diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 1015072f55..2a8f59d9b0 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ var (
 	lbProvider                  string
 	caCertsPath                 string
 	logOptions                  = logs.NewOptions()
+	useSystemRootCAs            bool
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -135,6 +136,8 @@ func InitFlags(fs *pflag.FlagSet) {
 		"The name of the load balancer provider (amphora or ovn) to use (defaults to amphora).")
 
 	fs.StringVar(&caCertsPath, "ca-certs", "", "The path to a PEM-encoded CA Certificate file to supply as default for each request.")
+
+	fs.BoolVar(&useSystemRootCAs, "use-system-root-ca", false, "Use system root CAs rather than specifying them in resources.")
 }
 
 func main() {
@@ -226,11 +229,13 @@ func setupChecks(mgr ctrl.Manager) {
 }
 
 func setupReconcilers(ctx context.Context, mgr ctrl.Manager, caCerts []byte) {
+	scopeFactory := scope.NewProviderScopeFactory(useSystemRootCAs)
+
 	if err := (&controllers.OpenStackClusterReconciler{
 		Client:           mgr.GetClient(),
 		Recorder:         mgr.GetEventRecorderFor("openstackcluster-controller"),
 		WatchFilterValue: watchFilterValue,
-		ScopeFactory:     scope.ScopeFactory,
+		ScopeFactory:     scopeFactory,
 		CaCertificates:   caCerts,
 	}).SetupWithManager(ctx, mgr, concurrency(openStackClusterConcurrency)); err != nil {
 		setupLog.Error(err, "unable to create controller", "controller", "OpenStackCluster")
@@ -240,7 +245,7 @@ func setupReconcilers(ctx context.Context, mgr ctrl.Manager, caCerts []byte) {
 		Client:           mgr.GetClient(),
 		Recorder:         mgr.GetEventRecorderFor("openstackmachine-controller"),
 		WatchFilterValue: watchFilterValue,
-		ScopeFactory:     scope.ScopeFactory,
+		ScopeFactory:     scopeFactory,
 		CaCertificates:   caCerts,
 	}).SetupWithManager(ctx, mgr, concurrency(openStackMachineConcurrency)); err != nil {
 		setupLog.Error(err, "unable to create controller", "controller", "OpenStackMachine")
diff --git a/pkg/scope/provider.go b/pkg/scope/provider.go
index e3204a9d8c..88ef0c6d2b 100644
--- a/pkg/scope/provider.go
+++ b/pkg/scope/provider.go
@@ -44,9 +44,19 @@ const (
 	caSecretKey     = "cacert"
 )
 
-type providerScopeFactory struct{}
+type providerScopeFactory struct {
+	// useSystemRootCAs allows use of the public CA pool provided by the distroless
+	// base image.  Handy for public clouds.
+	useSystemRootCAs bool
+}
 
-func (providerScopeFactory) NewClientScopeFromMachine(ctx context.Context, ctrlClient client.Client, openStackMachine *infrav1.OpenStackMachine, defaultCACert []byte, logger logr.Logger) (Scope, error) {
+func NewProviderScopeFactory(useSystemRootCAs bool) Factory {
+	return &providerScopeFactory{
+		useSystemRootCAs: useSystemRootCAs,
+	}
+}
+
+func (f providerScopeFactory) NewClientScopeFromMachine(ctx context.Context, ctrlClient client.Client, openStackMachine *infrav1.OpenStackMachine, defaultCACert []byte, logger logr.Logger) (Scope, error) {
 	var cloud clientconfig.Cloud
 	var caCert []byte
 
@@ -62,10 +72,10 @@ func (providerScopeFactory) NewClientScopeFromMachine(ctx context.Context, ctrlC
 		caCert = defaultCACert
 	}
 
-	return NewProviderScope(cloud, caCert, logger)
+	return NewProviderScope(cloud, caCert, f.useSystemRootCAs, logger)
 }
 
-func (providerScopeFactory) NewClientScopeFromCluster(ctx context.Context, ctrlClient client.Client, openStackCluster *infrav1.OpenStackCluster, defaultCACert []byte, logger logr.Logger) (Scope, error) {
+func (f providerScopeFactory) NewClientScopeFromCluster(ctx context.Context, ctrlClient client.Client, openStackCluster *infrav1.OpenStackCluster, defaultCACert []byte, logger logr.Logger) (Scope, error) {
 	var cloud clientconfig.Cloud
 	var caCert []byte
 
