    # required by pykickstart but not pulled in automatically :/
+    requests
 
 setenv =
     LINTABLES = osbuild/ assemblers/* devices/* inputs/* mounts/* runners/* sources/* stages/*.* stages/test/*.py
@@ -26,7 +30,7 @@ passenv =
     TEST_CATEGORY
 
 commands =
-    bash -c 'python -m pytest --pyargs --rootdir=. {env:TEST_CATEGORY}'
+    bash -c 'python -m pytest --pyargs --rootdir=. {env:TEST_CATEGORY} {env:TEST_WORKERS}'
 
 allowlist_externals =
     bash