diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 0fe94b6b..0f4806c5 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -175,6 +175,16 @@ Instance Level Configuration
             'projects/PROJECT/locations/REGION/clusters/CLUSTER/instances/INSTANCE1' \
             'projects/PROJECT/locations/REGION/clusters/CLUSTER/instances/INSTANCE2?address=0.0.0.0&port=7000'
 
+    When necessary, you may specify the full path to a Unix socket. Set the
+    unix-socket-path query parameter to the absolute path of the Unix socket for
+    the database instance. The parent directory of the unix-socket-path must 
+    exist when the proxy starts or else socket creation will fail. For Postgres
+    instances, the proxy will ensure that the last path element is 
+    '.s.PGSQL.5432' appending it if necessary. For example,
+
+        ./cloud-sql-proxy \
+          'my-project:us-central1:my-db-server?unix-socket-path=/path/to/socket'
+
 Health checks
 
     When enabling the --health-check flag, the proxy will start an HTTP server
@@ -541,6 +551,7 @@ func parseConfig(cmd *Command, conf *proxy.Config, args []string) error {
 			a, aok := q["address"]
 			p, pok := q["port"]
 			u, uok := q["unix-socket"]
+			up, upok := q["unix-socket-path"]
 
 			if aok && uok {
 				return newBadCommandError("cannot specify both address and unix-socket query params")
@@ -548,6 +559,15 @@ func parseConfig(cmd *Command, conf *proxy.Config, args []string) error {
 			if pok && uok {
 				return newBadCommandError("cannot specify both port and unix-socket query params")
 			}
+			if aok && upok {
+				return newBadCommandError("cannot specify both address and unix-socket-path query params")
+			}
+			if pok && upok {
+				return newBadCommandError("cannot specify both port and unix-socket-path query params")
+			}
+			if uok && upok {
+				return newBadCommandError("cannot specify both unix-socket-path and unix-socket query params")
+			}
 
 			if aok {
 				if len(a) != 1 {
@@ -562,6 +582,13 @@ func parseConfig(cmd *Command, conf *proxy.Config, args []string) error {
 				ic.Addr = a[0]
 			}
 
+			if upok {
+				if len(up) != 1 {
+					return newBadCommandError(fmt.Sprintf("unix-socket-path query param should be only one value: %q", a))
+				}
+				ic.UnixSocketPath = up[0]
+			}
+
 			if pok {
 				if len(p) != 1 {
 					return newBadCommandError(fmt.Sprintf("port query param should be only one value: %q", a))
diff --git a/cmd/root_test.go b/cmd/root_test.go
index 9c6badfb..37799f05 100644
--- a/cmd/root_test.go
+++ b/cmd/root_test.go
@@ -242,6 +242,15 @@ func TestNewCommandArguments(t *testing.T) {
 				}},
 			}),
 		},
+		{
+			desc: "using the unix socket path query param",
+			args: []string{"projects/proj/locations/region/clusters/clust/instances/inst?unix-socket-path=/path/to/file"},
+			want: withDefaults(&proxy.Config{
+				Instances: []proxy.InstanceConnConfig{{
+					UnixSocketPath: "/path/to/file",
+				}},
+			}),
+		},
 		{
 			desc: "using the max connections flag",
 			args: []string{"--max-connections", "1", "projects/proj/locations/region/clusters/clust/instances/inst"},
@@ -773,6 +782,18 @@ func TestNewCommandWithErrors(t *testing.T) {
 			desc: "using the unix socket flag with port",
 			args: []string{"-u", "/path/to/dir/", "-p", "5432", "projects/proj/locations/region/clusters/clust/instances/inst"},
 		},
+		{
+			desc: "using the unix socket and unix-socket-path",
+			args: []string{"projects/proj/locations/region/clusters/clust/instances/inst?unix-socket=/path&unix-socket-path=/another/path"},
+		},
+		{
+			desc: "using the unix socket path and addr query params",
+			args: []string{"projects/proj/locations/region/clusters/clust/instances/inst?unix-socket-path=/path&address=127.0.0.1"},
+		},
+		{
+			desc: "using the unix socket path and port query params",
+			args: []string{"projects/proj/locations/region/clusters/clust/instances/inst?unix-socket-path=/path&port=5000"},
+		},
 		{
 			desc: "using the unix socket and addr query params",
 			args: []string{"projects/proj/locations/region/clusters/clust/instances/inst?unix-socket=/path&address=127.0.0.1"},
diff --git a/internal/proxy/proxy.go b/internal/proxy/proxy.go
index 0c24893c..f299d174 100644
--- a/internal/proxy/proxy.go
+++ b/internal/proxy/proxy.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"net"
 	"os"
+	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"
@@ -48,6 +49,13 @@ type InstanceConnConfig struct {
 	// connected to the AlloyDB instance. If set, takes precedence over Addr
 	// and Port.
 	UnixSocket string
+	// UnixSocketPath is the path where a Unix socket will be created,
+	// connected to the Cloud SQL instance. The full path to the socket will be
+	// UnixSocketPath. Because this is a Postgres database, the proxy will ensure
+	// the last path element is `.s.PGSQL.5432`, appending this path element if
+	// necessary. If set, UnixSocketPath takes precedence over UnixSocket, Addr
+	// and Port.
+	UnixSocketPath string
 }
 
 // Config contains all the configuration provided by the caller.
@@ -648,6 +656,7 @@ func newSocketMount(ctx context.Context, conf *Config, pc *portConfig, inst Inst
 		// address is either a TCP host port, or a Unix socket
 		address string
 	)
+
 	// IF
 	//   a global Unix socket directory is NOT set AND
 	//   an instance-level Unix socket is NOT set
@@ -658,7 +667,7 @@ func newSocketMount(ctx context.Context, conf *Config, pc *portConfig, inst Inst
 	//   instance)
 	// use a TCP listener.
 	// Otherwise, use a Unix socket.
-	if (conf.UnixSocket == "" && inst.UnixSocket == "") ||
+	if (conf.UnixSocket == "" && inst.UnixSocket == "" && inst.UnixSocketPath == "") ||
 		(inst.Addr != "" || inst.Port != 0) {
 		network = "tcp"
 
@@ -678,23 +687,10 @@ func newSocketMount(ctx context.Context, conf *Config, pc *portConfig, inst Inst
 		address = net.JoinHostPort(a, fmt.Sprint(np))
 	} else {
 		network = "unix"
-
-		dir := conf.UnixSocket
-		if dir == "" {
-			dir = inst.UnixSocket
-		}
-		ud, err := UnixSocketDir(dir, inst.Name)
+		address, err = newUnixSocketMount(inst, conf.UnixSocket, true)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		// Create the parent directory that will hold the socket.
-		if _, err := os.Stat(ud); err != nil {
-			if err = os.Mkdir(ud, 0777); err != nil {
-				return nil, err
-			}
-		}
-		// use the Postgres-specific socket name
-		address = filepath.Join(ud, ".s.PGSQL.5432")
 	}
 
 	lc := net.ListenConfig{KeepAlive: 30 * time.Second}
@@ -717,6 +713,54 @@ func newSocketMount(ctx context.Context, conf *Config, pc *portConfig, inst Inst
 	return m, nil
 }
 
+// newUnixSocketMount parses the configuration and returns the path to the unix
+// socket, or an error if that path is not valid.
+func newUnixSocketMount(inst InstanceConnConfig, unixSocketDir string, postgres bool) (string, error) {
+	var (
+		// the path to the unix socket
+		address string
+		// the parent directory of the unix socket
+		dir string
+		err error
+	)
+	if inst.UnixSocketPath != "" {
+		// When UnixSocketPath is set
+		address = inst.UnixSocketPath
+		// If UnixSocketPath ends .s.PGSQL.5432, remove it for consistency
+		if postgres && path.Base(address) == ".s.PGSQL.5432" {
+			address = path.Dir(address)
+		}
+		dir = path.Dir(address)
+	} else {
+		// When UnixSocket is set
+		dir = unixSocketDir
+		if dir == "" {
+			dir = inst.UnixSocket
+		}
+		address, err = UnixSocketDir(dir, inst.Name)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", err
+		}
+	}
+	// if base directory does not exist, fail
+	if _, err := os.Stat(dir); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	// When setting up a listener for Postgres, create address as a
+	// directory, and use the Postgres-specific socket name
+	// .s.PGSQL.5432.
+	if postgres {
+		// Make the directory only if it hasn't already been created.
+		if _, err := os.Stat(address); err != nil {
+			if err = os.Mkdir(address, 0777); err != nil {
+				return "", err
+			}
+		}
+		address = UnixAddress(address, ".s.PGSQL.5432")
+	}
+	return address, nil
+}
+
 func (s *socketMount) Addr() net.Addr {
 	return s.listener.Addr()
 }
diff --git a/internal/proxy/proxy_test.go b/internal/proxy/proxy_test.go
index 7b84335c..2b613061 100644
--- a/internal/proxy/proxy_test.go
+++ b/internal/proxy/proxy_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"os"
+	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
@@ -103,6 +104,8 @@ func TestClientInitialization(t *testing.T) {
 	inst1 := "projects/proj/locations/region/clusters/clust/instances/inst1"
 	inst2 := "projects/proj/locations/region/clusters/clust/instances/inst2"
 	wantUnix := "proj.region.clust.inst1"
+	testUnixSocketPath := path.Join(testDir, "db")
+	testUnixSocketPathPg := path.Join(testDir, "db", ".s.PGSQL.5432")
 
 	tcs := []testCase{
 		{
@@ -207,6 +210,40 @@ func TestClientInitialization(t *testing.T) {
 				"127.0.0.1:5000",
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			desc: "with a Unix socket path overriding Unix socket",
+			in: &proxy.Config{
+				UnixSocket: testDir,
+				Instances: []proxy.InstanceConnConfig{
+					{Name: inst1, UnixSocketPath: testUnixSocketPath},
+				},
+			},
+			wantUnixAddrs: []string{
+				filepath.Join(testUnixSocketPathPg),
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			desc: "with a Unix socket path per pg instance",
+			in: &proxy.Config{
+				Instances: []proxy.InstanceConnConfig{
+					{Name: inst1, UnixSocketPath: testUnixSocketPath},
+				},
+			},
+			wantUnixAddrs: []string{
+				filepath.Join(testUnixSocketPathPg),
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			desc: "with a Unix socket path per pg instance and explicit pg path suffix",
+			in: &proxy.Config{
+				Instances: []proxy.InstanceConnConfig{
+					{Name: inst1, UnixSocketPath: testUnixSocketPathPg},
+				},
+			},
+			wantUnixAddrs: []string{
+				filepath.Join(testUnixSocketPathPg),
+			},
+		},
 	}
 	_, isFlex := os.LookupEnv("FLEX")
 	if !isFlex {