diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a5ee0e5..4e8056b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ accidentally modify the cluster.
    - installs OpenEBS
    - creates `openebs-hostpath-retain`
    - installs Argo CD
+   - installs Kyverno with audit-first baseline Pod Security policies
    - registers the private GitOps repo without storing the SSH private key in
      Terraform state
 
@@ -189,6 +190,14 @@ single-node rebuild.
 
 Add Helm releases through `bootstrap/platform`'s `extra_helm_releases` map.
 
+## Policy Guardrails
+
+`bootstrap/platform` installs Kyverno and the upstream baseline Pod Security
+policies in `Audit` mode. This gives the lab policy reports for unsafe workload
+settings without blocking existing pods during the first rollout. After reports
+are clean, individual policies can be promoted to `Enforce` in
+`bootstrap/platform/main.tf`.
+
 ## Edge Services
 
 The OCI jump box runs the public edge path:
diff --git a/bootstrap/platform/main.tf b/bootstrap/platform/main.tf
index 23f859d..c76b411 100644
--- a/bootstrap/platform/main.tf
+++ b/bootstrap/platform/main.tf
@@ -336,6 +336,93 @@ EOT
   }
 }
 
+resource "helm_release" "kyverno" {
+  depends_on       = [null_resource.calico_ready]
+  name             = "kyverno"
+  repository       = var.kyverno.repository
+  chart            = "kyverno"
+  version          = var.kyverno.chart_version
+  namespace        = var.kyverno.namespace
+  create_namespace = true
+  timeout          = 900
+  wait             = true
+
+  values = [
+    yamlencode({
+      admissionController = {
+        replicas = 1
+        resources = {
+          requests = {
+            cpu    = "50m"
+            memory = "128Mi"
+          }
+          limits = {
+            memory = "384Mi"
+          }
+        }
+      }
+      backgroundController = {
+        replicas = 1
+        resources = {
+          requests = {
+            cpu    = "25m"
+            memory = "96Mi"
+          }
+          limits = {
+            memory = "256Mi"
+          }
+        }
+      }
+      cleanupController = {
+        replicas = 1
+        resources = {
+          requests = {
+            cpu    = "10m"
+            memory = "64Mi"
+          }
+          limits = {
+            memory = "192Mi"
+          }
+        }
+      }
+      reportsController = {
+        replicas = 1
+        resources = {
+          requests = {
+            cpu    = "25m"
+            memory = "96Mi"
+          }
+          limits = {
+            memory = "256Mi"
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    })
+  ]
+}
+
+resource "helm_release" "kyverno_policies" {
+  depends_on       = [helm_release.kyverno]
+  name             = "kyverno-policies"
+  repository       = var.kyverno.repository
+  chart            = "kyverno-policies"
+  version          = var.kyverno.policies_version
+  namespace        = var.kyverno.namespace
+  create_namespace = false
+  timeout          = 600
+  wait             = true
+
+  values = [
+    yamlencode({
+      podSecurityStandard               = "baseline"
+      podSecuritySeverity               = "medium"
+      validationFailureAction           = "Audit"
+      validationAllowExistingViolations = true
+      failurePolicy                     = "Ignore"
+    })
+  ]
+}
+
 resource "helm_release" "loki" {
   depends_on       = [kubernetes_namespace_v1.monitoring]
   name             = "loki"
diff --git a/bootstrap/platform/variables.tf b/bootstrap/platform/variables.tf
index ef9fb1a..84a4bf5 100644
--- a/bootstrap/platform/variables.tf
+++ b/bootstrap/platform/variables.tf
@@ -76,6 +76,22 @@ variable "argocd" {
   }
 }
 
+variable "kyverno" {
+  type = object({
+    repository       = string
+    chart_version    = string
+    policies_version = string
+    namespace        = string
+  })
+
+  default = {
+    repository       = "https://kyverno.github.io/kyverno/"
+    chart_version    = "3.8.1"
+    policies_version = "3.8.0"
+    namespace        = "kyverno"
+  }
+}
+
 variable "observability" {
   type = object({
     namespace = string