diff --git a/scripts/ci-e2e.sh b/scripts/ci-e2e.sh
index b591fd191..39d6150ac 100755
--- a/scripts/ci-e2e.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci-e2e.sh
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ main(){
     export EXP_CLUSTER_RESOURCE_SET=true
     export IBMACCOUNT_ID=${IBMACCOUNT_ID:-"7cfbd5381a434af7a09289e795840d4e"}
     export BASE64_API_KEY=$(tr -d '\n' <<<"$IBMCLOUD_API_KEY" | base64)
+    export CUSTOM_KIND_NODE_IMAGE=${CUSTOM_KIND_NODE_IMAGE:-}
     # Setting controller loglevel to allow debug logs from the VPC/PowerVS client
     export LOGLEVEL=5
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/config/ibmcloud-e2e-powervs.yaml b/test/e2e/config/ibmcloud-e2e-powervs.yaml
index eef1dbe88..6fa8027a3 100644
--- a/test/e2e/config/ibmcloud-e2e-powervs.yaml
+++ b/test/e2e/config/ibmcloud-e2e-powervs.yaml
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ variables:
   KUBERNETES_VERSION: "${KUBERNETES_VERSION:-v1.33.1}"
   # Below variable should be set based on the targeted environment
   SERVICE_ENDPOINT: "${SERVICE_ENDPOINT:-}"
+  CUSTOM_KIND_NODE_IMAGE: ${CUSTOM_KIND_NODE_IMAGE:-}""
   # Cluster Addons
   CNI: "${PWD}/test/e2e/data/cni/calico/calico.yaml"
   IP_FAMILY: "IPv4"
diff --git a/test/e2e/suite_test.go b/test/e2e/suite_test.go
index 8942f737c..f9c26c1fa 100644
--- a/test/e2e/suite_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/suite_test.go
@@ -44,9 +44,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	KubernetesVersion = "KUBERNETES_VERSION"
-	CNIPath           = "CNI"
-	CNIResources      = "CNI_RESOURCES"
+	KubernetesVersion   = "KUBERNETES_VERSION"
+	CNIPath             = "CNI"
+	CNIResources        = "CNI_RESOURCES"
+	CustomKindNodeImage = "CUSTOM_KIND_NODE_IMAGE"
 )
 
 // Test suite flags.
@@ -192,13 +193,22 @@ func createClusterctlLocalRepository(config *clusterctl.E2EConfig, repositoryFol
 }
 
 func setupBootstrapCluster(config *clusterctl.E2EConfig, scheme *runtime.Scheme, useExistingCluster bool) (bootstrap.ClusterProvider, framework.ClusterProxy) {
-	var clusterProvider bootstrap.ClusterProvider
-	kubeconfigPath := ""
+	var (
+		clusterProvider bootstrap.ClusterProvider
+		kubeconfigPath  string
+	)
+	input := bootstrap.CreateKindBootstrapClusterAndLoadImagesInput{
+		Name:   config.ManagementClusterName,
+		Images: config.Images,
+	}
+
+	customImage := config.GetVariableOrEmpty(CustomKindNodeImage)
+	if customImage != "" {
+		input.CustomNodeImage = customImage
+	}
+
 	if !useExistingCluster {
-		clusterProvider = bootstrap.CreateKindBootstrapClusterAndLoadImages(context.TODO(), bootstrap.CreateKindBootstrapClusterAndLoadImagesInput{
-			Name:   config.ManagementClusterName,
-			Images: config.Images,
-		})
+		clusterProvider = bootstrap.CreateKindBootstrapClusterAndLoadImages(context.TODO(), input)
 		Expect(clusterProvider).ToNot(BeNil(), "Failed to create a bootstrap cluster")
 
 		kubeconfigPath = clusterProvider.GetKubeconfigPath()