diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 2aa6fd3..5cbdd98 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ RUN wget https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases/latest/download/yt-dlp -O /us
 	chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/yt-dlp
 RUN apk update && apk upgrade && apk add --no-cache ffmpeg
 COPY --from=builder /app/yt-dlp-telegram-bot /app/yt-dlp-telegram-bot
+COPY --from=builder /app/yt-dlp.conf /root/yt-dlp.conf
 
 ENTRYPOINT ["/app/yt-dlp-telegram-bot"]
-ENV API_ID= API_HASH= BOT_TOKEN= ALLOWED_USERIDS= ADMIN_USERIDS= ALLOWED_GROUPIDS=
+ENV API_ID= API_HASH= BOT_TOKEN= ALLOWED_USERIDS= ADMIN_USERIDS= ALLOWED_GROUPIDS= YTDLP_COOKIES=
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 590c3fc..eeafbd5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -77,6 +77,12 @@ variable. Available OS environment variables are:
 - `ALLOWED_USERIDS`
 - `ADMIN_USERIDS`
 - `ALLOWED_GROUPIDS`
+- `YTDLP_COOKIES`
+
+The contents of the `YTDLP_COOKIES` environment variable will be written to the
+file `/tmp/ytdlp-cookies.txt`. This will be used by `yt-dlp` if it is running
+in a docker container, as the `yt-dlp.conf` file in the container points to this
+cookie file.
 
 ## Supported commands
 
diff --git a/params.go b/params.go
index f18476c..c67e8e0 100644
--- a/params.go
+++ b/params.go
@@ -127,5 +127,19 @@ func (p *paramsType) Init() error {
 		p.AllowedGroupIDs = append(p.AllowedUserIDs, id)
 	}
 
+	// Writing env. var YTDLP_COOKIES contents to a file.
+	// In case a docker container is used, the yt-dlp.conf points yt-dlp to this cookie file.
+	if cookies := os.Getenv("YTDLP_COOKIES"); cookies != "" {
+		f, err := os.Create("/tmp/ytdlp-cookies.txt")
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("couldn't create cookies file: %w", err)
+		}
+		_, err = f.WriteString(cookies)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("couldn't write cookies file: %w", err)
+		}
+		f.Close()
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/yt-dlp.conf b/yt-dlp.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..70252c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/yt-dlp.conf
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+--cookies=/tmp/ytdlp-cookies.txt