diff --git a/packages/kernel-test/src/service.test.ts b/packages/kernel-test/src/service.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..393f6ea07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/kernel-test/src/service.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+import { Far } from '@endo/marshal';
+import { makeSQLKernelDatabase } from '@metamask/kernel-store/sqlite/nodejs';
+import { waitUntilQuiescent } from '@metamask/kernel-utils';
+import { Kernel, krefOf } from '@metamask/ocap-kernel';
+import type { SlotValue } from '@metamask/ocap-kernel';
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+
+import {
+  getBundleSpec,
+  makeKernel,
+  makeTestLogger,
+  runTestVats,
+  extractTestLogs,
+} from './utils.ts';
+
+const testSubcluster = {
+  bootstrap: 'main',
+  forceReset: true,
+  services: ['testService'],
+  vats: {
+    main: {
+      bundleSpec: getBundleSpec('service-vat'),
+      parameters: {
+        name: 'main',
+      },
+    },
+  },
+};
+
+describe('Kernel service object invocation', () => {
+  let kernel: Kernel;
+
+  const testService = Far('serviceObject', {
+    async getStuff(obj: SlotValue, tag: string): Promise<string> {
+      return `${tag} -- ${krefOf(obj)}`;
+    },
+  });
+
+  it('can invoke a kernel service and get an answer', async () => {
+    const kernelDatabase = await makeSQLKernelDatabase({
+      dbFilename: ':memory:',
+    });
+    const { logger, entries } = makeTestLogger();
+    kernel = await makeKernel(kernelDatabase, true, logger);
+    kernel.registerKernelServiceObject('testService', testService);
+
+    await runTestVats(kernel, testSubcluster);
+
+    // ko1 ::= the (test) service object
+    // ko2 ::= test vat root object
+    // ko3 ::= internal object generated inside test vat to have its kref extracted
+
+    await kernel.queueMessage('ko2', 'go', []);
+    await waitUntilQuiescent(100);
+    const testLogs = extractTestLogs(entries);
+    expect(testLogs).toStrictEqual(['kernel service returns hello -- ko3']);
+  });
+
+  it('configure subcluster with unknown service throws', async () => {
+    const kernelDatabase = await makeSQLKernelDatabase({
+      dbFilename: ':memory:',
+    });
+    const { logger } = makeTestLogger();
+    kernel = await makeKernel(kernelDatabase, true, logger);
+
+    await expect(runTestVats(kernel, testSubcluster)).rejects.toThrow(
+      `no registered kernel service 'testService'`,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('invoking unknown service method throws', async () => {
+    const kernelDatabase = await makeSQLKernelDatabase({
+      dbFilename: ':memory:',
+    });
+    const { logger, entries } = makeTestLogger();
+    kernel = await makeKernel(kernelDatabase, true, logger);
+    kernel.registerKernelServiceObject('testService', testService);
+
+    await runTestVats(kernel, testSubcluster);
+
+    // ko1 ::= the (test) service object
+    // ko2 ::= test vat root object
+    // ko3 ::= internal object generated inside test vat to have its kref extracted
+
+    await kernel.queueMessage('ko2', 'goBadly', []);
+    await waitUntilQuiescent(100);
+    const testLogs = extractTestLogs(entries);
+    expect(testLogs).toStrictEqual([
+      `kernel service threw: unknown service method 'nonexistentMethod'`,
+    ]);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/kernel-test/src/vats/service-vat.js b/packages/kernel-test/src/vats/service-vat.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..00fa93901
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/kernel-test/src/vats/service-vat.js
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import { E } from '@endo/eventual-send';
+import { Far } from '@endo/marshal';
+
+/**
+ * Build function for running a test of kernel service objects.
+ *
+ * @param {unknown} vatPowers - Special powers granted to this vat.
+ * @param {unknown} parameters - Initialization parameters from the vat's config object.
+ * @returns {unknown} The root object for the new vat.
