diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 39eedcf6ce..50230412f3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ The table below shows the currently provided operating systems for each provider
 | Amazon Linux 2023 | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
 | Azure Linux 3     | ❌ | 💙 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
 | CentOS 9          | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
-| Flatcar           | ✅ | 💙 | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | 💙 | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
+| Flatcar           | ✅ | 💙 | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | 💙 | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
 | Oracle Linux 9    | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
 | Photon 4          | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
 | Photon 5          | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | 💙 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
diff --git a/docs/book/src/capi/providers/vultr.md b/docs/book/src/capi/providers/vultr.md
index f78254202d..41fbc3ee14 100644
--- a/docs/book/src/capi/providers/vultr.md
+++ b/docs/book/src/capi/providers/vultr.md
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ for the different operating systems.
 
 | File | Description |
 |------|-------------|
+| `flatcar-stable.json` | The settings for the Flatcar Stable image |
 | `ubuntu-2204.json` | The settings for the Ubuntu 22.04 image |
 | `ubuntu-2404.json` | The settings for the Ubuntu 24.04 image |
 | `ubuntu-2604.json` | The settings for the Ubuntu 26.04 image |
diff --git a/images/capi/Makefile b/images/capi/Makefile
index 52f459a556..1399b39db6 100644
--- a/images/capi/Makefile
+++ b/images/capi/Makefile
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ deps-lint: deps-common
 .PHONY: deps-vultr
 deps-vultr: ## Installs/checks dependencies for Vultr builds
 deps-vultr: deps-common
+	hack/ensure-jq.sh
 	$(PACKER) init packer/config.pkr.hcl
 	$(PACKER) init packer/vultr/config.pkr.hcl
 
@@ -412,7 +413,7 @@ HCLOUD_BUILD_NAMES ?= hcloud-ubuntu-2204 hcloud-ubuntu-2404 hcloud-ubuntu-2604 h
 
 PROXMOX_BUILD_NAMES 		?= proxmox-ubuntu-2204 proxmox-ubuntu-2404 proxmox-ubuntu-2404-efi proxmox-ubuntu-2604 proxmox-ubuntu-2604-efi proxmox-rockylinux-9 proxmox-flatcar
 
-VULTR_BUILD_NAMES 				?=	vultr-ubuntu-2204 vultr-ubuntu-2404 vultr-ubuntu-2604
+VULTR_BUILD_NAMES 				?=	vultr-ubuntu-2204 vultr-ubuntu-2404 vultr-ubuntu-2604 vultr-flatcar-stable
 
 MAAS_BUILD_NAMES         ?= maas-ubuntu-2204-efi maas-ubuntu-2404-efi maas-ubuntu-2604-efi
 MAAS_ARM64_BUILD_NAMES   ?= maas-ubuntu-2204-arm64 maas-ubuntu-2404-arm64
@@ -662,7 +663,22 @@ $(PROXMOX_VALIDATE_TARGETS): deps-proxmox set-ssh-password
 
 .PHONY: $(VULTR_BUILD_TARGETS)
 $(VULTR_BUILD_TARGETS): deps-vultr
-	$(PACKER) build $(PACKER_NODE_FLAGS) -var-file="$(abspath packer/vultr/$(subst build-vultr-,,$@).json)" $(ABSOLUTE_PACKER_VAR_FILES) packer/vultr/packer.json
+	@set -eu; \
+	VULTR_VAR_FILE="$(abspath packer/vultr/$(subst build-vultr-,,$@).json)"; \
+	VULTR_USERDATA_FILE="$$(jq -r '.userdata_file // empty' "$${VULTR_VAR_FILE}")"; \
+	PACKER_USERDATA_ARGS=(); \
+	VULTR_USERDATA_BASE64=""; \
+	if [[ -n "$${VULTR_USERDATA_FILE}" ]]; then \
+		if [[ ! -f "$${VULTR_USERDATA_FILE}" ]]; then \
+			echo "Vultr userdata_file not found: $${VULTR_USERDATA_FILE}" >&2; \
+			exit 1; \
+		fi; \
+		jq -e . "$${VULTR_USERDATA_FILE}" >/dev/null; \
+		VULTR_USERDATA_BASE64="$$( { base64 -w0 || base64; } 2>/dev/null < "$${VULTR_USERDATA_FILE}" | tr -d '\n' )"; \
+		echo "Vultr userdata preprocess: file=$${VULTR_USERDATA_FILE} bytes=$$(wc -c < "$${VULTR_USERDATA_FILE}") b64_len=$${#VULTR_USERDATA_BASE64}" >&2; \
+		PACKER_USERDATA_ARGS=(-var "userdata_base64=$${VULTR_USERDATA_BASE64}"); \
+	fi; \
+	$(PACKER) build $(PACKER_NODE_FLAGS) -var-file="$${VULTR_VAR_FILE}" $(ABSOLUTE_PACKER_VAR_FILES) "$${PACKER_USERDATA_ARGS[@]}" packer/vultr/packer.json
 
