diff --git a/pkg/patch/cmd.go b/pkg/patch/cmd.go
index 1e6a59bd..0ef3e50a 100644
--- a/pkg/patch/cmd.go
+++ b/pkg/patch/cmd.go
@@ -21,15 +21,16 @@ import (
 )
 
 type patchArgs struct {
-	appImage      string
-	reportFile    string
-	patchedTag    string
-	workingFolder string
-	timeout       time.Duration
-	ignoreError   bool
-	format        string
-	output        string
-	bkOpts        buildkit.Opts
+	appImage           string
+	reportFile         string
+	patchedTag         string
+	workingFolder      string
+	timeout            time.Duration
+	ignoreError        bool
+	format             string
+	output             string
+	customToolingImage string
+	bkOpts             buildkit.Opts
 }
 
 func NewPatchCmd() *cobra.Command {
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ func NewPatchCmd() *cobra.Command {
 				ua.workingFolder,
 				ua.format,
 				ua.output,
+				ua.customToolingImage,
 				ua.ignoreError,
 				bkopts)
 		},
@@ -70,6 +72,7 @@ func NewPatchCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	flags.BoolVar(&ua.ignoreError, "ignore-errors", false, "Ignore errors and continue patching")
 	flags.StringVarP(&ua.format, "format", "f", "openvex", "Output format, defaults to 'openvex'")
 	flags.StringVarP(&ua.output, "output", "o", "", "Output file path")
+	flags.StringVarP(&ua.customToolingImage, "custom-tooling-image", "", "", "[EXPERIMENTAL] Custom tooling image to use for patching")
 
 	if err := patchCmd.MarkFlagRequired("image"); err != nil {
 		panic(err)
diff --git a/pkg/patch/patch.go b/pkg/patch/patch.go
index 07b7081b..c2d3150b 100644
--- a/pkg/patch/patch.go
+++ b/pkg/patch/patch.go
@@ -29,13 +29,13 @@ const (
 )
 
 // Patch command applies package updates to an OCI image given a vulnerability report.
-func Patch(ctx context.Context, timeout time.Duration, image, reportFile, patchedTag, workingFolder, format, output string, ignoreError bool, bkOpts buildkit.Opts) error {
+func Patch(ctx context.Context, timeout time.Duration, image, reportFile, patchedTag, workingFolder, format, output, customToolingImage string, ignoreError bool, bkOpts buildkit.Opts) error {
 	timeoutCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, timeout)
 	defer cancel()
 
 	ch := make(chan error)
 	go func() {
-		ch <- patchWithContext(timeoutCtx, image, reportFile, patchedTag, workingFolder, format, output, ignoreError, bkOpts)
+		ch <- patchWithContext(timeoutCtx, image, reportFile, patchedTag, workingFolder, format, output, customToolingImage, ignoreError, bkOpts)
 	}()
 
 	select {
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func removeIfNotDebug(workingFolder string) {
 	}
 }
 
-func patchWithContext(ctx context.Context, image, reportFile, patchedTag, workingFolder, format, output string, ignoreError bool, bkOpts buildkit.Opts) error {
+func patchWithContext(ctx context.Context, image, reportFile, patchedTag, workingFolder, format, output, customToolingImage string, ignoreError bool, bkOpts buildkit.Opts) error {
 	imageName, err := ref.ParseNamed(image)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ func patchWithContext(ctx context.Context, image, reportFile, patchedTag, workin
 
 	// Export the patched image state to Docker
 	// TODO: Add support for other output modes as buildctl does.
-	patchedImageState, errPkgs, err := pkgmgr.InstallUpdates(ctx, updates, ignoreError)
+	patchedImageState, errPkgs, err := pkgmgr.InstallUpdates(ctx, updates, ignoreError, customToolingImage)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/pkgmgr/apk.go b/pkg/pkgmgr/apk.go
index 4e521216..fa5c5399 100644
--- a/pkg/pkgmgr/apk.go
+++ b/pkg/pkgmgr/apk.go
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ func validateAPKPackageVersions(updates types.UpdatePackages, cmp VersionCompare
 	return errorPkgs, allErrors.ErrorOrNil()
 }
 
