diff --git a/.changes/next-release/enhancement-eks-73766.json b/.changes/next-release/enhancement-eks-73766.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..fc794502ab5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/next-release/enhancement-eks-73766.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "type": "enhancement",
+  "category": "eks",
+  "description": "Add exec-profile argument to update-kubeconfig command. Fixes `#9759 <https://github.com/aws/aws-cli/issues/9759>`__"
+}
diff --git a/awscli/customizations/eks/update_kubeconfig.py b/awscli/customizations/eks/update_kubeconfig.py
index 72157594ad07..b4a72bd87937 100644
--- a/awscli/customizations/eks/update_kubeconfig.py
+++ b/awscli/customizations/eks/update_kubeconfig.py
@@ -105,6 +105,14 @@ class UpdateKubeconfigCommand(BasicCommand):
                           "Defaults to match cluster ARN."),
             'required': False
         },
+        {
+            'name': 'exec-profile',
+            'help_text': ("Profile to use when getting the access token "
+                          "or assuming the role specified in --role-arn. "
+                          "This overrides the current session profile, which "
+                          "will otherwise be used."),
+            'required': False
+        },
         {
             'name': 'assume-role-arn',
             'help_text': ('To assume a role for retrieving cluster information, '
@@ -356,10 +364,10 @@ def get_user_entry(self, user_alias=None):
                 self._parsed_args.role_arn
             ])
 
-        if self._session.profile:
+        if self._session.profile or getattr(self._parsed_args, 'exec_profile', None):
             generated_user["user"]["exec"]["env"] = [OrderedDict([
                 ("name", "AWS_PROFILE"),
-                ("value", self._session.profile)
+                ("value", getattr(self._parsed_args, 'exec_profile', None) or self._session.profile)
             ])]
 
         return generated_user
diff --git a/tests/unit/customizations/eks/test_update_kubeconfig.py b/tests/unit/customizations/eks/test_update_kubeconfig.py
index ecfae4e9395d..cc1750bf1185 100644
--- a/tests/unit/customizations/eks/test_update_kubeconfig.py
+++ b/tests/unit/customizations/eks/test_update_kubeconfig.py
@@ -308,6 +308,22 @@ def test_profile(self):
         )
         self._session.create_client.assert_called_once_with("eks")
 
+    def test_exec_profile(self):
+        self._session.profile = "session-profile"
+        self._client = EKSClient(self._session, parsed_args=Namespace(cluster_name="ExampleCluster", role_arn=None, exec_profile="exec-profile"))
+        self._correct_user_entry["user"]["exec"]["env"] = [
+            OrderedDict([
+                ("name", "AWS_PROFILE"),
+                ("value", "exec-profile")
+            ])
+        ]
+        self.assertEqual(self._client.get_user_entry(),
+                         self._correct_user_entry)
+        self._mock_client.describe_cluster.assert_called_once_with(
+            name="ExampleCluster"
+        )
+        self._session.create_client.assert_called_once_with("eks")
+
     def test_create_user_with_alias(self):
         self._correct_user_entry["name"] = "alias"
         self.assertEqual(self._client.get_user_entry(user_alias="alias"),