diff --git a/metropolis/vm/smoketest/payload/BUILD.bazel b/metropolis/vm/smoketest/payload/BUILD.bazel
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..52b27e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metropolis/vm/smoketest/payload/BUILD.bazel
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go:def.bzl", "go_binary", "go_library")
+
+go_library(
+    name = "go_default_library",
+    srcs = ["main.go"],
+    importpath = "source.monogon.dev/metropolis/vm/smoketest/payload",
+    visibility = ["//visibility:private"],
+    deps = ["@org_golang_x_sys//unix:go_default_library"],
+)
+
+go_binary(
+    name = "payload",
+    embed = [":go_default_library"],
+    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+)
diff --git a/metropolis/vm/smoketest/payload/main.go b/metropolis/vm/smoketest/payload/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2ea6485
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metropolis/vm/smoketest/payload/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+// Copyright 2020 The Monogon Project Authors.
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"os"
+
+	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
+)
+
+func main() {
+	if err := unix.Mount("devtmpfs", "/dev", "devtmpfs", 0, ""); err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	testPort, err := os.OpenFile("/dev/vport1p1", os.O_RDWR, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	testPort.WriteString("test123")
+	testPort.Close()
+	unix.Reboot(unix.LINUX_REBOOT_CMD_POWER_OFF)
+}