diff --git a/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-service/files/bin/setup-nvidia b/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-service/files/bin/setup-nvidia
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index dd936f6aff..4e384b36fd
--- a/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-service/files/bin/setup-nvidia
+++ b/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-service/files/bin/setup-nvidia
@@ -97,20 +97,30 @@ EOF
 }
 
 function install_and_load() {
-  # This creates symlinks to sonames
-  mkdir -p /etc/ld.so.conf.d/
-  echo "/opt/nvidia/${NVIDIA_CURRENT_INSTALLATION}/usr/lib64" > /etc/ld.so.conf.d/nvidia.conf
-  ldconfig
-
   modprobe -a i2c_core ipmi_msghandler ipmi_devintf
   # This is needed on amd64 due to CONFIG_ACPI_VIDEO=m
   modprobe -q video || true
 
-  pushd "/opt/nvidia/${NVIDIA_CURRENT_INSTALLATION}/usr/lib/modules/$(uname -r)/video/"
-  insmod nvidia.ko
-  insmod nvidia-modeset.ko
-  insmod nvidia-uvm.ko
-  popd
+  if systemd-sysext list | grep -q flatcar-nvidia-drivers; then
+    modprobe nvidia
+    modprobe nvidia-modeset
+    modprobe nvidia-uvm
+
+    systemctl daemon-reload
+    # create the nvpd user
+    systemd-sysusers
+  else
+    # This creates symlinks to sonames
+    mkdir -p /etc/ld.so.conf.d/
+    echo "/opt/nvidia/${NVIDIA_CURRENT_INSTALLATION}/usr/lib64" > /etc/ld.so.conf.d/nvidia.conf
+
+    pushd "/opt/nvidia/${NVIDIA_CURRENT_INSTALLATION}/usr/lib/modules/$(uname -r)/video/"
+    insmod nvidia.ko
+    insmod nvidia-modeset.ko
+    insmod nvidia-uvm.ko
+    popd
+  fi
+  ldconfig
 
   # based on https://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/cuda-installation-guide-linux/index.html#runfile-verifications
   if [ ! -c /dev/nvidiactl ]
@@ -161,6 +171,11 @@ function is_nvidia_installation_required() {
   if [[ -d "/opt/nvidia/${NVIDIA_FLATCAR_VERSION_PAIR}" ]]; then
     return 1
   fi
+
+  if systemd-sysext list | grep -q flatcar-nvidia-drivers; then
+    echo "Pre-build NVIDIA drivers sysext is loaded, skipping drivers build."
+    return 1
+  fi
 }
 
 function presetup() {
diff --git a/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-service/files/units/nvidia.service b/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-service/files/units/nvidia.service
index c5cb85e30c..702f17eb8c 100644
--- a/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-service/files/units/nvidia.service
+++ b/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-service/files/units/nvidia.service
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [Unit]
 Description=NVIDIA Configure Service
 Wants=network-online.target
-After=network-online.target
+After=network-online.target systemd-sysext.service
 Before=containerd.target
 
 [Service]