diff --git a/apidoc/ostree-sections.txt b/apidoc/ostree-sections.txt
index 5af8e687..900e1704 100644
--- a/apidoc/ostree-sections.txt
+++ b/apidoc/ostree-sections.txt
@@ -577,6 +577,7 @@ ostree_sysroot_get_repo
 ostree_sysroot_get_staged_deployment
 ostree_sysroot_init_osname
 ostree_sysroot_deployment_set_kargs
+ostree_sysroot_deployment_set_kargs_in_place
 ostree_sysroot_deployment_set_mutable
 ostree_sysroot_deployment_unlock
 ostree_sysroot_deployment_set_pinned
diff --git a/src/libostree/libostree-devel.sym b/src/libostree/libostree-devel.sym
index 54945eca..145ec1ec 100644
--- a/src/libostree/libostree-devel.sym
+++ b/src/libostree/libostree-devel.sym
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 LIBOSTREE_2022.5 {
 global:
   ostree_kernel_args_append_if_missing;
+  ostree_sysroot_deployment_set_kargs_in_place;
 } LIBOSTREE_2022.4;
 
 /* Stub section for the stable release *after* this development one; don't
diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-sysroot-deploy.c b/src/libostree/ostree-sysroot-deploy.c
index 3b04267c..2dc9f58b 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-sysroot-deploy.c
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-sysroot-deploy.c
@@ -3591,6 +3591,53 @@ ostree_sysroot_deployment_set_kargs (OstreeSysroot     *self,
   return TRUE;
 }
 
+/**
+ * ostree_sysroot_deployment_set_kargs_in_place:
+ * @self: Sysroot
+ * @deployment: A deployment
+ * @kargs_str: (allow none): Replace @deployment's kernel arguments
+ * @cancellable: Cancellable
+ * @error: Error
+ *
+ * Replace the kernel arguments of @deployment with the values in @kargs_str.
+ */
+gboolean
+ostree_sysroot_deployment_set_kargs_in_place (OstreeSysroot     *self,
+                                              OstreeDeployment  *deployment,
+                                              char              *kargs_str,
+                                              GCancellable      *cancellable,
+                                              GError           **error)
+{
+  if (!ostree_sysroot_initialize (self, error))
+    return FALSE;
+  if (!_ostree_sysroot_ensure_boot_fd (self, error))
+    return FALSE;
+  if (!_ostree_sysroot_ensure_writable (self, error))
+    return FALSE;
+
+  g_assert (!ostree_deployment_is_staged (deployment));
+
+  OstreeBootconfigParser *new_bootconfig = ostree_deployment_get_bootconfig (deployment);
+  ostree_bootconfig_parser_set (new_bootconfig, "options", kargs_str);
+
+  g_autofree char *bootconf_name =
+    g_strdup_printf ("ostree-%d-%s.conf",
+                     self->deployments->len - ostree_deployment_get_index (deployment),
+                     ostree_deployment_get_osname (deployment));
+
+  g_autofree char *bootconfdir = g_strdup_printf ("loader.%d/entries", self->bootversion);
+  glnx_autofd int bootconf_dfd = -1;
+  if (!glnx_opendirat (self->boot_fd, bootconfdir, TRUE, &bootconf_dfd, error))
+    return FALSE;
+
+  if (!ostree_bootconfig_parser_write_at (new_bootconfig,
+                                          bootconf_dfd, bootconf_name,
+                                          cancellable, error))
+    return FALSE;
+
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
 /**
  * ostree_sysroot_deployment_set_mutable:
  * @self: Sysroot
diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-sysroot.h b/src/libostree/ostree-sysroot.h
index c240aaa0..0cde9e44 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-sysroot.h
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-sysroot.h
@@ -175,6 +175,13 @@ gboolean ostree_sysroot_deployment_set_kargs (OstreeSysroot     *self,
                                               GCancellable      *cancellable,
                                               GError           **error);
 
+_OSTREE_PUBLIC
+gboolean ostree_sysroot_deployment_set_kargs_in_place (OstreeSysroot     *self,
+                                                       OstreeDeployment  *deployment,
+                                                       char              *kargs_str,
+                                                       GCancellable      *cancellable,
+                                                       GError           **error);
+
 _OSTREE_PUBLIC
 gboolean ostree_sysroot_write_deployments (OstreeSysroot     *self,
                                            GPtrArray         *new_deployments,
diff --git a/src/ostree/ot-admin-kargs-builtin-edit-in-place.c b/src/ostree/ot-admin-kargs-builtin-edit-in-place.c
index 40ada02f..2a16da9c 100644
--- a/src/ostree/ot-admin-kargs-builtin-edit-in-place.c
+++ b/src/ostree/ot-admin-kargs-builtin-edit-in-place.c
@@ -67,11 +67,10 @@ ot_admin_kargs_builtin_edit_in_place (int argc, char **argv, OstreeCommandInvoca
             }
         }
       
-      g_auto(GStrv) kargs_strv = ostree_kernel_args_to_strv (kargs);
+      g_autofree char *new_options = ostree_kernel_args_to_string (kargs);
       
-      if (!ostree_sysroot_deployment_set_kargs (sysroot, deployment,
-                                              kargs_strv,
-                                              cancellable, error))
+      if (!ostree_sysroot_deployment_set_kargs_in_place (sysroot, deployment, new_options, 
+                                                         cancellable, error))
         return FALSE;
       
     }
diff --git a/tests/kolainst/destructive/kargs-edit-in-place.sh b/tests/kolainst/destructive/kargs-edit-in-place.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..6380ff33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/kolainst/destructive/kargs-edit-in-place.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Verify "ostree admin kargs edit-in-place" works
+
+set -xeuo pipefail
+
+. ${KOLA_EXT_DATA}/libinsttest.sh
+
+sudo ostree admin kargs edit-in-place --append-if-missing=testarg
+assert_file_has_content /boot/loader/entries/ostree-* testarg
+
+echo "ok test `kargs edit-in-place --append-if-missing`"