diff --git a/changelog/changes/2026-09-13-containerd-dropin-config.md b/changelog/changes/2026-09-13-containerd-dropin-config.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..144823e1cfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/changes/2026-09-13-containerd-dropin-config.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- Added containerd configuration imports from `/etc/containerd/conf.d/*.toml` to allow local settings without copying the shipped config ([scripts#4150](https://github.com/flatcar/scripts/pull/4150))
diff --git a/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/coreos/sysext/containerd/usr/share/containerd/config-cgroupfs.toml b/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/coreos/sysext/containerd/usr/share/containerd/config-cgroupfs.toml
index 742fbf4355c..5369c2e7b92 100644
--- a/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/coreos/sysext/containerd/usr/share/containerd/config-cgroupfs.toml
+++ b/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/coreos/sysext/containerd/usr/share/containerd/config-cgroupfs.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 version = 2
 
+# allow local settings without copying the shipped config
+imports = ["/etc/containerd/conf.d/*.toml"]
+
 # persistent data location
 root = "/var/lib/containerd"
 # runtime state information
diff --git a/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/coreos/sysext/containerd/usr/share/containerd/config.toml b/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/coreos/sysext/containerd/usr/share/containerd/config.toml
index babc77b0e06..ee3ecfda58d 100644
--- a/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/coreos/sysext/containerd/usr/share/containerd/config.toml
+++ b/sdk_container/src/third_party/coreos-overlay/coreos/sysext/containerd/usr/share/containerd/config.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 version = 2
 
+# allow local settings without copying the shipped config
+imports = ["/etc/containerd/conf.d/*.toml"]
+
 # persistent data location
 root = "/var/lib/containerd"
 # runtime state information