diff --git a/pkg/api/handlers/libpod/kube.go b/pkg/api/handlers/libpod/kube.go
index 7068074f3b..a5a3bf4d73 100644
--- a/pkg/api/handlers/libpod/kube.go
+++ b/pkg/api/handlers/libpod/kube.go
@@ -3,9 +3,16 @@
 package libpod
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+
+	"github.com/containers/storage/pkg/archive"
 
 	"github.com/containers/image/v5/types"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v5/libpod"
@@ -15,9 +22,86 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v5/pkg/domain/entities"
 	"github.com/containers/podman/v5/pkg/domain/infra/abi"
 	"github.com/gorilla/schema"
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
+// ExtractPlayReader provide an io.Reader given a http.Request object
+// the function will extract the Content-Type header, if not provided, the body will be returned
+// of the header define a text format (json, yaml or text) it will also return the body
+// if the Content-Type is tar, we extract the content to the anchorDir and try to read the `play.yaml` file
+func extractPlayReader(anchorDir string, r *http.Request) (io.Reader, error) {
+	hdr, found := r.Header["Content-Type"]
+
+	// If Content-Type is not specific we use the body
+	if !found || len(hdr) == 0 {
+		return r.Body, nil
+	}
+
+	var reader io.Reader
+	switch hdr[0] {
+	// backward compatibility
+	case "text/plain":
+		fallthrough
+	case "application/json":
+		fallthrough
+	case "application/yaml":
+		fallthrough
+	case "application/text":
+		fallthrough
+	case "application/x-yaml":
+		reader = r.Body
+	case "application/x-tar":
+		// un-tar the content
+		err := archive.Untar(r.Body, anchorDir, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		// check for play.yaml
+		path := filepath.Join(anchorDir, "play.yaml")
+		// open the play.yaml file
+		f, err := os.Open(path)
+		if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("file not found: tar missing play.yaml file at root")
+		} else if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		defer f.Close()
+		reader = f
+	default:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Content-Type: %s is not supported. Should be \"application/x-tar\"", hdr[0])
+	}
+
+	data, err := io.ReadAll(reader)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return bytes.NewReader(data), nil
+}
+
 func KubePlay(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	// create a tmp directory
+	contextDirectory, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "libpod_kube")
+	if err != nil {
+		utils.InternalServerError(w, err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	// cleanup the tmp directory
+	defer func() {
+		err := os.RemoveAll(contextDirectory)
+		if err != nil {
+			logrus.Warn(fmt.Errorf("failed to remove libpod_kube tmp directory %q: %w", contextDirectory, err))
+		}
+	}()
+
+	// extract the reader
+	reader, err := extractPlayReader(contextDirectory, r)
+	if err != nil {
+		utils.InternalServerError(w, err)
+		return
+	}
+
 	runtime := r.Context().Value(api.RuntimeKey).(*libpod.Runtime)
 	decoder := r.Context().Value(api.DecoderKey).(*schema.Decoder)
 	query := struct {
@@ -37,6 +121,7 @@ func KubePlay(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		TLSVerify        bool              `schema:"tlsVerify"`
 		Userns           string            `schema:"userns"`
 		Wait             bool              `schema:"wait"`
+		Build            bool              `schema:"build"`
 	}{
 		TLSVerify: true,
 		Start:     true,
@@ -110,6 +195,10 @@ func KubePlay(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		Username:           username,
 		Userns:             query.Userns,
 		Wait:               query.Wait,
+		ContextDir:         contextDirectory,
+	}
+	if _, found := r.URL.Query()["build"]; found {
+		options.Build = types.NewOptionalBool(query.Build)
 	}
 	if _, found := r.URL.Query()["tlsVerify"]; found {
 		options.SkipTLSVerify = types.NewOptionalBool(!query.TLSVerify)
