diff --git a/src/python/devcontainer-feature.json b/src/python/devcontainer-feature.json
index 7ebdad38a..247808ab0 100644
--- a/src/python/devcontainer-feature.json
+++ b/src/python/devcontainer-feature.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "id": "python",
-  "version": "1.3.1",
+  "version": "1.4.1",
   "name": "Python",
   "documentationURL": "https://github.com/devcontainers/features/tree/main/src/python",
   "description": "Installs the provided version of Python, as well as PIPX, and other common Python utilities.  JupyterLab is conditionally installed with the python feature. Note: May require source code compilation.",
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@
       "default": "os-provided",
       "description": "Select a Python version to install."
     },
+    "additionalVersions": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "default": "",
+      "description": "Enter additional Python versions, separated by commas. Use 'X.Y' or 'X.Y.Z' for a specific version"
+  },
     "installTools": {
       "type": "boolean",
       "default": true,
@@ -47,6 +52,11 @@
       "default": "",
       "description": "Configure JupyterLab to accept HTTP requests from the specified origin"
     },
+    "packages": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "default": "",
+      "description": "Optional comma separated list of Python packages to install with pip"
+    },
     "httpProxy": {
       "type": "string",
       "default": "",
diff --git a/src/python/install.sh b/src/python/install.sh
index e6eefd055..1366e8f37 100755
--- a/src/python/install.sh
+++ b/src/python/install.sh
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@ CONFIGURE_JUPYTERLAB_ALLOW_ORIGIN="${CONFIGUREJUPYTERLABALLOWORIGIN:-""}"
 # alongside PYTHON_VERSION, but not set as default.
 ADDITIONAL_VERSIONS="${ADDITIONALVERSIONS:-""}"
 
+# Comma-separated list of packages to be installed
+# to Python version specified in PYTHON_VERSION
+PYTHON_PACKAGES="${PACKAGES:-""}"
+
+# Import common utils
+. ./utils.sh
+
 DEFAULT_UTILS=("pylint" "flake8" "autopep8" "black" "yapf" "mypy" "pydocstyle" "pycodestyle" "bandit" "pipenv" "virtualenv" "pytest")
 PYTHON_SOURCE_GPG_KEYS="64E628F8D684696D B26995E310250568 2D347EA6AA65421D FB9921286F5E1540 3A5CA953F73C700D 04C367C218ADD4FF 0EDDC5F26A45C816 6AF053F07D9DC8D2 C9BE28DEE6DF025C 126EB563A74B06BF D9866941EA5BBD71 ED9D77D5 A821E680E5FA6305"
 GPG_KEY_SERVERS="keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com
@@ -300,26 +307,6 @@ install_using_oryx() {
     add_symlink
 }
 
-sudo_if() {
-    COMMAND="$*"
-    if [ "$(id -u)" -eq 0 ] && [ "$USERNAME" != "root" ]; then
-        su - "$USERNAME" -c "$COMMAND"
-    else
-        $COMMAND
-    fi
-}
-
-install_user_package() {
-    INSTALL_UNDER_ROOT="$1"
-    PACKAGE="$2"
-
-    if [ "$INSTALL_UNDER_ROOT" = true ]; then
-        sudo_if "${PYTHON_SRC}" -m pip install --upgrade --no-cache-dir "$PACKAGE"
-    else
-        sudo_if "${PYTHON_SRC}" -m pip install --user --upgrade --no-cache-dir "$PACKAGE"
-    fi
-}
-
 add_user_jupyter_config() {
     CONFIG_DIR="$1"
     CONFIG_FILE="$2"
@@ -473,8 +460,8 @@ if [ "${INSTALL_JUPYTERLAB}" = "true" ]; then
         INSTALL_UNDER_ROOT=false
     fi
 
-    install_user_package $INSTALL_UNDER_ROOT jupyterlab
-    install_user_package $INSTALL_UNDER_ROOT jupyterlab-git
+    install_python_package $INSTALL_UNDER_ROOT $PYTHON_SRC jupyterlab
+    install_python_package $INSTALL_UNDER_ROOT $PYTHON_SRC jupyterlab-git
 
     # Configure JupyterLab if needed
     if [ -n "${CONFIGURE_JUPYTERLAB_ALLOW_ORIGIN}" ]; then
@@ -491,6 +478,29 @@ if [ "${INSTALL_JUPYTERLAB}" = "true" ]; then
     fi
 fi
 