+ */
+export function buildRootObject(vatPowers, parameters) {
+  const name = parameters?.name ?? 'anonymous';
+  const logger = vatPowers.logger.subLogger({ tags: ['test', name] });
+  const tlog = (...args) => logger.log(...args);
+  console.log(`buildRootObject "${name}"`);
+
+  const thing = Far('thing', {});
+  let testService;
+
+  const mainVatRoot = Far('root', {
+    async bootstrap(_vats, services) {
+      console.log(`vat ${name} is bootstrap`);
+      testService = services.testService;
+    },
+    async go() {
+      const serviceResult = await E(testService).getStuff(thing, 'hello');
+      tlog(`kernel service returns ${serviceResult}`);
+      await E(mainVatRoot).loopback();
+    },
+    async goBadly() {
+      try {
+        const serviceResult = await E(testService).nonexistentMethod(
+          thing,
+          'hello',
+        );
+        tlog(`kernel service returns ${serviceResult} and it shouldn't have`);
+      } catch (problem) {
+        tlog(`kernel service threw: ${problem.message}`);
+      }
+      await E(mainVatRoot).loopback();
+    },
+    loopback() {
+      return undefined;
+    },
+  });
+  return mainVatRoot;
+}
diff --git a/packages/ocap-kernel/src/Kernel.ts b/packages/ocap-kernel/src/Kernel.ts
index 5d1582d9b..8bae451bf 100644
--- a/packages/ocap-kernel/src/Kernel.ts
+++ b/packages/ocap-kernel/src/Kernel.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import { KernelQueue } from './KernelQueue.ts';
 import { KernelRouter } from './KernelRouter.ts';
 import { kernelHandlers } from './rpc/index.ts';
 import type { PingVatResult } from './rpc/index.ts';
-import { kslot } from './services/kernel-marshal.ts';
+import { kslot, kser, kunser } from './services/kernel-marshal.ts';
 import type { SlotValue } from './services/kernel-marshal.ts';
 import { makeKernelStore } from './store/index.ts';
 import type { KernelStore } from './store/index.ts';
@@ -32,11 +32,18 @@ import type {
   VatConfig,
   KernelStatus,
   Subcluster,
+  Message,
 } from './types.ts';
 import { ROOT_OBJECT_VREF, isClusterConfig } from './types.ts';
-import { Fail } from './utils/assert.ts';
+import { Fail, assert } from './utils/assert.ts';
 import { VatHandle } from './VatHandle.ts';
 
+type KernelService = {
+  name: string;
+  kref: string;
+  service: object;
+};
+
 export class Kernel {
   /** Command channel from the controlling console/browser extension/test driver */
   readonly #commandStream: DuplexStream<JsonRpcCall, JsonRpcResponse>;
@@ -61,6 +68,11 @@ export class Kernel {
   /** The kernel's router */
   readonly #kernelRouter: KernelRouter;
 
+  /** Objects providing custom or kernel-privileged services to vats. */
+  readonly #kernelServicesByName: Map<string, KernelService> = new Map();
+
+  readonly #kernelServicesByObject: Map<string, KernelService> = new Map();
+
   /**
    * Construct a new kernel instance.
    *
@@ -98,6 +110,7 @@ export class Kernel {
       this.#kernelStore,
       this.#kernelQueue,
       this.#getVat.bind(this),
+      this.#invokeKernelService.bind(this),
     );
     harden(this);
   }
@@ -370,9 +383,21 @@ export class Kernel {
       rootIds[vatName] = rootRef;
       roots[vatName] = kslot(rootRef, 'vatRoot');
     }
+    const services: Record<string, SlotValue> = {};
+    if (config.services) {
+      for (const name of config.services) {
+        const possibleService = this.#kernelServicesByName.get(name);
+        if (possibleService) {
+          const { kref } = possibleService;
+          services[name] = kslot(kref);
+        } else {
+          throw Error(`no registered kernel service '${name}'`);
+        }
+      }
+    }
     const bootstrapRoot = rootIds[config.bootstrap];
     if (bootstrapRoot) {
-      return this.queueMessage(bootstrapRoot, 'bootstrap', [roots]);
+      return this.queueMessage(bootstrapRoot, 'bootstrap', [roots, services]);
     }
     return undefined;
   }
@@ -632,5 +657,57 @@ export class Kernel {
     }
     this.#kernelStore.collectGarbage();
   }
+
+  registerKernelServiceObject(name: string, service: object): void {
+    const kref = this.#kernelStore.initKernelObject('kernel');
+    const kernelService = { name, kref, service };
+    this.#kernelServicesByName.set(name, kernelService);
+    this.#kernelServicesByObject.set(kref, kernelService);
+  }
+
+  async #invokeKernelService(target: KRef, message: Message): Promise<void> {
+    const kernelService = this.#kernelServicesByObject.get(target);
+    if (!kernelService) {
+      throw Error(`no registered service for ${target}`);
+    }
+    const { methargs, result } = message;
+    const [method, args] = kunser(methargs) as [string, unknown[]];
+    assert.typeof(method, 'string');
+    if (result) {
+      assert.typeof(result, 'string');
+    }
+    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-function-type
+    const service = kernelService.service as Record<string, Function>;
+    const methodFunction = service[method];
