diff --git a/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha4/types.go b/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha4/types.go
index 52a20ce1fd7..ccfb59b3e62 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha4/types.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/eksctl.io/v1alpha4/types.go
@@ -355,6 +355,8 @@ type NodeGroup struct {
 
 	// +optional
 	IAM *NodeGroupIAM `json:"iam"`
+
+	OverrideBootstrapCommand *string `json:"overrideBootstrapCommand,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // ListOptions returns metav1.ListOptions with label selector for the nodegroup
diff --git a/pkg/nodebootstrap/userdata_al2.go b/pkg/nodebootstrap/userdata_al2.go
index c8f61f1cbb7..d3cbe485ec2 100644
--- a/pkg/nodebootstrap/userdata_al2.go
+++ b/pkg/nodebootstrap/userdata_al2.go
@@ -40,15 +40,19 @@ func makeAmazonLinux2Config(spec *api.ClusterConfig, ng *api.NodeGroup) (configF
 func NewUserDataForAmazonLinux2(spec *api.ClusterConfig, ng *api.NodeGroup) (string, error) {
 	config := cloudconfig.New()
 
-	scripts := []string{
-		"bootstrap.al2.sh",
-	}
-
 	files, err := makeAmazonLinux2Config(spec, ng)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
+	scripts := []string{}
+
+	if ng.OverrideBootstrapCommand != nil {
+		config.AddShellCommand(*ng.OverrideBootstrapCommand)
+	} else {
+		scripts = append(scripts, "bootstrap.al2.sh")
+	}
+
 	if err = addFilesAndScripts(config, files, scripts); err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/nodebootstrap/userdata_ubuntu.go b/pkg/nodebootstrap/userdata_ubuntu.go
index 8c41433a143..5e241cd8211 100644
--- a/pkg/nodebootstrap/userdata_ubuntu.go
+++ b/pkg/nodebootstrap/userdata_ubuntu.go
@@ -36,15 +36,19 @@ func makeUbuntu1804Config(spec *api.ClusterConfig, ng *api.NodeGroup) (configFil
 func NewUserDataForUbuntu1804(spec *api.ClusterConfig, ng *api.NodeGroup) (string, error) {
 	config := cloudconfig.New()
 
-	scripts := []string{
-		"bootstrap.ubuntu.sh",
-	}
-
 	files, err := makeUbuntu1804Config(spec, ng)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
+	scripts := []string{}
+
+	if ng.OverrideBootstrapCommand != nil {
+		config.AddShellCommand(*ng.OverrideBootstrapCommand)
+	} else {
+		scripts = append(scripts, "bootstrap.ubuntu.sh")
+	}
+
 	if err = addFilesAndScripts(config, files, scripts); err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}