diff --git a/docker-plugin/src/main/java/io/micronaut/gradle/docker/DockerExtension.java b/docker-plugin/src/main/java/io/micronaut/gradle/docker/DockerExtension.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1dc00440
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker-plugin/src/main/java/io/micronaut/gradle/docker/DockerExtension.java
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2003-2021 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package io.micronaut.gradle.docker;
+
+import org.gradle.api.provider.Property;
+
+public interface DockerExtension {
+    Property<Boolean> getUseCopyLink();
+}
diff --git a/docker-plugin/src/main/java/io/micronaut/gradle/docker/MicronautDockerPlugin.java b/docker-plugin/src/main/java/io/micronaut/gradle/docker/MicronautDockerPlugin.java
index 8deb2a0c..4f63f40e 100644
--- a/docker-plugin/src/main/java/io/micronaut/gradle/docker/MicronautDockerPlugin.java
+++ b/docker-plugin/src/main/java/io/micronaut/gradle/docker/MicronautDockerPlugin.java
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ public void apply(Project project) {
         TaskContainer tasks = project.getTasks();
         ExtensionContainer extensions = project.getExtensions();
         MicronautExtension micronautExtension = extensions.getByType(MicronautExtension.class);
+        var dockerExtension = micronautExtension.getExtensions().create("docker", DockerExtension.class);
+        configureCopyLink(dockerExtension, project);
         NamedDomainObjectContainer<MicronautDockerImage> dockerImages = project.getObjects().domainObjectContainer(MicronautDockerImage.class, s -> project.getObjects().newInstance(DefaultMicronautDockerImage.class, s));
         micronautExtension.getExtensions().add("dockerImages", dockerImages);
         dockerImages.all(image -> createDockerImage(project, image));
@@ -78,6 +80,13 @@ public void apply(Project project) {
         });
     }
 
+    private void configureCopyLink(DockerExtension dockerExtension, Project project) {
+        var useCopyLink = dockerExtension.getUseCopyLink();
+        useCopyLink.convention(true);
+        project.getTasks().withType(MicronautDockerfile.class).configureEach(t -> t.getUseCopyLink().convention(useCopyLink));
+        project.getTasks().withType(NativeImageDockerfile.class).configureEach(t -> t.getUseCopyLink().convention(useCopyLink));
+    }
+
     public static void createDependencyLayers(MicronautDockerImage image, Configuration configuration) {
         var projectLibs = configuration.getIncoming()
             .artifactView(view -> {
diff --git a/docker-plugin/src/test/groovy/io/micronaut/gradle/DockerBuildTaskSpec.groovy b/docker-plugin/src/test/groovy/io/micronaut/gradle/DockerBuildTaskSpec.groovy
index 78d1b525..9c809996 100644
--- a/docker-plugin/src/test/groovy/io/micronaut/gradle/DockerBuildTaskSpec.groovy
+++ b/docker-plugin/src/test/groovy/io/micronaut/gradle/DockerBuildTaskSpec.groovy
@@ -418,6 +418,42 @@ class Application {
 
     }
 
+    @Issue("https://github.com/micronaut-projects/micronaut-gradle-plugin/issues/971")
+    def "can disable COPY --link"() {
+        given:
+        settingsFile << "rootProject.name = 'hello-world'"
+        buildFile << """
+            plugins {
+                id "io.micronaut.minimal.application"
+                id "io.micronaut.docker"
+            }
+            
+            micronaut {
+                version "$micronautVersion"
+                docker.useCopyLink = $useCopyLink
+            }
+            
+            $repositoriesBlock
+
+            mainClassName="example.Application"
+            
+        """
+
+        when:
+        def result = build('dockerfile', '-s')
+
+        def task = result.task(":dockerfile")
+        def dockerFile = file("build/docker/main/Dockerfile").text
+
+        then:
+        task.outcome == TaskOutcome.SUCCESS
+        dockerFile.contains("COPY --link layers/libs /home/app/libs") == useCopyLink
+        dockerFile.contains("COPY layers/libs /home/app/libs") == !useCopyLink
+
+        where:
+        useCopyLink << [false, true]
+    }
+
     private static String getSnapshotMetadata() {
         DockerBuildTaskSpec.getResourceAsStream("/dummy-metadata.xml").text
     }