diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/pipelines/README.md b/packages/@aws-cdk/pipelines/README.md
index b575fcd00732d..238fa51dbc710 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/pipelines/README.md
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/pipelines/README.md
@@ -362,7 +362,8 @@ stage.addActions(new ShellScriptAction({
   vpc,
   // Optionally specify SecurityGroups
   securityGroups,
-  // ... more configuration ...
+  // Optionally specify a BuildEnvironment
+  environment,
 }));
 ```
 
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/pipelines/lib/validation/shell-script-action.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/pipelines/lib/validation/shell-script-action.ts
index 4fb610688e9a4..1b439fe309c7e 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/pipelines/lib/validation/shell-script-action.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/pipelines/lib/validation/shell-script-action.ts
@@ -54,6 +54,13 @@ export interface ShellScriptActionProps {
    */
   readonly additionalArtifacts?: codepipeline.Artifact[];
 
+  /**
+   * The CodeBuild environment where scripts are executed.
+   *
+   * @default LinuxBuildImage.STANDARD_4_0
+   */
+  readonly environment?: codebuild.BuildEnvironment
+
   /**
    * RunOrder for this action
    *
@@ -177,7 +184,7 @@ export class ShellScriptAction implements codepipeline.IAction, iam.IGrantable {
     }
 
     this._project = new codebuild.PipelineProject(scope, 'Project', {
-      environment: { buildImage: codebuild.LinuxBuildImage.STANDARD_4_0 },
+      environment: this.props.environment || { buildImage: codebuild.LinuxBuildImage.STANDARD_4_0 },
       vpc: this.props.vpc,
       securityGroups: this.props.securityGroups,
       subnetSelection: this.props.subnetSelection,
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/pipelines/test/validation.test.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/pipelines/test/validation.test.ts
index 9986aad4d2758..4f1cffbef61ec 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/pipelines/test/validation.test.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/pipelines/test/validation.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { anything, arrayWith, deepObjectLike, encodedJson } from '@aws-cdk/assert';
 import '@aws-cdk/assert/jest';
+import * as codebuild from '@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild';
 import * as codepipeline from '@aws-cdk/aws-codepipeline';
 import * as ec2 from '@aws-cdk/aws-ec2';
 import * as iam from '@aws-cdk/aws-iam';
@@ -330,6 +331,64 @@ test('run ShellScriptAction with Security Group', () => {
   });
 });
 
+test('run ShellScriptAction with specified codebuild image', () => {
+  // WHEN
+  pipeline.addStage('Test').addActions(new cdkp.ShellScriptAction({
+    actionName: 'imageAction',
+    additionalArtifacts: [integTestArtifact],
+    commands: ['true'],
+    environment: { buildImage: codebuild.LinuxBuildImage.STANDARD_2_0 },
+  }));
+
+  // THEN
+  expect(pipelineStack).toHaveResourceLike('AWS::CodePipeline::Pipeline', {
+    Stages: arrayWith({
+      Name: 'Test',
+      Actions: [
+        deepObjectLike({
+          Name: 'imageAction',
+        }),
+      ],
+    }),
+  });
+  expect(pipelineStack).toHaveResourceLike('AWS::CodeBuild::Project', {
+    Environment: {
+      Image: 'aws/codebuild/standard:2.0',
+    },
+  });
+});
+
+test('run ShellScriptAction with specified BuildEnvironment', () => {
+  // WHEN
+  pipeline.addStage('Test').addActions(new cdkp.ShellScriptAction({
+    actionName: 'imageAction',
+    additionalArtifacts: [integTestArtifact],
+    commands: ['true'],
+    environment: {
+      buildImage: codebuild.LinuxBuildImage.STANDARD_2_0,
+      computeType: codebuild.ComputeType.LARGE,
+      environmentVariables: { FOO: { value: 'BAR', type: codebuild.BuildEnvironmentVariableType.PLAINTEXT } },
+      privileged: true,
+    },
+  }));
+
+  // THEN
+  expect(pipelineStack).toHaveResourceLike('AWS::CodeBuild::Project', {
+    Environment: {
+      Image: 'aws/codebuild/standard:2.0',
+      PrivilegedMode: true,
+      ComputeType: 'BUILD_GENERAL1_LARGE',
+      EnvironmentVariables: [
+        {
+          Type: 'PLAINTEXT',
+          Value: 'BAR',
+          Name: 'FOO',
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+  });
+});
+
 class AppWithStackOutput extends Stage {
   public readonly output: CfnOutput;