@@ -117,7 +206,7 @@ func KubePlay(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	if _, found := r.URL.Query()["start"]; found {
 		options.Start = types.NewOptionalBool(query.Start)
 	}
-	report, err := containerEngine.PlayKube(r.Context(), r.Body, options)
+	report, err := containerEngine.PlayKube(r.Context(), reader, options)
 	if err != nil {
 		utils.Error(w, http.StatusInternalServerError, fmt.Errorf("playing YAML file: %w", err))
 		return
diff --git a/pkg/api/handlers/libpod/kube_test.go b/pkg/api/handlers/libpod/kube_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3d07e4bfd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/api/handlers/libpod/kube_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+//go:build !remote
+
+package libpod
+
+import (
+	"io"
+	"net/http"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestExtractPlayReader(t *testing.T) {
+	// Setup temporary directory for testing purposes
+	tempDir := t.TempDir()
+
+	t.Run("Content-Type not provided - should return body", func(t *testing.T) {
+		req := &http.Request{
+			Body: io.NopCloser(strings.NewReader("test body content")),
+		}
+
+		reader, err := extractPlayReader(tempDir, req)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+		// Read from the returned reader
+		data, err := io.ReadAll(reader)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, "test body content", string(data))
+	})
+
+	t.Run("Supported content types (json/yaml/text) - should return body", func(t *testing.T) {
+		supportedTypes := []string{
+			"application/json",
+			"application/yaml",
+			"application/text",
+			"application/x-yaml",
+		}
+
+		for _, contentType := range supportedTypes {
+			req := &http.Request{
+				Header: map[string][]string{
+					"Content-Type": {contentType},
+				},
+				Body: io.NopCloser(strings.NewReader("test body content")),
+			}
+
+			reader, err := extractPlayReader(tempDir, req)
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+			// Read from the returned reader
+			data, err := io.ReadAll(reader)
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, "test body content", string(data))
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("Unsupported content type - should return error", func(t *testing.T) {
+		req := &http.Request{
+			Header: map[string][]string{
+				"Content-Type": {"application/unsupported"},
+			},
+			Body: io.NopCloser(strings.NewReader("test body content")),
+		}
+
+		_, err := extractPlayReader(tempDir, req)
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, "Content-Type: application/unsupported is not supported. Should be \"application/x-tar\"", err.Error())
+	})
+}
diff --git a/pkg/api/server/register_kube.go b/pkg/api/server/register_kube.go
index b50bafecab..751a16d0a0 100644
--- a/pkg/api/server/register_kube.go
+++ b/pkg/api/server/register_kube.go
@@ -16,8 +16,48 @@ func (s *APIServer) registerKubeHandlers(r *mux.Router) error {
 	//  - containers
 	//  - pods
 	// summary: Play a Kubernetes YAML file.
-	// description: Create and run pods based on a Kubernetes YAML file (pod or service kind).
+	// description: |
+	//   Create and run pods based on a Kubernetes YAML file.
+	//
+	//   ### Content-Type
+	//
+	//   Then endpoint support two Content-Type
+	//    - `plain/text` for yaml format
+	//    - `application/x-tar` for sending context(s) required for building images
+	//
+	//   #### Tar format
+	//
+	//   The tar format must contain a `play.yaml` file at the root that will be used.
+	//   If the file format requires context to build an image, it uses the image name and
+	//   check for corresponding folder.
+	//
+	//   For example, the client sends a tar file with the following structure:
+	//
+	//   ```
+	//   └── content.tar
+	//    ├── play.yaml
+	//    └── foobar/
+	//        └── Containerfile
+	//   ```
+	//
+	//   The `play.yaml` is the following, the `foobar` image means we are looking for a context with this name.