+# Install pacakages if needed
+if [ ! -z "${PYTHON_PACKAGES}" ]; then
+    if [ -z "${PYTHON_SRC}" ]; then
+        echo "(!) Could not install packages. Python not found."
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+    INSTALL_UNDER_ROOT=true
+    if [ "$(id -u)" -eq 0 ] && [ "$USERNAME" != "root" ]; then
+        INSTALL_UNDER_ROOT=false
+    fi
+
+    OLDIFS=$IFS
+    IFS=","
+    read -a python_packages <<< "$PYTHON_PACKAGES"
+        for package in "${python_packages[@]}"; do
+          name=$(echo ${package} | awk -F == '{ print $1 }')
+          version=$(echo ${package} |  awk -F == '{ print $2 }')
+          install_python_package $INSTALL_UNDER_ROOT $PYTHON_SRC $name $version
+        done
+    IFS=$OLDIFS
+fi
+
 # Clean up
 rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
diff --git a/src/python/utils.sh b/src/python/utils.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2ca00d0de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/python/utils.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+sudo_if() {
+    COMMAND="$*"
+    if [ "$(id -u)" -eq 0 ] && [ "$USERNAME" != "root" ]; then
+        su - "$USERNAME" -c "$COMMAND"
+    else
+        $COMMAND
+    fi
+}
+
+install_python_package() {
+    INSTALL_UNDER_ROOT="$1"
+    PYTHON_PATH="$2"
+    PACKAGE="$3"
+    VERSION="${4:-""}"
+
+    sudo_if "$PYTHON_PATH" -m pip uninstall --yes "$PACKAGE"
+
+    install_package="${PACKAGE}"
+
+    if [ ! -z "${VERSION}" ]; then
+      install_package+="==${VERSION}"
+    fi
+
+    if [ "$INSTALL_UNDER_ROOT" = true ]; then
+        sudo_if "$PYTHON_PATH" -m pip install --upgrade --no-cache-dir "$install_package"
+    else
+        sudo_if "$PYTHON_PATH" -m pip install --upgrade --user --no-cache-dir "$install_package"
+    fi
+
+    sudo_if "$PYTHON_PATH" -m pip --no-python-version-warning show "$PACKAGE"
+}
diff --git a/test/python/install_packages_mixed.sh b/test/python/install_packages_mixed.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..594e68b99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/python/install_packages_mixed.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -e
+
+# Optional: Import test library
+source dev-container-features-test-lib
+
+# Always run these checks as the non-root user
+user="$(whoami)"
+check "user" grep vscode <<< "$user"
+
+# Check for an installation of JupyterLab
+check "version" jupyter lab --version
+
+# Check location of JupyterLab installation
+packages="$(python3 -m pip list)"
+check "location" grep jupyter <<< "$packages"
+
+# Check for git extension
+check "jupyterlab_git" grep jupyterlab_git <<< "$packages"
+
+# Report result
+reportResults
diff --git a/test/python/install_packages_non_root.sh b/test/python/install_packages_non_root.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..594e68b99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/python/install_packages_non_root.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -e
+
+# Optional: Import test library
+source dev-container-features-test-lib
+
+# Always run these checks as the non-root user
+user="$(whoami)"
+check "user" grep vscode <<< "$user"
+
+# Check for an installation of JupyterLab
+check "version" jupyter lab --version
+
+# Check location of JupyterLab installation
+packages="$(python3 -m pip list)"
+check "location" grep jupyter <<< "$packages"
+
+# Check for git extension
+check "jupyterlab_git" grep jupyterlab_git <<< "$packages"
+
+# Report result
+reportResults
diff --git a/test/python/install_packages_root.sh b/test/python/install_packages_root.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7d55cb44d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/python/install_packages_root.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -e
+
+# Optional: Import test library
+source dev-container-features-test-lib
+
+# Check for an installation of JupyterLab
+check "version" jupyter lab --version
+
+# Check location of JupyterLab installation
+packages="$(python3 -m pip list)"
+check "location" grep jupyter <<< "$packages"
+
+# Check for git extension
+check "jupyterlab_git" grep jupyterlab_git <<< "$packages"
+
+# Report result
+reportResults
diff --git a/test/python/install_packages_versions_locked.sh b/test/python/install_packages_versions_locked.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..594e68b99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/python/install_packages_versions_locked.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -e
+
+# Optional: Import test library
+source dev-container-features-test-lib
+
+# Always run these checks as the non-root user
+user="$(whoami)"
+check "user" grep vscode <<< "$user"
+
+# Check for an installation of JupyterLab
+check "version" jupyter lab --version
+
+# Check location of JupyterLab installation
+packages="$(python3 -m pip list)"
+check "location" grep jupyter <<< "$packages"
+
+# Check for git extension
+check "jupyterlab_git" grep jupyterlab_git <<< "$packages"
+
+# Report result
+reportResults
diff --git a/test/python/scenarios.json b/test/python/scenarios.json
index 23b6cfc92..1e53ae7d4 100644
--- a/test/python/scenarios.json
+++ b/test/python/scenarios.json
@@ -81,5 +81,44 @@
                 "version": "3.12"
             }
         }
+    },
+    "install_packages_root": {
+        "image": "debian:bullseye-slim",
+        "features": {
+            "python": {
+                "version": "3.11",
+                "packages": "jupyterlab,jupyterlab-git"
+            }
+        }
+    },
+    "install_packages_non_root": {
+        "image": "mcr.microsoft.com/devcontainers/base:focal",
+        "remoteUser": "vscode",
+        "features": {
+            "python": {
+                "version": "3.11",
+                "packages": "jupyterlab,jupyterlab-git"
+            }
+        }
+    },
+    "install_packages_versions_locked": {
+        "image": "mcr.microsoft.com/devcontainers/base:focal",
+        "remoteUser": "vscode",
+        "features": {
+            "python": {
+                "version": "3.11",
+                "packages": "cryptography==41.0.5,jupyterlab==4.0.8,jupyterlab-git==0.43.0"
+            }
+        }
+    },
+    "install_packages_mixed": {
+        "image": "mcr.microsoft.com/devcontainers/base:focal",
+        "remoteUser": "vscode",
+        "features": {
+            "python": {
+                "version": "3.11",
+                "packages": "cryptography==41.0.5,jupyterlab,jupyterlab-git==0.43.0"
+            }
+        }
     }
 }