diff --git a/docker/base/Dockerfile.j2 b/docker/base/Dockerfile.j2
index 30a3150f07..2e575df82e 100644
--- a/docker/base/Dockerfile.j2
+++ b/docker/base/Dockerfile.j2
@@ -366,7 +366,8 @@ COPY curlrc /root/.curlrc
 {% if base_arch == 'x86_64' %}
 
 RUN curl -sSL https://github.com/Yelp/dumb-init/releases/download/v1.1.3/dumb-init_1.1.3_amd64 -o /usr/local/bin/dumb-init \
-    && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/dumb-init
+    && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/dumb-init \
+    && sed -i 's|#!|#!/usr/local/bin/dumb-init |' /usr/local/bin/kolla_start
 
 {% else %}
 
@@ -376,7 +377,8 @@ RUN curl https://bootstrap.pypa.io/get-pip.py -o get-pip.py \
     && python get-pip.py \
     && rm get-pip.py \
     && pip --no-cache-dir install  --prefix='/usr/local' dumb-init==1.1.3 \
-    && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/dumb-init
+    && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/dumb-init \
+    && sed -i 's|#!|#!/usr/local/bin/dumb-init |' /usr/local/bin/kolla_start
 
 {% endif %}
 {% endblock %}
diff --git a/docker/base/start.sh b/docker/base/start.sh
index 3ca6291fc7..2612912686 100644
--- a/docker/base/start.sh
+++ b/docker/base/start.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/local/bin/dumb-init /bin/bash
+#!/bin/bash
 set -o errexit
 
 # Wait for the log socket
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/make_init_system_configurable-0ee16808b6e90954.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/make_init_system_configurable-0ee16808b6e90954.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6eb819dfbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/make_init_system_configurable-0ee16808b6e90954.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+features:
+  - Make containers init system configurable. This is particularly useful with
+    docker 1.13 that comes with its own minimal init and would result in double
+    init system with used with the `--init` command line argument.
+upgrade:
+  - The operator now needs to customize the shebang as part of the minimal init
+    install.