diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-lambda/lib/function.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-lambda/lib/function.ts
index 7505cdf463a1b..fffd20decd8d9 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-lambda/lib/function.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-lambda/lib/function.ts
@@ -220,6 +220,10 @@ export interface FunctionOptions extends EventInvokeConfigOptions {
    * Specify the version of CloudWatch Lambda insights to use for monitoring
    * @see https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/monitoring/Lambda-Insights.html
    *
+   * When used with `DockerImageFunction` or `DockerImageCode`, the Docker image should have
+   * the Lambda insights agent installed.
+   * @see https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/monitoring/Lambda-Insights-Getting-Started-docker.html
+   *
    * @default - No Lambda Insights
    */
   readonly insightsVersion?: LambdaInsightsVersion;
@@ -782,9 +786,7 @@ export class Function extends FunctionBase {
     }
 
     // Configure Lambda insights
-    if (props.insightsVersion !== undefined) {
-      this.configureLambdaInsights(props.insightsVersion);
-    }
+    this.configureLambdaInsights(props);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -912,8 +914,15 @@ Environment variables can be marked for removal when used in Lambda@Edge by sett
    *
    * https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/monitoring/Lambda-Insights-extension-versions.html
    */
-  private configureLambdaInsights(insightsVersion: LambdaInsightsVersion): void {
-    this.addLayers(LayerVersion.fromLayerVersionArn(this, 'LambdaInsightsLayer', insightsVersion.layerVersionArn));
+  private configureLambdaInsights(props: FunctionProps): void {
+    if (props.insightsVersion === undefined) {
+      return;
+    }
+    if (props.runtime !== Runtime.FROM_IMAGE) {
+      // Layers cannot be added to Lambda container images. The image should have the insights agent installed.
+      // See https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/monitoring/Lambda-Insights-Getting-Started-docker.html
+      this.addLayers(LayerVersion.fromLayerVersionArn(this, 'LambdaInsightsLayer', props.insightsVersion.layerVersionArn));
+    }
     this.role?.addManagedPolicy(iam.ManagedPolicy.fromAwsManagedPolicyName('CloudWatchLambdaInsightsExecutionRolePolicy'));
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-lambda/test/lambda-insights.test.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-lambda/test/lambda-insights.test.ts
index 990c0c7fb7405..762df158da6f4 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-lambda/test/lambda-insights.test.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-lambda/test/lambda-insights.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import '@aws-cdk/assert-internal/jest';
 import { MatchStyle } from '@aws-cdk/assert-internal';
+import * as ecr from '@aws-cdk/aws-ecr';
 import * as cdk from '@aws-cdk/core';
 import * as lambda from '../lib';
 
@@ -313,4 +314,43 @@ describe('lambda-insights', () => {
     // On synthesis it should not throw an error
     expect(() => app.synth()).not.toThrow();
   });
+
+  test('insights layer is skipped for container images and the role is updated', () => {
+    const stack = new cdk.Stack();
+    new lambda.DockerImageFunction(stack, 'MyFunction', {
+      code: lambda.DockerImageCode.fromEcr(ecr.Repository.fromRepositoryArn(stack, 'MyRepo',
+        'arn:aws:ecr:us-east-1:0123456789:repository/MyRepo')),
+      insightsVersion: lambda.LambdaInsightsVersion.VERSION_1_0_98_0,
+    });
+
+    expect(stack).toCountResources('AWS::Lambda::LayerVersion', 0);
+
+    expect(stack).toHaveResourceLike('AWS::IAM::Role', {
+      'AssumeRolePolicyDocument': {
+        'Statement': [
+          {
+            'Action': 'sts:AssumeRole',
+            'Principal': {
+              'Service': 'lambda.amazonaws.com',
+            },
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+      'ManagedPolicyArns': [
+        { },
+        {
+          'Fn::Join': [
+            '',
+            [
+              'arn:',
+              {
+                'Ref': 'AWS::Partition',
+              },
+              ':iam::aws:policy/CloudWatchLambdaInsightsExecutionRolePolicy',
+            ],
+          ],
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+  });
 });