-func (am *apkManager) InstallUpdates(ctx context.Context, manifest *types.UpdateManifest, ignoreErrors bool) (*llb.State, []string, error) {
+func (am *apkManager) InstallUpdates(ctx context.Context, manifest *types.UpdateManifest, ignoreErrors bool, _ string) (*llb.State, []string, error) {
 	// Resolve set of unique packages to update
 	apkComparer := VersionComparer{isValidAPKVersion, isLessThanAPKVersion}
 	updates, err := GetUniqueLatestUpdates(manifest.Updates, apkComparer, ignoreErrors)
diff --git a/pkg/pkgmgr/dpkg.go b/pkg/pkgmgr/dpkg.go
index 3287ba80..c30b35ff 100644
--- a/pkg/pkgmgr/dpkg.go
+++ b/pkg/pkgmgr/dpkg.go
@@ -72,7 +72,11 @@ func isLessThanDebianVersion(v1, v2 string) bool {
 }
 
 // Map the target image OSType & OSVersion to an appropriate tooling image.
-func getAPTImageName(manifest *types.UpdateManifest) string {
+func getAPTImageName(manifest *types.UpdateManifest, customToolingImage string) string {
+	if customToolingImage != "" {
+		return customToolingImage
+	}
+
 	version := manifest.OSVersion
 	if manifest.OSType == "debian" {
 		version = strings.Split(manifest.OSVersion, ".")[0] + "-slim"
@@ -98,7 +102,7 @@ func getDPKGStatusType(dir string) dpkgStatusType {
 	return out
 }
 
-func (dm *dpkgManager) InstallUpdates(ctx context.Context, manifest *types.UpdateManifest, ignoreErrors bool) (*llb.State, []string, error) {
+func (dm *dpkgManager) InstallUpdates(ctx context.Context, manifest *types.UpdateManifest, ignoreErrors bool, customToolingImage string) (*llb.State, []string, error) {
 	// Validate and extract unique updates listed in input manifest
 	debComparer := VersionComparer{isValidDebianVersion, isLessThanDebianVersion}
 	updates, err := GetUniqueLatestUpdates(manifest.Updates, debComparer, ignoreErrors)
@@ -111,7 +115,7 @@ func (dm *dpkgManager) InstallUpdates(ctx context.Context, manifest *types.Updat
 	}
 
 	// Probe for additional information to execute the appropriate update install graphs
-	toolImageName := getAPTImageName(manifest)
+	toolImageName := getAPTImageName(manifest, customToolingImage)
 	if err := dm.probeDPKGStatus(ctx, toolImageName); err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/pkgmgr/dpkg_test.go b/pkg/pkgmgr/dpkg_test.go
index 0798d6b4..4d6a15da 100644
--- a/pkg/pkgmgr/dpkg_test.go
+++ b/pkg/pkgmgr/dpkg_test.go
@@ -119,10 +119,16 @@ func TestGetAPTImageName(t *testing.T) {
 	// Run test cases
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			got := getAPTImageName(tc.manifest)
+			got := getAPTImageName(tc.manifest, "")
 			if got != tc.want {
 				t.Errorf("getAPTImageName() = %v, want %v", got, tc.want)
 			}
+
+			// Test with custom tooling image
+			got = getAPTImageName(tc.manifest, "docker.io/foo:bar")
+			if got != "docker.io/foo:bar" {
+				t.Errorf("getAPTImageName() = %v, want %v", got, "docker.io/foo:bar")
+			}
 		})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/pkgmgr/pkgmgr.go b/pkg/pkgmgr/pkgmgr.go
index a88c565d..73f42f1d 100644
--- a/pkg/pkgmgr/pkgmgr.go
+++ b/pkg/pkgmgr/pkgmgr.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 type PackageManager interface {
-	InstallUpdates(context.Context, *types.UpdateManifest, bool) (*llb.State, []string, error)
+	InstallUpdates(context.Context, *types.UpdateManifest, bool, string) (*llb.State, []string, error)
 	GetPackageType() string
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/pkgmgr/rpm.go b/pkg/pkgmgr/rpm.go
index f4d5287e..0ac71f4c 100644
--- a/pkg/pkgmgr/rpm.go
+++ b/pkg/pkgmgr/rpm.go
@@ -90,7 +90,11 @@ func isLessThanRPMVersion(v1, v2 string) bool {
 }
 
