diff --git a/roles/container-engine/cri-o/defaults/main.yml b/roles/container-engine/cri-o/defaults/main.yml
index 5ded3c64e..7ab8e04b3 100644
--- a/roles/container-engine/cri-o/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/container-engine/cri-o/defaults/main.yml
@@ -77,3 +77,7 @@ crun_runtime:
 # When this is true, CRI-O package repositories are added. Set this to false when using an
 # environment with preconfigured CRI-O package repositories.
 crio_add_repos: true
+
+# skopeo need for save/load images when download_run_once=true
+skopeo_packages:
+  - "skopeo"
diff --git a/roles/container-engine/cri-o/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/container-engine/cri-o/tasks/main.yaml
index 09425f670..187d3074e 100644
--- a/roles/container-engine/cri-o/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/container-engine/cri-o/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -73,6 +73,13 @@
     dest: /etc/crio/crio.conf
   register: config_install
 
+- name: Add skopeo pkg to install
+  set_fact:
+    crio_packages: "{{ crio_packages + skopeo_packages }}"
+  when:
+    - not skip_downloads|default(false)
+    - download_run_once
+
 - name: Install cri-o packages
   package:
     name: "{{ item }}"
diff --git a/roles/download/tasks/set_container_facts.yml b/roles/download/tasks/set_container_facts.yml
index b793584c7..af89ba100 100644
--- a/roles/download/tasks/set_container_facts.yml
+++ b/roles/download/tasks/set_container_facts.yml
@@ -22,13 +22,24 @@
     image_path_cached: "{{ download_cache_dir }}/images/{{ image_filename }}"
     image_path_final: "{{ local_release_dir }}/images/{{ image_filename }}"
 
-- name: Set image save/load command for containerd and crio
+- name: Set image save/load command for containerd
   set_fact:
     image_save_command: "{{ containerd_bin_dir }}/ctr -n k8s.io image export {{ image_path_final }} {{ image_reponame }}"
     image_load_command: "{{ containerd_bin_dir }}/ctr -n k8s.io image import --base-name {{ download.repo }} {{ image_path_final }}"
   when: container_manager == 'containerd'
 
-- name: Set image save/load command for containerd and crio on localhost
+- name: Set image save/load command for crio
+  set_fact:
+    image_save_command: "skopeo copy containers-storage:{{ image_reponame }} docker-archive:{{ image_path_final }}"
+    image_load_command: "skopeo copy docker-archive:{{ image_path_final }} containers-storage:{{ image_reponame }}"
+  when: container_manager == 'crio'
+
+- name: Set image save/load command for containerd on localhost
   set_fact:
     image_save_command_on_localhost: "{{ containerd_bin_dir }}/ctr -n k8s.io image export {{ image_path_cached }} {{ image_reponame }}"
   when: container_manager_on_localhost == 'containerd'
+
+- name: Set image save/load command for crio on localhost
+  set_fact:
+    image_save_command_on_localhost: "skopeo copy containers-storage:{{ image_reponame }} docker-archive:{{ image_path_final }}"
+  when: container_manager_on_localhost == 'crio'
diff --git a/roles/kubernetes/preinstall/tasks/0020-verify-settings.yml b/roles/kubernetes/preinstall/tasks/0020-verify-settings.yml
index 59ee7ee68..a2db1d993 100644
--- a/roles/kubernetes/preinstall/tasks/0020-verify-settings.yml
+++ b/roles/kubernetes/preinstall/tasks/0020-verify-settings.yml
@@ -280,12 +280,6 @@
     msg: "download_localhost requires enable download_run_once"
   when: download_localhost
 
-- name: Stop if download_localhost is enabled when container_manager not docker
-  assert:
-    that: container_manager in ['containerd', 'docker']
-    msg: "download_run_once support only for docker or containerd"
-  when: download_run_once or download_force_cache
-
 - name: Stop if kata_containers_enabled is enabled when container_manager is docker
   assert:
     that: container_manager != 'docker'
diff --git a/tests/files/packet_centos7-crio.yml b/tests/files/packet_centos7-crio.yml
index 7565f77bd..e6460e7cd 100644
--- a/tests/files/packet_centos7-crio.yml
+++ b/tests/files/packet_centos7-crio.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ deploy_netchecker: true
 dns_min_replicas: 1
 container_manager: crio
 
+download_localhost: false
+download_run_once: true
+
 # CRI-O requirements
-download_container: false
 etcd_deployment_type: host
diff --git a/tests/files/packet_ubuntu18-crio.yml b/tests/files/packet_ubuntu18-crio.yml
index a4c60d3af..2cd78739a 100644
--- a/tests/files/packet_ubuntu18-crio.yml
+++ b/tests/files/packet_ubuntu18-crio.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ deploy_netchecker: true
 dns_min_replicas: 1
 container_manager: crio
 
+download_localhost: false
+download_run_once: true
+
 # CRI-O requirements
-download_container: false
 etcd_deployment_type: host