diff --git a/virtualizationservice/aidl/android/system/virtualizationservice/VirtualMachineConfig.aidl b/virtualizationservice/aidl/android/system/virtualizationservice/VirtualMachineConfig.aidl
index 6ca9cc7..cb28856 100644
--- a/virtualizationservice/aidl/android/system/virtualizationservice/VirtualMachineConfig.aidl
+++ b/virtualizationservice/aidl/android/system/virtualizationservice/VirtualMachineConfig.aidl
@@ -39,4 +39,7 @@
 
     /** Disk images to be made available to the VM. */
     DiskImage[] disks;
+
+    /** Whether the VM should be a protected VM. */
+    boolean protected_vm;
 }
diff --git a/virtualizationservice/src/aidl.rs b/virtualizationservice/src/aidl.rs
index 6d3f737..6b889c6 100644
--- a/virtualizationservice/src/aidl.rs
+++ b/virtualizationservice/src/aidl.rs
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@
             initrd: as_asref(&config.initrd),
             disks,
             params: config.params.to_owned(),
+            protected: config.protected_vm,
         };
         let composite_disk_mappings: Vec<_> = indirect_files
             .iter()
diff --git a/virtualizationservice/src/crosvm.rs b/virtualizationservice/src/crosvm.rs
index 797011c..669c631 100644
--- a/virtualizationservice/src/crosvm.rs
+++ b/virtualizationservice/src/crosvm.rs
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
     pub initrd: Option<&'a File>,
     pub disks: Vec<DiskFile>,
     pub params: Option<String>,
+    pub protected: bool,
 }
 
 /// A disk image to pass to crosvm for a VM.
@@ -55,6 +56,8 @@
     child: SharedChild,
     /// The CID assigned to the VM for vsock communication.
     pub cid: Cid,
+    /// Whether the VM is a protected VM.
+    pub protected: bool,
     /// Directory of temporary files used by the VM while it is running.
     pub temporary_directory: PathBuf,
     /// The UID of the process which requested the VM.
@@ -75,6 +78,7 @@
     fn new(
         child: SharedChild,
         cid: Cid,
+        protected: bool,
         temporary_directory: PathBuf,
         requester_uid: u32,
         requester_sid: String,
@@ -83,6 +87,7 @@
         VmInstance {
             child,
             cid,
+            protected,
             temporary_directory,
             requester_uid,
             requester_sid,
@@ -107,6 +112,7 @@
         let instance = Arc::new(VmInstance::new(
             child,
             config.cid,
+            config.protected,
             temporary_directory,
             requester_uid,
             requester_sid,
@@ -163,6 +169,10 @@
     // TODO(qwandor): Remove --disable-sandbox.
     command.arg("run").arg("--disable-sandbox").arg("--cid").arg(config.cid.to_string());
 
+    if config.protected {
+        command.arg("--protected-vm");
+    }
+
     if let Some(log_fd) = log_fd {
         command.stdout(log_fd);
     } else {
diff --git a/vm/src/config.rs b/vm/src/config.rs
index 169fdab..8ea0d8f 100644
--- a/vm/src/config.rs
+++ b/vm/src/config.rs
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@
     /// Disk images to be made available to the VM.
     #[serde(default)]
     pub disks: Vec<DiskImage>,
+    /// Whether the VM should be a protected VM.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub protected: bool,
 }
 
 impl VmConfig {
@@ -80,6 +83,7 @@
             params: self.params.clone(),
             bootloader: maybe_open_parcel_file(&self.bootloader, false)?,
             disks: self.disks.iter().map(DiskImage::to_parcelable).collect::<Result<_, Error>>()?,
+            protected_vm: self.protected,
         })
     }
 }