diff --git a/truss/base/truss_config.py b/truss/base/truss_config.py
index 32cc826de..cea0dbc61 100644
--- a/truss/base/truss_config.py
+++ b/truss/base/truss_config.py
@@ -541,11 +541,19 @@ def _validate_path(cls, v: str) -> str:
 
 
 class DockerServer(custom_types.ConfigModel):
-    start_command: str
+    start_command: Optional[str] = None
     server_port: int
     predict_endpoint: str
     readiness_endpoint: str
     liveness_endpoint: str
+    run_as_user_id: Optional[int] = None
+    as_is: Optional[bool] = None
+
+    @pydantic.model_validator(mode="after")
+    def _validate_start_command(self) -> "DockerServer":
+        if not self.as_is and self.start_command is None:
+            raise ValueError("start_command is required when as_is is not true")
+        return self
 
 
 class TrainingArtifactReference(custom_types.ConfigModel):
diff --git a/truss/contexts/image_builder/serving_image_builder.py b/truss/contexts/image_builder/serving_image_builder.py
index 8e7fad9db..fa2eb12b7 100644
--- a/truss/contexts/image_builder/serving_image_builder.py
+++ b/truss/contexts/image_builder/serving_image_builder.py
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ def prepare_image_build_dir(
                 else:
                     self.prepare_trtllm_decoder_build_dir(build_dir=build_dir)
 
-        if config.docker_server is not None:
+        if config.docker_server is not None and config.docker_server.as_is is not True:
             self._copy_into_build_dir(
                 TEMPLATES_DIR / "docker_server_requirements.txt",
                 build_dir,
@@ -750,6 +750,21 @@ def _render_dockerfile(
         build_commands: List[str],
     ):
         config = self._spec.config
+        ff_as_is = os.getenv("BT_AS_IS_DEPLOYMENT", False)
+        # Escape hatch for as-is deployments
+        if ff_as_is and config.docker_server and config.docker_server.as_is:
+            dockerfile_contents = f"FROM {config.base_image.image}"
+            # Add COPY for bptr-manifest if model_cache v2 is enabled
+            if config.model_cache and config.model_cache.is_v2:
+                if config.docker_server and config.docker_server.run_as_user_id:
+                    user_id = config.docker_server.run_as_user_id
+                else:
+                    user_id = 60000
+                dockerfile_contents += f"\nCOPY --chown={user_id}:{user_id} ./bptr-manifest /static-bptr/static-bptr-manifest.json"
+            docker_file_path = build_dir / MODEL_DOCKERFILE_NAME
+            docker_file_path.write_text(dockerfile_contents)
+            return
+
         data_dir = build_dir / config.data_dir
         model_dir = build_dir / config.model_module_dir
         bundled_packages_dir = build_dir / config.bundled_packages_dir