diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 98e20b29..2d612551 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ fi
 #   - CATTLE_AGENT_BINARY_LOCAL_LOCATION (default: )
 #   - CATTLE_AGENT_UNINSTALL_LOCAL (default: false)
 #   - CATTLE_AGENT_UNINSTALL_LOCAL_LOCATION (default: )
+#   - CATTLE_AGENT_STRICT_VERIFY | STRICT_VERIFY (default: false)
 
 FALLBACK=v0.2.9
 CACERTS_PATH=cacerts
@@ -390,6 +391,14 @@ setup_env() {
         fi
     fi
 
+    if [ -z "${CATTLE_AGENT_STRICT_VERIFY}" ]; then
+      CATTLE_AGENT_STRICT_VERIFY=false
+      if [ -n "${STRICT_VERIFY}" ]; then
+        CATTLE_AGENT_STRICT_VERIFY=${STRICT_VERIFY}
+      fi
+      info "CA strict verification is set to ${CATTLE_AGENT_STRICT_VERIFY}"
+    fi
+
     if [ -z "${CATTLE_AGENT_CONFIG_DIR}" ]; then
         CATTLE_AGENT_CONFIG_DIR=/etc/rancher/agent
         info "Using default agent configuration directory ${CATTLE_AGENT_CONFIG_DIR}"
@@ -563,6 +572,7 @@ Restart=always
 RestartSec=5s
 Environment=CATTLE_LOGLEVEL=${CATTLE_AGENT_LOGLEVEL}
 Environment=CATTLE_AGENT_CONFIG=${CATTLE_AGENT_CONFIG_DIR}/config.yaml
+Environment=CATTLE_AGENT_STRICT_VERIFY=${CATTLE_AGENT_STRICT_VERIFY}
 ExecStart=${CATTLE_AGENT_BIN_PREFIX}/bin/rancher-system-agent sentinel
 EOF
 }
@@ -874,7 +884,10 @@ do_install() {
     touch ${CATTLE_AGENT_VAR_DIR}/interlock/restart-pending
     ensure_applyinator_not_active
 
-    if [ -n "${CATTLE_CA_CHECKSUM}" ]; then
+    if [ -z "${CATTLE_CA_CHECKSUM}" ] && [ $(echo "${CATTLE_AGENT_STRICT_VERIFY}" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]') = "true" ]; then
+      fatal "Aborting system-agent installation due to requested strict CA verification with no CA checksum provided"
+    fi
+    if [ -n "${CATTLE_CA_CHECKSUM}" && [ $(echo "${CATTLE_AGENT_STRICT_VERIFY}" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]') != "true" ]; then
         validate_ca_required
     fi
     validate_ca_checksum
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 48a080b7..7bea145b 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/mattn/go-colorable"
 	"github.com/rancher/system-agent/pkg/applyinator"
@@ -17,9 +18,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	cattleLogLevelEnv    = "CATTLE_LOGLEVEL"
-	cattleAgentConfigEnv = "CATTLE_AGENT_CONFIG"
-	defaultConfigFile    = "/etc/rancher/agent/config.yaml"
+	cattleLogLevelEnv          = "CATTLE_LOGLEVEL"
+	cattleAgentConfigEnv       = "CATTLE_AGENT_CONFIG"
+	cattleAgentStrictVerifyEnv = "CATTLE_AGENT_STRICT_VERIFY"
+	defaultConfigFile          = "/etc/rancher/agent/config.yaml"
 )
 
 func main() {
@@ -92,7 +94,12 @@ func run(c *cli.Context) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("unable to parse connection info file: %w", err)
 		}
 
-		k8splan.Watch(topContext, *applyinator, connInfo)
+		var strictVerify bool // When strictVerify is set to true, the kubeconfig validator will not discard CA data if it is invalid
+		if strings.ToLower(os.Getenv(cattleAgentStrictVerifyEnv)) == "true" {
+			strictVerify = true
+		}
+
+		k8splan.Watch(topContext, *applyinator, connInfo, strictVerify)
 	}
 
 	if cf.LocalEnabled {
diff --git a/pkg/k8splan/watcher.go b/pkg/k8splan/watcher.go
index 1f22b74f..cd86ee54 100644
--- a/pkg/k8splan/watcher.go
+++ b/pkg/k8splan/watcher.go
@@ -54,13 +54,13 @@ const (
 	cooldownTimerDuration    = "30s"
 )
 
-func Watch(ctx context.Context, applyinator applyinator.Applyinator, connInfo config.ConnectionInfo) {
+func Watch(ctx context.Context, applyinator applyinator.Applyinator, connInfo config.ConnectionInfo, strictVerify bool) {
 	w := &watcher{
 		connInfo:    connInfo,
 		applyinator: applyinator,
 	}
 
-	go w.start(ctx)
+	go w.start(ctx, strictVerify)
 }
 
 type watcher struct {
@@ -86,14 +86,18 @@ func incrementCount(count []byte) []byte {
 	return []byte("1")
 }
 
-func (w *watcher) start(ctx context.Context) {
+func (w *watcher) start(ctx context.Context, strictVerify bool) {
 	kc, err := clientcmd.RESTConfigFromKubeConfig([]byte(w.connInfo.KubeConfig))
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
+	if strictVerify && len(kc.CAData) == 0 {
+		logrus.Fatal("CA Data in provided kubeconfig was empty while strict verify was enabled. Aborting startup.")
+	}
+
 	if err := validateKC(ctx, kc); err != nil {
-		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "x509: certificate signed by unknown authority") && len(kc.CAData) != 0 {
+		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "x509: certificate signed by unknown authority") && len(kc.CAData) != 0 && !strictVerify {
 			logrus.Infof("Initial connection to Kubernetes cluster failed with error %v, removing CA data and trying again", err)
 			kc.CAData = nil // nullify the provided CA data
 			if err := validateKC(ctx, kc); err != nil {