@@ -81,7 +91,7 @@ func (providerScopeFactory) NewClientScopeFromCluster(ctx context.Context, ctrlC
 		caCert = defaultCACert
 	}
 
-	return NewProviderScope(cloud, caCert, logger)
+	return NewProviderScope(cloud, caCert, f.useSystemRootCAs, logger)
 }
 
 type providerScope struct {
@@ -91,8 +101,8 @@ type providerScope struct {
 	logger             logr.Logger
 }
 
-func NewProviderScope(cloud clientconfig.Cloud, caCert []byte, logger logr.Logger) (Scope, error) {
-	providerClient, clientOpts, projectID, err := NewProviderClient(cloud, caCert, logger)
+func NewProviderScope(cloud clientconfig.Cloud, caCert []byte, useSystemRootCAs bool, logger logr.Logger) (Scope, error) {
+	providerClient, clientOpts, projectID, err := NewProviderClient(cloud, caCert, useSystemRootCAs, logger)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -133,7 +143,7 @@ func (s *providerScope) NewLbClient() (clients.LbClient, error) {
 	return clients.NewLbClient(s.providerClient, s.providerClientOpts)
 }
 
-func NewProviderClient(cloud clientconfig.Cloud, caCert []byte, logger logr.Logger) (*gophercloud.ProviderClient, *clientconfig.ClientOpts, string, error) {
+func NewProviderClient(cloud clientconfig.Cloud, caCert []byte, useSystemRootCAs bool, logger logr.Logger) (*gophercloud.ProviderClient, *clientconfig.ClientOpts, string, error) {
 	clientOpts := new(clientconfig.ClientOpts)
 	if cloud.AuthInfo != nil {
 		clientOpts.AuthInfo = cloud.AuthInfo
@@ -153,14 +163,25 @@ func NewProviderClient(cloud clientconfig.Cloud, caCert []byte, logger logr.Logg
 	}
 
 	config := &tls.Config{
-		RootCAs:    x509.NewCertPool(),
 		MinVersion: tls.VersionTLS12,
 	}
 	if cloud.Verify != nil {
 		config.InsecureSkipVerify = !*cloud.Verify
 	}
-	if caCert != nil {
-		config.RootCAs.AppendCertsFromPEM(caCert)
+
+	if useSystemRootCAs {
+		roots, err := x509.SystemCertPool()
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, nil, "", fmt.Errorf("failed to load system root CAs: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		config.RootCAs = roots
+	} else {
+		config.RootCAs = x509.NewCertPool()
+
+		if caCert != nil {
+			config.RootCAs.AppendCertsFromPEM(caCert)
+		}
 	}
 
 	provider.HTTPClient.Transport = &http.Transport{Proxy: http.ProxyFromEnvironment, TLSClientConfig: config}
diff --git a/pkg/scope/scope.go b/pkg/scope/scope.go
index b3f6ca728c..4d1d97c782 100644
--- a/pkg/scope/scope.go
+++ b/pkg/scope/scope.go
@@ -26,9 +26,6 @@ import (
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api-provider-openstack/pkg/clients"
 )
 
-// ScopeFactory is the default scope factory. It generates service clients which make OpenStack API calls against a running cloud.
-var ScopeFactory Factory = providerScopeFactory{}
-
 // Factory instantiates a new Scope using credentials from either a cluster or a machine.
 type Factory interface {
 	NewClientScopeFromMachine(ctx context.Context, ctrlClient client.Client, openStackMachine *infrav1.OpenStackMachine, defaultCACert []byte, logger logr.Logger) (Scope, error)
diff --git a/test/e2e/shared/openstack.go b/test/e2e/shared/openstack.go
index 2c69426144..26fd643eac 100644
--- a/test/e2e/shared/openstack.go
+++ b/test/e2e/shared/openstack.go
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@ func getProviderClient(e2eCtx *E2EContext, openstackCloud string) (*gophercloud.
 	clouds := getParsedOpenStackCloudYAML(openStackCloudYAMLFile)
 	cloud := clouds.Clouds[openstackCloud]
 
-	providerClient, clientOpts, projectID, err := scope.NewProviderClient(cloud, nil, logr.Discard())
+	providerClient, clientOpts, projectID, err := scope.NewProviderClient(cloud, nil, false, logr.Discard())
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, nil, err
 	}