 .PHONY: $(VULTR_VALIDATE_TARGETS)
 $(VULTR_VALIDATE_TARGETS): deps-vultr
@@ -904,6 +920,7 @@ build-proxmox-all: $(PROXMOX_BUILD_TARGETS) ## Builds all Proxmox images
 build-vultr-ubuntu-2204: ## Builds Ubuntu 22.04 Vultr Snapshot
 build-vultr-ubuntu-2404: ## Builds Ubuntu 24.04 Vultr Snapshot
 build-vultr-ubuntu-2604: ## Builds Ubuntu 26.04 Vultr Snapshot
+build-vultr-flatcar-stable: ## Builds Flatcar Stable Vultr Snapshot
 build-vultr-all: $(VULTR_BUILD_TARGETS) ## Builds all Vultr Snapshots
 
 build-scaleway-rockylinux-9: ## Builds Rocky Linux 9 Scaleway image
@@ -1066,6 +1083,7 @@ validate-proxmox-all: $(PROXMOX_VALIDATE_TARGETS) ## Validates all Proxmox Packe
 validate-vultr-ubuntu-2204: ## Validates Ubuntu 22.04 Vultr Snapshot Packer config
 validate-vultr-ubuntu-2404: ## Validates Ubuntu 24.04 Vultr Snapshot Packer config
 validate-vultr-ubuntu-2604: ## Validates Ubuntu 26.04 Vultr Snapshot Packer config
+validate-vultr-flatcar-stable: ## Validates Flatcar Stable Vultr Snapshot Packer config
 validate-vultr-all: $(VULTR_VALIDATE_TARGETS) ## Validates all Vultr Snapshot Packer config
 
 validate-scaleway-rockylinux-9: ## Validates Rocky Linux 9 Scaleway image Packer config
diff --git a/images/capi/packer/vultr/flatcar-stable.json b/images/capi/packer/vultr/flatcar-stable.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..13114c8e64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/images/capi/packer/vultr/flatcar-stable.json
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+{
+  "ansible_extra_vars": "ansible_python_interpreter=/opt/bin/python",
+  "ansible_user": "core",
+  "build_name": "flatcar-stable",
+  "kubernetes_cni_source_type": "http",
+  "kubernetes_source_type": "http",
+  "os": "2077",
+  "python_path": "/opt/bin/builder-env/site-packages",
+  "snapshot_name_suffix": "on Flatcar Stable",
+  "source_image": "flatcar-stable-x64",
+  "ssh_username": "core",
+  "systemd_prefix": "/etc/systemd",
+  "sysusr_prefix": "/opt",
+  "sysusrlocal_prefix": "/opt",
+  "userdata_file": "packer/files/flatcar/ignition/bootstrap-cloud.json"
+}
diff --git a/images/capi/packer/vultr/packer.json b/images/capi/packer/vultr/packer.json
index 294ce2f7b4..187ab84d12 100644
--- a/images/capi/packer/vultr/packer.json
+++ b/images/capi/packer/vultr/packer.json
@@ -6,12 +6,21 @@
       "plan_id": "{{ user `plan` }}",
       "region_id": "{{ user `region` }}",
       "snapshot_description": "Cluster API Kubernetes {{ user `kubernetes_semver` }} {{ user `snapshot_name_suffix` }}",
-      "ssh_username": "root",
+      "ssh_username": "{{user `ssh_username`}}",
       "tag": "cluster-api-{{ user `build_name` }}:{{ user `kubernetes_semver` | replace_all `.` `-` }}",
-      "type": "vultr"
+      "type": "vultr",
+      "userdata": "{{ user `userdata_base64` }}"
     }
   ],
   "provisioners": [
+    {
+      "environment_vars": [
+        "PYPY_HTTP_SOURCE={{user `pypy_http_source`}}"
+      ],
+      "execute_command": "BUILD_NAME={{user `build_name`}}; if [[ \"${BUILD_NAME}\" == *\"flatcar\"* ]]; then sudo {{.Vars}} -S -E bash '{{.Path}}'; fi",
+      "script": "./packer/files/flatcar/scripts/bootstrap-flatcar.sh",
+      "type": "shell"
+    },
     {
       "ansible_env_vars": [
         "ANSIBLE_SSH_ARGS='{{user `existing_ansible_ssh_args`}} {{user `ansible_common_ssh_args`}}'"
@@ -28,13 +37,14 @@
       ],
       "playbook_file": "./ansible/node.yml",
       "type": "ansible",
-      "user": "packer"
+      "user": "{{user `ansible_user`}}"
     }
   ],
   "variables": {
     "ansible_common_vars": "",
     "ansible_extra_vars": "",
     "ansible_scp_extra_args": "",
+    "ansible_user": "packer",
     "api_key": "{{env `VULTR_API_KEY`}}",
     "build_timestamp": "{{timestamp}}",
     "containerd_enable_limit_no_file": "false",
@@ -66,6 +76,9 @@
     "os": "{{ user `os` }}",
     "plan": "vc2-1c-1gb",
     "region": "ewr",
-    "runc_version": null
+    "runc_version": null,
+    "ssh_username": "root",
+    "userdata_base64": "",
+    "userdata_file": ""
   }
 }