diff --git a/common/docs/containers.conf.5.md b/common/docs/containers.conf.5.md
index 39e368bc94..4fc1e90147 100644
--- a/common/docs/containers.conf.5.md
+++ b/common/docs/containers.conf.5.md
@@ -216,6 +216,14 @@ overwriting values specified on the command line when the container was created.
 
 Pass all host environment variables into the container.
 
+**env_merge**=[]
+
+Preprocess default environment variables for the container.
+Works the same as the **--env-merge** command line option.
+The value of existing variables in the image will be used for substitution.
+
+Example: `env_merge=["PATH=${PATH}:/custom/bin"]`
+
 **host_containers_internal_ip**=""
 
 Set the IP address the container should expect to connect to the host. The IP
diff --git a/common/pkg/config/config.go b/common/pkg/config/config.go
index 2ab2613495..a437388d25 100644
--- a/common/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/common/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -142,6 +142,9 @@ type ContainersConfig struct {
 	// EnvHost Pass all host environment variables into the container.
 	EnvHost bool `toml:"env_host,omitempty"`
 
+	// EnvMerge preprocess the environment variables list for the container.
+	EnvMerge []string `toml:"env_merge,omitempty"`
+
 	// HostContainersInternalIP is used to set a specific host.containers.internal ip.
 	HostContainersInternalIP string `toml:"host_containers_internal_ip,omitempty"`
 
diff --git a/common/pkg/config/containers.conf b/common/pkg/config/containers.conf
index 49fd38390b..0c7269cb3a 100644
--- a/common/pkg/config/containers.conf
+++ b/common/pkg/config/containers.conf
@@ -137,6 +137,10 @@ default_sysctls = [
 #
 #env_host = false
 
+# Preprocess default environment variables for the container.
+#
+#env_merge = []
+
 # Set the IP address the container should expect to connect to the host. The IP
 # address is used by Podman to automatically add the `host.containers.internal`
 # and `host.docker.internal` hostnames to the container's `/etc/hosts` file. It
diff --git a/common/pkg/config/default.go b/common/pkg/config/default.go
index 7ea362f6bc..d85d2226cf 100644
--- a/common/pkg/config/default.go
+++ b/common/pkg/config/default.go
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ func defaultConfig() (*Config, error) {
 			EnableLabeling:      selinuxEnabled(),
 			Env:                 configfile.NewSlice(defaultContainerEnv),
 			EnvHost:             false,
+			EnvMerge:            []string{},
 			HTTPProxy:           true,
 			IPCNS:               "shareable",
 			Init:                false,