+	//   ```
+	//   apiVersion: v1
+	//   kind: Pod
+	//   metadata:
+	//   name: demo-build-remote
+	//   spec:
+	//   containers:
+	//    - name: container
+	//      image: foobar
+	//   ```
+	//
 	// parameters:
+	//  - in: header
+	//    name: Content-Type
+	//    type: string
+	//    default: plain/text
+	//    enum: ["plain/text", "application/x-tar"]
 	//  - in: query
 	//    name: annotations
 	//    type: string
@@ -99,6 +139,10 @@ func (s *APIServer) registerKubeHandlers(r *mux.Router) error {
 	//    type: boolean
 	//    default: false
 	//    description: Clean up all objects created when a SIGTERM is received or pods exit.
+	//  - in: query
+	//    name: build
+	//    type: boolean
+	//    description: Build the images with corresponding context.
 	//  - in: body
 	//    name: request
 	//    description: Kubernetes YAML file.
diff --git a/test/apiv2/80-kube.at b/test/apiv2/80-kube.at
index dee7828cf3..640e3e4d2b 100644
--- a/test/apiv2/80-kube.at
+++ b/test/apiv2/80-kube.at
@@ -79,3 +79,71 @@ t DELETE libpod/play/kube $YAML 200 \
 rm -rf $TMPD
 
 # vim: filetype=sh
+
+# check kube play works when uploading body as a tar
+TMPD=$(mktemp -d podman-apiv2-test-kube.XXXXXX)
+KUBE_PLAY_TAR="${TMPD}/kubeplay.tar"
+cat > $TMPD/play.yaml << EOF
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Pod
+metadata:
+  name: demo-tar-remote
+spec:
+  containers:
+    - name: container
+      image: docker.io/library/nginx:latest
+EOF
+# Tar the content of the tmp folder
+tar --format=posix -C $TMPD -cvf ${KUBE_PLAY_TAR} play.yaml &> /dev/null
+t POST "libpod/play/kube" $KUBE_PLAY_TAR 200 \
+   .Pods[0].ID~[0-9a-f]\\{64\\} \
+   .Pods[0].ContainerErrors=null \
+   .Pods[0].Containers[0]~[0-9a-f]\\{64\\}
+# Cleanup
+t DELETE libpod/kube/play $TMPD/play.yaml 200 \
+  .StopReport[0].Id~[0-9a-f]\\{64\\} \
+  .RmReport[0].Id~[0-9a-f]\\{64\\}
+rm -rf $TMPD
+
+# check kube play is capable of building the image when uploading body as a tar
+
+TMPD=$(mktemp -d podman-apiv2-test-kube-build.XXXXXX)
+KUBE_PLAY_TAR="${TMPD}/kubeplay.tar"
+# Generate an unique label value
+LABEL_VALUE="foo-$(date +%s)"
+cat > $TMPD/play.yaml << EOF
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Pod
+metadata:
+  name: demo-build-remote
+spec:
+  containers:
+    - name: container
+      image: barfoo
+EOF
+mkdir $TMPD/barfoo
+cat > $TMPD/barfoo/Containerfile << EOF
+FROM docker.io/library/nginx:latest
+LABEL bar="${LABEL_VALUE}"
+EOF
+
+tar --format=posix -C $TMPD -cvf ${KUBE_PLAY_TAR} . &> /dev/null
+
+t POST "libpod/play/kube?build=true" $KUBE_PLAY_TAR 200 \
+   .Pods[0].ID~[0-9a-f]\\{64\\} \
+   .Pods[0].ContainerErrors=null \
+   .Pods[0].Containers[0]~[0-9a-f]\\{64\\}
+
+# Get the container id created
+cid=$(jq -r '.Pods[0].Containers[0]' <<<"$output")
+
+# Ensure the image build has the label defined in the Containerfile
+t GET containers/$cid/json 200 \
+    .Config.Labels.bar="${LABEL_VALUE}"
+
+# Cleanup
+t DELETE "libpod/kube/play" $TMPD/play.yaml 200 \
+   .StopReport[0].Id~[0-9a-f]\\{64\\} \
+   .RmReport[0].Id~[0-9a-f]\\{64\\}
+
+rm -rf $TMPD