diff --git a/ci-automation/ci-config.env b/ci-automation/ci-config.env
index 944625fe45..5ddc05accc 100644
--- a/ci-automation/ci-config.env
+++ b/ci-automation/ci-config.env
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ QEMU_UPDATE_PAYLOAD="tmp/flatcar_test_update.gz"
 #  and the binpackages from.
 QEMU_DEVCONTAINER_URL="${QEMU_DEVCONTAINER_URL:-}"
 QEMU_DEVCONTAINER_BINHOST_URL="${QEMU_DEVCONTAINER_BINHOST_URL:-}"
-
+QEMU_DEVCONTAINER_FILE="${QEMU_DEVCONTAINER_FILE:-}"
 
 # -- Equinix Metal --
 EQUINIXMETAL_PARALLEL="${PARALLEL_TESTS:-4}"
diff --git a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/qemu.sh b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/qemu.sh
index ff66b6ed45..bd1763656a 100755
--- a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/qemu.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/qemu.sh
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ declare -a devcontainer_opts
 if [ -n "${QEMU_DEVCONTAINER_URL}" ] ; then
     echo "++++ Using custom devcontainer URL '${QEMU_DEVCONTAINER_URL}'"
     devcontainer_opts+=( "--devcontainer-url" "${QEMU_DEVCONTAINER_URL}" )
+elif [ -n "${QEMU_DEVCONTAINER_FILE}" ]; then
+    echo "++++ Using custom devcontainer FILE '${QEMU_DEVCONTAINER_FILE}'"
+    devcontainer_opts+=( "--devcontainer-file" "${QEMU_DEVCONTAINER_FILE}" )
 fi
 if [ -n "${QEMU_DEVCONTAINER_BINHOST_URL}" ] ; then
     echo "++++ Using custom devcontainer binhost '${QEMU_DEVCONTAINER_BINHOST_URL}'"