diff --git a/config/config.sample.toml b/config/config.sample.toml
index b21014d..fd07232 100644
--- a/config/config.sample.toml
+++ b/config/config.sample.toml
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ image_registry = "mattermost"
 #
 # The Persistent Volume Claim name to use to store data produced by jobs (e.g. recording files).
 #persistent_volume_claim_name = "my-pvc"
+#
+# A comma separated list of Sysctls to apply on the node through priviledged init container before starting jobs.
+# For example, enabling the `kernel.unprivileged_userns_clone` at node level was necessary
+# on Debian based systems (pre kernel 5.10) in order to run Chromium sandbox.
+#node_sysctls = "kernel.unprivileged_userns_clone=1"
 
 [logger]
 # A boolean controlling whether to log to the console.
diff --git a/service/kubernetes/service.go b/service/kubernetes/service.go
index 8629999..b0c9ed7 100644
--- a/service/kubernetes/service.go
+++ b/service/kubernetes/service.go
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ type JobServiceConfig struct {
 	ImageRegistry             string
 	JobsResourceRequirements  JobsResourceRequirements `toml:"jobs_resource_requirements"`
 	PersistentVolumeClaimName string                   `toml:"persistent_volume_claim_name"`
+	NodeSysctls               string                   `toml:"node_sysctls"`
 }
 
 func (c JobServiceConfig) IsValid() error {
@@ -153,30 +154,12 @@ func (s *JobService) CreateJob(cfg job.Config, onStopCb job.StopCb) (job.Job, er
 	var jobID string
 	var jobPrefix string
 	var env []corev1.EnvVar
-	var initContainers []corev1.Container
 	switch cfg.Type {
 	case job.TypeRecording:
 		cfg.InputData.SetSiteURL(getSiteURLForJob(cfg.InputData.GetSiteURL()))
 		jobPrefix = job.RecordingJobPrefix
 		jobID = jobPrefix + "-job-" + random.NewID()
 		env = append(env, getEnvFromJobInputData(cfg.InputData)...)
-		initContainers = []corev1.Container{
-			{
-				Name:            jobID + "-init",
-				Image:           k8sInitContainerImage,
-				ImagePullPolicy: corev1.PullIfNotPresent,
-				Command: []string{
-					// Enabling the `kernel.unprivileged_userns_clone` sysctl at node level is necessary in order to run Chromium sandbox.
-					// See https://developer.chrome.com/docs/puppeteer/troubleshooting/#recommended-enable-user-namespace-cloning for details.
-					"sysctl",
-					"-w",
-					"kernel.unprivileged_userns_clone=1",
-				},
-				SecurityContext: &corev1.SecurityContext{
-					Privileged: newBool(true),
-				},
-			},
-		}
 	case job.TypeTranscribing:
 		cfg.InputData.SetSiteURL(getSiteURLForJob(cfg.InputData.GetSiteURL()))
 		jobPrefix = job.TranscribingJobPrefix
@@ -184,6 +167,15 @@ func (s *JobService) CreateJob(cfg job.Config, onStopCb job.StopCb) (job.Job, er
 		env = append(env, getEnvFromJobInputData(cfg.InputData)...)
 	}
 
+	var initContainers []corev1.Container
+	if s.cfg.NodeSysctls != "" {
+		s.log.Info("generating init containers", mlog.String("sysctls", s.cfg.NodeSysctls))
+		initContainers, err = genInitContainers(jobID, k8sInitContainerImage, s.cfg.NodeSysctls)
+		if err != nil {
+			return job.Job{}, fmt.Errorf("failed to generate init containers: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+
 	var hostNetwork bool
 	if devMode {
 		s.log.Info("DEV_MODE enabled, enabling host networking", mlog.String("hostIP", os.Getenv("HOST_IP")))
diff --git a/service/kubernetes/utils.go b/service/kubernetes/utils.go
index 2b30c34..de0c23f 100644
--- a/service/kubernetes/utils.go
+++ b/service/kubernetes/utils.go
@@ -114,3 +114,37 @@ func getSiteURLForJob(siteURL string) string {
 
 	return siteURL
 }
+
+func genInitContainers(jobID, image, sysctls string) ([]corev1.Container, error) {
+	if jobID == "" {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid empty jobID")
+	}
+
+	if image == "" {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid empty image")
+	}
+
+	if sysctls == "" {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid empty sysctls")
+	}
+
+	ctls := strings.Split(sysctls, ",")
+	cnts := make([]corev1.Container, len(ctls))
+	for i, ctl := range ctls {
+		cnts[i] = corev1.Container{
+			Name:            fmt.Sprintf("%s-init-%d", jobID, i),
+			Image:           image,
+			ImagePullPolicy: corev1.PullIfNotPresent,
+			Command: []string{
+				"sysctl",
+				"-w",
+				ctl,
+			},
+			SecurityContext: &corev1.SecurityContext{
+				Privileged: newBool(true),
+			},
+		}
+	}
+
+	return cnts, nil
+}
diff --git a/service/kubernetes/utils_test.go b/service/kubernetes/utils_test.go
index cbdfb16..319e04b 100644
--- a/service/kubernetes/utils_test.go
+++ b/service/kubernetes/utils_test.go
@@ -171,3 +171,95 @@ func TestGetJobPodTolerations(t *testing.T) {
 		require.EqualError(t, err, "failed to open file invalid: open invalid: no such file or directory")
 	})
 }
+
+func TestGenInitContainers(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		name    string
+		jobID   string
+		image   string
+		sysctls string
+		err     string
+		cnts    []corev1.Container
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "empty jobID",
+			err:  "invalid empty jobID",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "empty image",
+			jobID: "jobID",
+			err:   "invalid empty image",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "empty sysctls",
+			jobID: "jobID",
+			image: "image",
+			err:   "invalid empty sysctls",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "single sysctl",
+			jobID:   "jobID",
+			image:   "image",
+			sysctls: "kernel.unprivileged_userns_clone=1",
+			cnts: []corev1.Container{
+				{
+					Name:            "jobID-init-0",
+					Image:           "image",
+					ImagePullPolicy: corev1.PullIfNotPresent,
+					Command: []string{
+						"sysctl",
+						"-w",
+						"kernel.unprivileged_userns_clone=1",
+					},
+					SecurityContext: &corev1.SecurityContext{
+						Privileged: newBool(true),
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "multiple sysctls",
+			jobID:   "jobID",
+			image:   "image",
+			sysctls: "kernel.unprivileged_userns_clone=1,user.max_user_namespaces=4545",
+			cnts: []corev1.Container{
+				{
+					Name:            "jobID-init-0",
+					Image:           "image",
+					ImagePullPolicy: corev1.PullIfNotPresent,
+					Command: []string{
+						"sysctl",
+						"-w",
+						"kernel.unprivileged_userns_clone=1",
+					},
+					SecurityContext: &corev1.SecurityContext{
+						Privileged: newBool(true),
+					},
+				},
+				{
+					Name:            "jobID-init-1",
+					Image:           "image",
+					ImagePullPolicy: corev1.PullIfNotPresent,
+					Command: []string{
+						"sysctl",
+						"-w",
+						"user.max_user_namespaces=4545",
+					},
+					SecurityContext: &corev1.SecurityContext{
+						Privileged: newBool(true),
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			cnts, err := genInitContainers(tc.jobID, tc.image, tc.sysctls)
+			if tc.err != "" {
+				require.Empty(t, cnts)
+				require.EqualError(t, err, tc.err)
+			} else {
+				require.Equal(t, tc.cnts, cnts)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}