diff --git a/.env.sample b/.env.sample
index d0086d6..ad24921 100644
--- a/.env.sample
+++ b/.env.sample
@@ -8,5 +8,6 @@ RUNBOAT_BUILD_PGUSER=runboat-build
 RUNBOAT_BUILD_PGPASSWORD=...
 RUNBOAT_BUILD_ADMIN_PASSWD=...
 RUNBOAT_BUILD_DOMAIN=runboat.odoo-community.org
+RUNBOAT_BUILD_ENV={}
 RUNBOAT_GITHUB_TOKEN=
 RUNBOAT_LOG_CONFIG=log-config.yaml
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 024de43..5004390 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ More:
 - create builds for all supported repos on startup (goes with sticky branches)
 - never undeploy last build of sticky branches
 - make build images configurable (see `build_images.py`)
+- configurable kubefiles directory
 
 ## Author and contributors
 
diff --git a/src/runboat/k8s.py b/src/runboat/k8s.py
index 579c927..d507c31 100644
--- a/src/runboat/k8s.py
+++ b/src/runboat/k8s.py
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ class DeploymentVars(BaseModel):
     pgdatabase: str
     admin_passwd: str
     hostname: str
+    build_env: dict[str, str]
 
 
 def make_deployment_vars(
@@ -171,6 +172,7 @@ def make_deployment_vars(
         pgdatabase=build_name,
         admin_passwd=settings.build_admin_passwd,
         hostname=f"{slug}.{settings.build_domain}",
+        build_env=settings.build_env or {},
     )
 
 
diff --git a/src/runboat/kubefiles/kustomization.yaml.jinja b/src/runboat/kubefiles/kustomization.yaml.jinja
index 58e4e8c..74ccc52 100644
--- a/src/runboat/kubefiles/kustomization.yaml.jinja
+++ b/src/runboat/kubefiles/kustomization.yaml.jinja
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ configMapGenerator:
       - ADDONS_DIR=/build
       - RUNBOAT_GIT_REPO=https://github.com/{{ repo }}
       - RUNBOAT_GIT_REF={{ git_commit }}
+      {%- for key, value in build_env.items() %}
+      - {{ key }}={{ value }}
+      {%- endfor %}
   - name: runboat-scripts
     files:
       - runboat-clone-and-install.sh
diff --git a/src/runboat/settings.py b/src/runboat/settings.py
index c261c1c..7c796ab 100644
--- a/src/runboat/settings.py
+++ b/src/runboat/settings.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
     build_pgpassword: str
     build_admin_passwd: str
     build_domain: str
+    build_env: Optional[dict[str, str]]
     github_token: Optional[str]
     log_config: Optional[str]