+    if (methodFunction === undefined) {
+      if (result) {
+        this.#kernelQueue.resolvePromises('kernel', [
+          [result, true, kser(Error(`unknown service method '${method}'`))],
+        ]);
+      } else {
+        this.#logger.error(`unknown service method '${method}'`);
+      }
+      return;
+    }
+    assert.typeof(methodFunction, 'function');
+    assert(Array.isArray(args));
+    try {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line prefer-spread
+      const resultValue = await methodFunction.apply(null, args);
+      if (result) {
+        this.#kernelQueue.resolvePromises('kernel', [
+          [result, false, kser(resultValue)],
+        ]);
+      }
+    } catch (problem) {
+      if (result) {
+        this.#kernelQueue.resolvePromises('kernel', [
+          [result, true, kser(problem)],
+        ]);
+      } else {
+        this.#logger.error('error in kernel service method:', problem);
+      }
+    }
+  }
 }
 harden(Kernel);
diff --git a/packages/ocap-kernel/src/KernelQueue.ts b/packages/ocap-kernel/src/KernelQueue.ts
index 280c2a4d6..45c4f914e 100644
--- a/packages/ocap-kernel/src/KernelQueue.ts
+++ b/packages/ocap-kernel/src/KernelQueue.ts
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ export class KernelQueue {
     vatId: VatId | undefined,
     resolutions: VatOneResolution[],
   ): void {
-    if (vatId) {
+    if (vatId && vatId !== 'kernel') {
       insistVatId(vatId);
     }
     for (const resolution of resolutions) {
diff --git a/packages/ocap-kernel/src/KernelRouter.ts b/packages/ocap-kernel/src/KernelRouter.ts
index 2d250d0c3..3b5895f48 100644
--- a/packages/ocap-kernel/src/KernelRouter.ts
+++ b/packages/ocap-kernel/src/KernelRouter.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { isPromiseRef } from './store/utils/promise-ref.ts';
 import type {
   VatId,
   KRef,
+  Message,
   RunQueueItem,
   RunQueueItemSend,
   RunQueueItemBringOutYourDead,
@@ -42,21 +43,30 @@ export class KernelRouter {
   /** A function that returns a vat handle for a given vat id. */
   readonly #getVat: (vatId: VatId) => VatHandle;
 
+  /** A function that invokes a method on a kernel service. */
+  readonly #invokeKernelService: (
+    target: KRef,
+    message: Message,
+  ) => Promise<void>;
+
   /**
    * Construct a new KernelRouter.
    *
    * @param kernelStore - The kernel's store.
    * @param kernelQueue - The kernel's queue.
    * @param getVat - A function that returns a vat handle for a given vat id.
+   * @param invokeKernelService - A function that calls a method on a kernel service object.
    */
   constructor(
     kernelStore: KernelStore,
     kernelQueue: KernelQueue,
     getVat: (vatId: VatId) => VatHandle,
+    invokeKernelService: (target: KRef, message: Message) => Promise<void>,
   ) {
     this.#kernelStore = kernelStore;
     this.#kernelQueue = kernelQueue;
     this.#getVat = getVat;
+    this.#invokeKernelService = invokeKernelService;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -201,8 +211,9 @@ export class KernelRouter {
       `@@@@ deliver ${vatId} send ${target}<-${JSON.stringify(message)}`,
     );
     if (vatId) {
-      const vat = this.#getVat(vatId);
-      if (vat) {
+      const isKernelServiceMessage = vatId === 'kernel';
+      const vat = isKernelServiceMessage ? null : this.#getVat(vatId);
+      if (vat || isKernelServiceMessage) {
         if (message.result) {
           if (typeof message.result !== 'string') {
             throw TypeError('message result must be a string');
@@ -213,6 +224,8 @@ export class KernelRouter {
             'deliver|send|result',
           );
         }
+      }
+      if (vat) {
         const vatTarget = this.#kernelStore.translateRefKtoV(
           vatId,
           target,
@@ -223,13 +236,15 @@ export class KernelRouter {
           message,
         );
         crankResults = await vat.deliverMessage(vatTarget, vatMessage);
-        this.#kernelStore.decrementRefCount(target, 'deliver|send|target');
-        for (const slot of message.methargs.slots) {
-          this.#kernelStore.decrementRefCount(slot, 'deliver|send|slot');
-        }
+      } else if (isKernelServiceMessage) {
+        crankResults = await this.#deliverKernelServiceMessage(target, message);
       } else {
         Fail`no owner for kernel object ${target}`;
       }
+      this.#kernelStore.decrementRefCount(target, 'deliver|send|target');
+      for (const slot of message.methargs.slots) {
+        this.#kernelStore.decrementRefCount(slot, 'deliver|send|slot');
+      }
     } else {
       this.#kernelStore.enqueuePromiseMessage(target, message);
     }
@@ -240,6 +255,14 @@ export class KernelRouter {
     return crankResults;
   }
 
+  async #deliverKernelServiceMessage(
+    target: KRef,
+    message: Message,
+  ): Promise<CrankResults> {
+    await this.#invokeKernelService(target, message);
+    return { didDelivery: 'kernel' };
+  }
+
   /**
    * Deliver a 'notify' run queue item.
    *
diff --git a/packages/ocap-kernel/src/index.test.ts b/packages/ocap-kernel/src/index.test.ts
index bea3424bf..18ddbade3 100644
--- a/packages/ocap-kernel/src/index.test.ts
+++ b/packages/ocap-kernel/src/index.test.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@ describe('index', () => {
       'VatSupervisor',
       'isVatConfig',
       'isVatId',
+      'krefOf',
       'kser',
+      'kslot',
       'kunser',
       'makeKernelStore',
       'parseRef',
diff --git a/packages/ocap-kernel/src/index.ts b/packages/ocap-kernel/src/index.ts
index 03348c7a8..d28b220ad 100644
--- a/packages/ocap-kernel/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/ocap-kernel/src/index.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ export {
   KernelStatusStruct,
   SubclusterStruct,
 } from './types.ts';
-export { kunser, kser } from './services/kernel-marshal.ts';
+export { kunser, kser, kslot, krefOf } from './services/kernel-marshal.ts';
+export type { SlotValue } from './services/kernel-marshal.ts';
 export { makeKernelStore } from './store/index.ts';
 export type { KernelStore } from './store/index.ts';
 export { parseRef } from './store/utils/parse-ref.ts';
diff --git a/packages/ocap-kernel/src/store/methods/promise.ts b/packages/ocap-kernel/src/store/methods/promise.ts
index 56ea63e6a..3f232a3e5 100644
--- a/packages/ocap-kernel/src/store/methods/promise.ts
+++ b/packages/ocap-kernel/src/store/methods/promise.ts
@@ -136,7 +136,9 @@ export function getPromiseMethods(ctx: StoreContext) {
    * @param vatId - The vat which will become the decider.
    */
   function setPromiseDecider(kpid: KRef, vatId: VatId): void {
-    insistVatId(vatId);
+    if (vatId !== 'kernel') {
+      insistVatId(vatId);
+    }
     if (kpid) {
       ctx.kv.set(`${kpid}.decider`, vatId);
     }
diff --git a/packages/ocap-kernel/src/types.ts b/packages/ocap-kernel/src/types.ts
index 55f28dbec..b3907ee59 100644
--- a/packages/ocap-kernel/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/ocap-kernel/src/types.ts
@@ -321,6 +321,7 @@ export type VatConfigTable = Record<string, VatConfig>;
 export const ClusterConfigStruct = object({
   bootstrap: string(),
   forceReset: exactOptional(boolean()),
+  services: exactOptional(array(string())),
   vats: record(string(), VatConfigStruct),
   bundles: exactOptional(record(string(), VatConfigStruct)),
 });
diff --git a/vitest.config.ts b/vitest.config.ts
index 2f1f6d21f..c8de1a558 100644
--- a/vitest.config.ts
+++ b/vitest.config.ts
@@ -140,10 +140,10 @@ export default defineConfig({
           lines: 73.58,
         },
         'packages/ocap-kernel/**': {
-          statements: 92.52,
-          functions: 95.27,
-          branches: 82.82,
-          lines: 92.49,
+          statements: 92.43,
+          functions: 95.28,
+          branches: 82.5,
+          lines: 92.4,
         },
         'packages/streams/**': {
           statements: 100,