 // Map the target image OSType & OSVersion to an appropriate tooling image.
-func getRPMImageName(manifest *types.UpdateManifest) string {
+func getRPMImageName(manifest *types.UpdateManifest, customToolingImage string) string {
+	if customToolingImage != "" {
+		return customToolingImage
+	}
+
 	// Standardize on mariner as tooling image base as redhat/ubi does not provide
 	// static busybox binary
 	image := "mcr.microsoft.com/cbl-mariner/base/core"
@@ -159,7 +163,7 @@ func getRPMDBType(dir string) rpmDBType {
 	return out
 }
 
-func (rm *rpmManager) InstallUpdates(ctx context.Context, manifest *types.UpdateManifest, ignoreErrors bool) (*llb.State, []string, error) {
+func (rm *rpmManager) InstallUpdates(ctx context.Context, manifest *types.UpdateManifest, ignoreErrors bool, customToolingImage string) (*llb.State, []string, error) {
 	// Resolve set of unique packages to update
 	rpmComparer := VersionComparer{isValidRPMVersion, isLessThanRPMVersion}
 	updates, err := GetUniqueLatestUpdates(manifest.Updates, rpmComparer, ignoreErrors)
@@ -173,7 +177,7 @@ func (rm *rpmManager) InstallUpdates(ctx context.Context, manifest *types.Update
 	log.Debugf("latest unique RPMs: %v", updates)
 
 	// Probe RPM status for available tooling on the target image
-	toolImageName := getRPMImageName(manifest)
+	toolImageName := getRPMImageName(manifest, customToolingImage)
 	if err := rm.probeRPMStatus(ctx, toolImageName); err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/pkgmgr/rpm_test.go b/pkg/pkgmgr/rpm_test.go
index eb83cf64..bee89afe 100644
--- a/pkg/pkgmgr/rpm_test.go
+++ b/pkg/pkgmgr/rpm_test.go
@@ -133,10 +133,12 @@ func TestGetRPMImageName(t *testing.T) {
 	// Loop over test cases and run getRPMImageName function with each input manifest
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
 		t.Run(tc.image, func(t *testing.T) {
-			image := getRPMImageName(tc.manifest)
-
-			// Use testify package to assert that the output image name matches the expected one
+			image := getRPMImageName(tc.manifest, "")
 			assert.Equal(t, tc.image, image)
+
+			// Test with custom tooling image
+			image = getRPMImageName(tc.manifest, "docker.io/foo:bar")
+			assert.Equal(t, "docker.io/foo:bar", image)
 		})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/website/docs/faq.md b/website/docs/faq.md
index 479c4ddb..0f8f431f 100644
--- a/website/docs/faq.md
+++ b/website/docs/faq.md
@@ -3,4 +3,18 @@ title: FAQ
 ---
 
 ## What kind of vulnerabilities can Copa patch?
-Copa is capable of patching "OS level" vulnerabilities. This includes packages (like `openssl`) in the image that are managed by a package manager such as `apt` or `yum`. Copa is not currently capable of patching vulnerabilities at the "application level" such as Python packages or Go modules.
\ No newline at end of file
+Copa is capable of patching "OS level" vulnerabilities. This includes packages (like `openssl`) in the image that are managed by a package manager such as `apt` or `yum`. Copa is not currently capable of patching vulnerabilities at the "application level" such as Python packages or Go modules.
+
+## Can I replace the package repositories in the image with my own?
+
+:::caution
+
+Experimental: This feature might change without preserving backwards compatibility.
+
+:::
+
+Copa does not support replacing the repositories in the package managers with alternatives. Images must already use the intended package repositories. For example, for debian, updating `/etc/apt/sources.list` from `http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/` to a mirror, such as `https://mirrors.wikimedia.org/ubuntu/`. If you need the tooling image to use a different package repository, you can create a custom tooling image with the desired package repository and specify it using `--custom-tooling-image` flag.
+
+```shell
+copa patch --image docker.io/myorg/image:tag --custom-tooling-image docker.io/myorg/tooling-base:tag ...
+```