diff --git a/cmd/kind/create/cluster/createcluster.go b/cmd/kind/create/cluster/createcluster.go
index d3d3cd999f..16407a5951 100644
--- a/cmd/kind/create/cluster/createcluster.go
+++ b/cmd/kind/create/cluster/createcluster.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ type flagpole struct {
 	Name      string
 	Config    string
 	ImageName string
+	CNI       string
 	Retain    bool
 	IPv6      bool
 	Wait      time.Duration
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ func NewCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&flags.Name, "name", cluster.DefaultName, "cluster context name")
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&flags.Config, "config", "", "path to a kind config file")
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&flags.ImageName, "image", "", "node docker image to use for booting the cluster")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&flags.CNI, "cni", "", "URL with the CNI installation manifest")
 	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&flags.Retain, "retain", false, "retain nodes for debugging when cluster creation fails")
 	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&flags.IPv6, "ipv6", false, "creates an IPv6 cluster")
 	cmd.Flags().DurationVar(&flags.Wait, "wait", time.Duration(0), "Wait for control plane node to be ready (default 0s)")
@@ -109,6 +111,7 @@ func runE(flags *flagpole, cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		create.Retain(flags.Retain),
 		create.WaitForReady(flags.Wait),
 		create.IPv6(flags.IPv6),
+		create.CNI(flags.CNI),
 	); err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to create cluster")
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/create/cluster.go b/pkg/cluster/create/cluster.go
index 74ce26580d..af66f812d7 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/create/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/create/cluster.go
@@ -48,3 +48,11 @@ func IPv6(ipv6 bool) ClusterOption {
 		return o
 	}
 }
+
+// CNI install a different CNI plugins using the manifest provided
+func CNI(cni string) ClusterOption {
+	return func(o *internalcreate.Options) *internalcreate.Options {
+		o.CNI = cni
+		return o
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/internal/create/create.go b/pkg/cluster/internal/create/create.go
index cf323b5326..bae6dcefe2 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/internal/create/create.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/internal/create/create.go
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ type Options struct {
 	Retain       bool
 	WaitForReady time.Duration
 	IPv6         bool
+	CNI          string
 }
 
 // Cluster creates a cluster
@@ -85,6 +86,8 @@ func Cluster(c *context.Context, cfg *config.Config, opts *Options) error {
 		cc.IPv6 = true
 	}
 
+	cc.CNI = opts.CNI
+
 	// attempt to explicitly pull the required node images if they doesn't exist locally
 	// we don't care if this errors, we'll still try to run which also pulls
 	cc.EnsureNodeImages()
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/internal/create/createcontext.go b/pkg/cluster/internal/create/createcontext.go
index 612c285991..f30570ddad 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/internal/create/createcontext.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/internal/create/createcontext.go
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ type Context struct {
 	*DerivedConfig
 	Retain      bool         // if we should retain nodes after failing to create.
 	IPv6        bool         // use IPv6 to configure the cluster.
+	CNI         string       // install a different CNI plugin
 	ExecOptions []ExecOption // options to be forwarded to the exec command.
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/internal/create/kubeadm-init.go b/pkg/cluster/internal/create/kubeadm-init.go
index b190ab92d1..d1d54a8a95 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/internal/create/kubeadm-init.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/internal/create/kubeadm-init.go
@@ -105,25 +105,39 @@ func runKubeadmInit(ec *execContext, configNode *NodeReplica) error {
 	// install the CNI network plugin
 	// TODO(bentheelder): support other overlay networks
 	// first probe for a pre-installed manifest
-	haveDefaultCNIManifest := true
-	if err := node.Command("test", "-f", "/kind/manifests/default-cni.yaml").Run(); err != nil {
-		haveDefaultCNIManifest = false
-	}
-	if haveDefaultCNIManifest {
-		// we found the default manifest, install that
-		// the images should already be loaded along with kubernetes
-		if err := node.Command(
-			"kubectl", "create", "--kubeconfig=/etc/kubernetes/admin.conf",
-			"-f", "/kind/manifests/default-cni.yaml",
-		).Run(); err != nil {
-			return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to apply overlay network")
+	log.Debug("CNI option ", ec.Context.CNI, "\n")
+	if ec.Context.CNI == "" {
+		haveDefaultCNIManifest := true
+		if err := node.Command("test", "-f", "/kind/manifests/default-cni.yaml").Run(); err != nil {
+			haveDefaultCNIManifest = false
+		}
+
+		if haveDefaultCNIManifest {
+			// we found the default manifest, install that
+			// the images should already be loaded along with kubernetes
+			if err := node.Command(
+				"kubectl", "create", "--kubeconfig=/etc/kubernetes/admin.conf",
+				"-f", "/kind/manifests/default-cni.yaml",
+			).Run(); err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to apply overlay network")
+			}
+		} else {
+			// fallback to our old pattern of installing weave using their recommended method
+			if err := node.Command(
+				"/bin/sh", "-c",
+				`kubectl apply --kubeconfig=/etc/kubernetes/admin.conf -f "https://cloud.weave.works/k8s/net?k8s-version=$(kubectl version --kubeconfig=/etc/kubernetes/admin.conf | base64 | tr -d '\n')"`,
+			).Run(); err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to apply overlay network")
+			}
 		}
 	} else {
-		// fallback to our old pattern of installing weave using their recommended method
-		if err := node.Command(
-			"/bin/sh", "-c",
-			`kubectl apply --kubeconfig=/etc/kubernetes/admin.conf -f "https://cloud.weave.works/k8s/net?k8s-version=$(kubectl version --kubeconfig=/etc/kubernetes/admin.conf | base64 | tr -d '\n')"`,
-		).Run(); err != nil {
+		cmd := node.Command(
+			"kubectl", "--kubeconfig=/etc/kubernetes/admin.conf",
+			"apply", "-f", ec.Context.CNI,
+		)
+		lines, err := exec.CombinedOutputLines(cmd)
+		log.Debug(strings.Join(lines, "\n"))
+		if err != nil {
 			return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to apply overlay network")
 		}
 	}