diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1142279..c957702 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ Status: Available for use
 ## [Unreleased]
 
 ### Breaking Changes
+- Interpret floki.yaml as a template using tera.  Among other function, this allows use of environmental variables in floki config.
 
 ### Added
 
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 656b620..0ba0c28 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ shlex = "1.1"
 sha2 = "0.10.7"
 anyhow = "1.0.71"
 thiserror = "1.0.40"
+tera = "1"
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 tempfile = "3.6.0"
diff --git a/docs/content/intro/feature-overview.md b/docs/content/intro/feature-overview.md
index 4f5779d..98bfa53 100644
--- a/docs/content/intro/feature-overview.md
+++ b/docs/content/intro/feature-overview.md
@@ -222,3 +222,12 @@ Note that use of `docker_switches` may reduce the reproducibility and shareabili
 
 Nonetheless, it is useful to be able to add arbitrary switches in a pinch, just to be able to get something working.
 If there are things you can add with `docker_switches` which are reproducible and shareable, please raise a feature request, or go ahead and implement it yourself!
+
+# Templating
+
+`floki` supports templating using the [Tera engine](https://tera.netlify.app/).  Currently this is executed as a one-shot rendering of your `floki.yaml`.  Example uses include referencing environmental variables in the `floki` config, e.g. to mount a subdirectory of the user's home directory:
+```yaml
+docker_switches:
+  - -v {{ get_env(name='HOME') }}/.vim:/home/build/.vim
+```
+Note that extensive use may reduce the reproducibility and shareability of your `floki.yaml`
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 9aad666..58a7330 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@ use crate::errors;
 use crate::image;
 use anyhow::Error;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+use tera::{Context, Tera};
 
 use std::collections::BTreeMap;
-use std::fs::File;
+use std::fs::read_to_string;
 use std::path;
 
 #[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
@@ -98,14 +99,28 @@ pub(crate) struct FlokiConfig {
 
 impl FlokiConfig {
     pub fn from_file(file: &path::Path) -> Result<FlokiConfig, Error> {
-        debug!("Reading configuration file: {:?}", file);
+        debug!("Reading configuration file: {}", file.display());
 
-        let f = File::open(file).map_err(|e| errors::FlokiError::ProblemOpeningConfigYaml {
-            name: file.display().to_string(),
-            error: e,
+        let contents =
+            read_to_string(file).map_err(|e| errors::FlokiError::ProblemReadingConfigFile {
+                name: file.display().to_string(),
+                error: e,
+            })?;
+
+        let contents = Tera::one_off(&contents, &Context::new(), false).map_err(|e| {
+            errors::FlokiError::ProblemRenderingConfig {
+                name: file.display().to_string(),
+                error: e,
+            }
         })?;
 
-        let mut config: FlokiConfig = serde_yaml::from_reader(f).map_err(|e| {
+        debug!(
+            "Rendered '{}' into text configuration:\n{}",
+            file.display(),
+            contents
+        );
+
+        let mut config: FlokiConfig = serde_yaml::from_str(&contents).map_err(|e| {
             errors::FlokiError::ProblemParsingConfigYaml {
                 name: file.display().to_string(),
                 error: e,
@@ -160,6 +175,30 @@ fn default_entrypoint() -> Entrypoint {
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
     use super::*;
+    use image::Image;
+
+    #[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+    struct TestImageConfig {
+        image: Image,
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_user_env_config() {
+        std::env::set_var("image", "a_local_user_variable");
+
+        let expected = TestImageConfig {
+            image: Image::Name("prefix_a_local_user_variable:1.1".into()),
+        };
+
+        let content = Tera::one_off(
+            "image: \"prefix_{{ get_env(name='image') }}:1.1\"",
+            &Context::new(),
+            false,
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        let actual: TestImageConfig = serde_yaml::from_str(&content).unwrap();
+        assert!(actual == expected);
+    }
 
     #[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
     struct TestShellConfig {
diff --git a/src/errors.rs b/src/errors.rs
index 9d2e4f1..7fb529f 100644
--- a/src/errors.rs
+++ b/src/errors.rs
@@ -19,8 +19,13 @@ pub enum FlokiError {
     #[error("Could not normalize the file path '{name}': {error:?}")]
     ProblemNormalizingFilePath { name: String, error: io::Error },
 
-    #[error("There was a problem opening the configuration file '{name}': {error:?}")]
-    ProblemOpeningConfigYaml { name: String, error: io::Error },
+    #[error("There was a problem reading the configuration file '{name}': {error:?}")]
+    ProblemReadingConfigFile { name: String, error: io::Error },
+
+    #[error(
+        "There was a problem rendering configuration from the template file '{name}': {error:?}"
+    )]
+    ProblemRenderingConfig { name: String, error: tera::Error },
 
     #[error("There was a problem parsing the configuration file '{name}': {error:?}")]
     ProblemParsingConfigYaml {