diff --git a/roles/build-container-image/common.rst b/roles/build-container-image/common.rst
index 6e304a553..cbcfbdd9a 100644
--- a/roles/build-container-image/common.rst
+++ b/roles/build-container-image/common.rst
@@ -165,4 +165,10 @@ using the roles described here.
       added with each sibling project.  Note that projects here must
       be listed in ``required-projects``.
 
+.. zuul:rolevar:: container_build_extra_env
+   :type: dict
+
+   A dictionary of key value pairs to add to the container build environment.
+   This may be useful to enable buildkit with docker builds for example.
+
 .. _anchors: https://yaml.org/spec/1.2/spec.html#&%20anchor//
diff --git a/roles/build-container-image/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/build-container-image/defaults/main.yaml
index 916550c08..751860598 100644
--- a/roles/build-container-image/defaults/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/build-container-image/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 zuul_work_dir: "{{ zuul.project.src_dir }}"
 container_command: podman
+container_build_extra_env: {}
diff --git a/roles/build-container-image/tasks/build.yaml b/roles/build-container-image/tasks/build.yaml
index e1bcd21ee..098d484a6 100644
--- a/roles/build-container-image/tasks/build.yaml
+++ b/roles/build-container-image/tasks/build.yaml
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
     {% endfor -%}
   args:
     chdir: "{{ zuul_work_dir }}/{{ zj_image.context }}"
+  environment: "{{ container_build_extra_env }}"
 
 - name: Cleanup sibling source directory
   file: