diff --git a/install/installer/cmd/render.go b/install/installer/cmd/render.go
index 4749d403743209..902e82ea7215c1 100644
--- a/install/installer/cmd/render.go
+++ b/install/installer/cmd/render.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 
 	_ "embed"
@@ -66,7 +67,18 @@ A config file is required which can be generated with the init command.`,
 }
 
 func loadConfig(cfgFN string) (rawCfg interface{}, cfgVersion string, cfg *configv1.Config, err error) {
-	rawCfg, cfgVersion, err = config.Load(cfgFN)
+	var overrideConfig string
+	// Update overrideConfig if cfgFN is not empty
+	if cfgFN != "" {
+		cfgBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(cfgFN)
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(fmt.Sprintf("couldn't read file %s, %s", cfgFN, err))
+
+		}
+		overrideConfig = string(cfgBytes)
+	}
+
+	rawCfg, cfgVersion, err = config.Load(overrideConfig)
 	if err != nil {
 		err = fmt.Errorf("error loading config: %w", err)
 		return
diff --git a/install/installer/pkg/config/loader.go b/install/installer/pkg/config/loader.go
index ebc75405dd251c..684eaf7b7da803 100644
--- a/install/installer/pkg/config/loader.go
+++ b/install/installer/pkg/config/loader.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ package config
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"io/ioutil"
 
 	"github.com/gitpod-io/gitpod/installer/pkg/cluster"
 	"github.com/go-playground/validator/v10"
@@ -73,32 +72,43 @@ func LoadConfigVersion(version string) (ConfigVersion, error) {
 	return v, nil
 }
 
-func Load(fn string) (cfg interface{}, version string, err error) {
-	fc, err := ioutil.ReadFile(fn)
+// Load takes a config string and overrides that onto the default
+// config for that version (passed in the config). If no config version
+// is passed, It overrides it onto the default CurrentVersion of the binary
+func Load(overrideConfig string) (cfg interface{}, version string, err error) {
+	var overrideVS struct {
+		APIVersion string `json:"apiVersion"`
+	}
+	err = yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(overrideConfig), &overrideVS)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
-	var vs struct {
-		APIVersion string `json:"apiVersion"`
+
+	apiVersion := overrideVS.APIVersion
+	// fall-back to default CurrentVersion if no apiVersion was passed
+	if version == "" {
+		apiVersion = CurrentVersion
 	}
-	err = yaml.Unmarshal(fc, &vs)
+
+	v, err := LoadConfigVersion(apiVersion)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
-	v, err := LoadConfigVersion(vs.APIVersion)
+	// Load default configuration
+	cfg = v.Factory()
+	err = v.Defaults(cfg)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
-	cfg = v.Factory()
-	version = vs.APIVersion
-	err = yaml.Unmarshal(fc, cfg)
+	// Override passed configuration onto the default
+	err = yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(overrideConfig), cfg)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
-	return cfg, version, nil
+	return cfg, apiVersion, nil
 }
 
 func Marshal(version string, cfg interface{}) ([]byte, error) {
diff --git a/install/installer/pkg/config/v1/config.go b/install/installer/pkg/config/v1/config.go
index 9b784bc7c14ddc..43f5251a25ae76 100644
--- a/install/installer/pkg/config/v1/config.go
+++ b/install/installer/pkg/config/v1/config.go
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ func (v version) Defaults(in interface{}) error {
 	}
 
 	cfg.Kind = InstallationFull
-	cfg.Domain = "gitpod.example.com"
 	cfg.Repository = "eu.gcr.io/gitpod-core-dev/build"
 	cfg.Observability = Observability{
 		LogLevel: LogLevelInfo,