diff --git a/.web-docs/components/builder/digitalocean/README.md b/.web-docs/components/builder/digitalocean/README.md
index 514c4ee..a0ee304 100644
--- a/.web-docs/components/builder/digitalocean/README.md
+++ b/.web-docs/components/builder/digitalocean/README.md
@@ -117,6 +117,9 @@ each category, the available configuration keys are alphabetized.
 - `ssh_key_id` (int) - The ID of an existing SSH key on the DigitalOcean account. This should be
   used in conjunction with `ssh_private_key_file`.
 
+- `skip_keygen` (bool) - Set to true if you are connecting as a non-root user whose public key is
+  already available on the base image.
+
 <!-- End of code generated from the comments of the Config struct in builder/digitalocean/config.go; -->
 
 
diff --git a/builder/digitalocean/builder.go b/builder/digitalocean/builder.go
index e2383ed..b420439 100644
--- a/builder/digitalocean/builder.go
+++ b/builder/digitalocean/builder.go
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Run(ctx context.Context, ui packersdk.Ui, hook packersdk.Hook)
 	state.Put("ui", ui)
 
 	// Only generate the temp key pair if one is not already provided
-	genTempKeyPair := b.config.SSHKeyID == 0 || b.config.Comm.SSHPrivateKeyFile == ""
+	genTempKeyPair := !b.config.SkipKeygen && (b.config.SSHKeyID == 0 || b.config.Comm.SSHPrivateKeyFile == "")
 
 	// Build the steps
 	steps := []multistep.Step{
diff --git a/builder/digitalocean/config.go b/builder/digitalocean/config.go
index 06813a1..dcdfd5d 100644
--- a/builder/digitalocean/config.go
+++ b/builder/digitalocean/config.go
@@ -114,6 +114,9 @@ type Config struct {
 	// The ID of an existing SSH key on the DigitalOcean account. This should be
 	// used in conjunction with `ssh_private_key_file`.
 	SSHKeyID int `mapstructure:"ssh_key_id" required:"false"`
+	// Set to true if you are connecting as a non-root user whose public key is
+	// already available on the base image.
+	SkipKeygen bool `mapstructure:"skip_keygen" required:"false"`
 
 	ctx interpolate.Context
 }
diff --git a/builder/digitalocean/config.hcl2spec.go b/builder/digitalocean/config.hcl2spec.go
index abb1871..a9add30 100644
--- a/builder/digitalocean/config.hcl2spec.go
+++ b/builder/digitalocean/config.hcl2spec.go
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ type FlatConfig struct {
 	VPCUUID                   *string           `mapstructure:"vpc_uuid" required:"false" cty:"vpc_uuid" hcl:"vpc_uuid"`
 	ConnectWithPrivateIP      *bool             `mapstructure:"connect_with_private_ip" required:"false" cty:"connect_with_private_ip" hcl:"connect_with_private_ip"`
 	SSHKeyID                  *int              `mapstructure:"ssh_key_id" required:"false" cty:"ssh_key_id" hcl:"ssh_key_id"`
+	SkipKeygen                *bool             `mapstructure:"skip_keygen" required:"false" cty:"skip_keygen" hcl:"skip_keygen"`
 }
 
 // FlatMapstructure returns a new FlatConfig.
@@ -188,6 +189,7 @@ func (*FlatConfig) HCL2Spec() map[string]hcldec.Spec {
 		"vpc_uuid":                     &hcldec.AttrSpec{Name: "vpc_uuid", Type: cty.String, Required: false},
 		"connect_with_private_ip":      &hcldec.AttrSpec{Name: "connect_with_private_ip", Type: cty.Bool, Required: false},
 		"ssh_key_id":                   &hcldec.AttrSpec{Name: "ssh_key_id", Type: cty.Number, Required: false},
+		"skip_keygen":                  &hcldec.AttrSpec{Name: "skip_keygen", Type: cty.Bool, Required: false},
 	}
 	return s
 }
diff --git a/docs-partials/builder/digitalocean/Config-not-required.mdx b/docs-partials/builder/digitalocean/Config-not-required.mdx
index db1195b..1728d0c 100644
--- a/docs-partials/builder/digitalocean/Config-not-required.mdx
+++ b/docs-partials/builder/digitalocean/Config-not-required.mdx
@@ -71,4 +71,7 @@
 - `ssh_key_id` (int) - The ID of an existing SSH key on the DigitalOcean account. This should be
   used in conjunction with `ssh_private_key_file`.
 
+- `skip_keygen` (bool) - Set to true if you are connecting as a non-root user whose public key is
+  already available on the base image.
+
 <!-- End of code generated from the comments of the Config struct in builder/digitalocean/config.go; -->