diff --git a/agent/api/task/task.go b/agent/api/task/task.go
index dc2f4dfda55..7703df90236 100644
--- a/agent/api/task/task.go
+++ b/agent/api/task/task.go
@@ -1946,6 +1946,15 @@ func (task *Task) dockerHostConfig(container *apicontainer.Container, dockerCont
 // overrideContainerRuntime overrides the runtime for the container in host config if needed.
 func (task *Task) overrideContainerRuntime(container *apicontainer.Container, hostCfg *dockercontainer.HostConfig,
 	cfg *config.Config) *apierrors.HostConfigError {
+	if cfg.Runtime != "" {
+		logger.Debug("Setting runtime for container", logger.Fields{
+			field.TaskID:    task.GetID(),
+			field.Container: container.Name,
+			"runTime":       cfg.Runtime,
+		})
+		hostCfg.Runtime = cfg.Runtime
+	}
+
 	if task.isGPUEnabled() && task.shouldRequireNvidiaRuntime(container) {
 		if !cfg.External.Enabled() {
 			if task.NvidiaRuntime == "" {
diff --git a/agent/api/task/task_test.go b/agent/api/task/task_test.go
index fa7eacbec79..639024de7a1 100644
--- a/agent/api/task/task_test.go
+++ b/agent/api/task/task_test.go
@@ -3542,6 +3542,22 @@ func TestDockerHostConfigNvidiaRuntime(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, testTask.NvidiaRuntime, dockerHostConfig.Runtime)
 }
 
+func TestDockerHostConfigCustomRuntime(t *testing.T) {
+	testTask := &Task{
+		Arn: "test",
+		Containers: []*apicontainer.Container{
+			{
+				Name:  "myName1",
+				Image: "image:tag",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	dockerHostConfig, _ := testTask.DockerHostConfig(testTask.Containers[0], dockerMap(testTask), defaultDockerClientAPIVersion,
+		&config.Config{Runtime: "custom-runtime"})
+	assert.Equal(t, "custom-runtime", dockerHostConfig.Runtime)
+}
+
 func TestDockerHostConfigRuntimeWithoutGPU(t *testing.T) {
 	testTask := &Task{
 		Arn: "test",
diff --git a/agent/config/config.go b/agent/config/config.go
index 9350c04909f..58a49b22bc0 100644
--- a/agent/config/config.go
+++ b/agent/config/config.go
@@ -597,6 +597,7 @@ func environmentConfig() (Config, error) {
 		WarmPoolsSupport:                    parseBooleanDefaultFalseConfig("ECS_WARM_POOLS_CHECK"),
 		DynamicHostPortRange:                parseDynamicHostPortRange("ECS_DYNAMIC_HOST_PORT_RANGE"),
 		TaskPidsLimit:                       parseTaskPidsLimit(),
+		Runtime:                             os.Getenv("ECS_DOCKER_RUNTIME"),
 	}, err
 }
 
diff --git a/agent/config/config_test.go b/agent/config/config_test.go
index 7b1c08c6679..6048326c88b 100644
--- a/agent/config/config_test.go
+++ b/agent/config/config_test.go
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ func TestEnvironmentConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	defer setTestEnv("ECS_EXCLUDE_IPV6_PORTBINDING", "true")()
 	defer setTestEnv("ECS_WARM_POOLS_CHECK", "false")()
 	defer setTestEnv("ECS_DYNAMIC_HOST_PORT_RANGE", "200-300")()
+	defer setTestEnv("ECS_DOCKER_RUNTIME", "custom-runtime")()
 	additionalLocalRoutesJSON := `["1.2.3.4/22","5.6.7.8/32"]`
 	setTestEnv("ECS_AWSVPC_ADDITIONAL_LOCAL_ROUTES", additionalLocalRoutesJSON)
 	setTestEnv("ECS_ENABLE_CONTAINER_METADATA", "true")
@@ -222,6 +223,7 @@ func TestEnvironmentConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, conf.ShouldExcludeIPv6PortBinding.Enabled(), "Wrong value for ShouldExcludeIPv6PortBinding")
 	assert.False(t, conf.WarmPoolsSupport.Enabled(), "Wrong value for WarmPoolsSupport")
 	assert.Equal(t, "200-300", conf.DynamicHostPortRange)
+	assert.Equal(t, "custom-runtime", conf.Runtime)
 }
 
 func TestTrimWhitespaceWhenCreating(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/agent/config/types.go b/agent/config/types.go
index ced906727c5..178730e7b13 100644
--- a/agent/config/types.go
+++ b/agent/config/types.go
@@ -376,4 +376,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	// cgroup setting at the ECS task level.
 	// see https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/admin-guide/cgroup-v2.html#pid
 	TaskPidsLimit int
+
+	// Runtime specifies a custom docker runtime to be used when launching tasks.
+	Runtime string
 }