diff --git a/3.7-rc/alpine/docker-entrypoint.sh b/3.7-rc/alpine/docker-entrypoint.sh
index 32b765c3..094b72f4 100755
--- a/3.7-rc/alpine/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/3.7-rc/alpine/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -202,6 +202,16 @@ oldConfigFile="$configBase.config"
 newConfigFile="$configBase.conf"
 
 shouldWriteConfig="$haveConfig"
+if [ -n "$shouldWriteConfig" ] && ! touch "$newConfigFile"; then
+	# config file exists but it isn't writeable (likely read-only mount, such as Kubernetes configMap)
+	export RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE='/tmp/rabbitmq.conf'
+	cp "$newConfigFile" "$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE"
+	echo >&2
+	echo >&2 "WARNING: '$newConfigFile' is not writable, but environment variables have been provided which request that we write to it"
+	echo >&2 "  We have copied it to '$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE' so it can be amended to work around the problem, but it is recommended that the read-only source file should be modified and the environment variables removed instead."
+	echo >&2
+	newConfigFile="$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE"
+fi
 if [ -n "$shouldWriteConfig" ] && [ -f "$oldConfigFile" ]; then
 	{
 		echo "error: Docker configuration environment variables specified, but old-style (Erlang syntax) configuration file '$oldConfigFile' exists"
diff --git a/3.7-rc/ubuntu/docker-entrypoint.sh b/3.7-rc/ubuntu/docker-entrypoint.sh
index 4b002977..e159f8b5 100755
--- a/3.7-rc/ubuntu/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/3.7-rc/ubuntu/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -202,6 +202,16 @@ oldConfigFile="$configBase.config"
 newConfigFile="$configBase.conf"
 
 shouldWriteConfig="$haveConfig"
+if [ -n "$shouldWriteConfig" ] && ! touch "$newConfigFile"; then
+	# config file exists but it isn't writeable (likely read-only mount, such as Kubernetes configMap)
+	export RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE='/tmp/rabbitmq.conf'
+	cp "$newConfigFile" "$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE"
+	echo >&2
+	echo >&2 "WARNING: '$newConfigFile' is not writable, but environment variables have been provided which request that we write to it"
+	echo >&2 "  We have copied it to '$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE' so it can be amended to work around the problem, but it is recommended that the read-only source file should be modified and the environment variables removed instead."
+	echo >&2
+	newConfigFile="$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE"
+fi
 if [ -n "$shouldWriteConfig" ] && [ -f "$oldConfigFile" ]; then
 	{
 		echo "error: Docker configuration environment variables specified, but old-style (Erlang syntax) configuration file '$oldConfigFile' exists"
diff --git a/3.7/alpine/docker-entrypoint.sh b/3.7/alpine/docker-entrypoint.sh
index 32b765c3..094b72f4 100755
--- a/3.7/alpine/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/3.7/alpine/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -202,6 +202,16 @@ oldConfigFile="$configBase.config"
 newConfigFile="$configBase.conf"
 
 shouldWriteConfig="$haveConfig"
+if [ -n "$shouldWriteConfig" ] && ! touch "$newConfigFile"; then
+	# config file exists but it isn't writeable (likely read-only mount, such as Kubernetes configMap)
+	export RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE='/tmp/rabbitmq.conf'
+	cp "$newConfigFile" "$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE"
+	echo >&2
+	echo >&2 "WARNING: '$newConfigFile' is not writable, but environment variables have been provided which request that we write to it"
+	echo >&2 "  We have copied it to '$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE' so it can be amended to work around the problem, but it is recommended that the read-only source file should be modified and the environment variables removed instead."
+	echo >&2
+	newConfigFile="$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE"
+fi
 if [ -n "$shouldWriteConfig" ] && [ -f "$oldConfigFile" ]; then
 	{
 		echo "error: Docker configuration environment variables specified, but old-style (Erlang syntax) configuration file '$oldConfigFile' exists"
diff --git a/3.7/ubuntu/docker-entrypoint.sh b/3.7/ubuntu/docker-entrypoint.sh
index 4b002977..e159f8b5 100755
--- a/3.7/ubuntu/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/3.7/ubuntu/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -202,6 +202,16 @@ oldConfigFile="$configBase.config"
 newConfigFile="$configBase.conf"
 
 shouldWriteConfig="$haveConfig"
+if [ -n "$shouldWriteConfig" ] && ! touch "$newConfigFile"; then
+	# config file exists but it isn't writeable (likely read-only mount, such as Kubernetes configMap)
+	export RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE='/tmp/rabbitmq.conf'
+	cp "$newConfigFile" "$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE"
+	echo >&2
+	echo >&2 "WARNING: '$newConfigFile' is not writable, but environment variables have been provided which request that we write to it"
+	echo >&2 "  We have copied it to '$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE' so it can be amended to work around the problem, but it is recommended that the read-only source file should be modified and the environment variables removed instead."
+	echo >&2
+	newConfigFile="$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE"
+fi
 if [ -n "$shouldWriteConfig" ] && [ -f "$oldConfigFile" ]; then
 	{
 		echo "error: Docker configuration environment variables specified, but old-style (Erlang syntax) configuration file '$oldConfigFile' exists"
diff --git a/3.8-rc/alpine/docker-entrypoint.sh b/3.8-rc/alpine/docker-entrypoint.sh
index 32b765c3..094b72f4 100755
--- a/3.8-rc/alpine/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/3.8-rc/alpine/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -202,6 +202,16 @@ oldConfigFile="$configBase.config"
 newConfigFile="$configBase.conf"
 
 shouldWriteConfig="$haveConfig"
+if [ -n "$shouldWriteConfig" ] && ! touch "$newConfigFile"; then
+	# config file exists but it isn't writeable (likely read-only mount, such as Kubernetes configMap)
+	export RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE='/tmp/rabbitmq.conf'
+	cp "$newConfigFile" "$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE"
+	echo >&2
+	echo >&2 "WARNING: '$newConfigFile' is not writable, but environment variables have been provided which request that we write to it"
+	echo >&2 "  We have copied it to '$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE' so it can be amended to work around the problem, but it is recommended that the read-only source file should be modified and the environment variables removed instead."
+	echo >&2
+	newConfigFile="$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE"
+fi
 if [ -n "$shouldWriteConfig" ] && [ -f "$oldConfigFile" ]; then
 	{
 		echo "error: Docker configuration environment variables specified, but old-style (Erlang syntax) configuration file '$oldConfigFile' exists"
diff --git a/3.8-rc/ubuntu/docker-entrypoint.sh b/3.8-rc/ubuntu/docker-entrypoint.sh
index 4b002977..e159f8b5 100755
--- a/3.8-rc/ubuntu/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/3.8-rc/ubuntu/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -202,6 +202,16 @@ oldConfigFile="$configBase.config"
 newConfigFile="$configBase.conf"
 
 shouldWriteConfig="$haveConfig"
+if [ -n "$shouldWriteConfig" ] && ! touch "$newConfigFile"; then
+	# config file exists but it isn't writeable (likely read-only mount, such as Kubernetes configMap)
+	export RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE='/tmp/rabbitmq.conf'
+	cp "$newConfigFile" "$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE"
+	echo >&2
+	echo >&2 "WARNING: '$newConfigFile' is not writable, but environment variables have been provided which request that we write to it"
+	echo >&2 "  We have copied it to '$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE' so it can be amended to work around the problem, but it is recommended that the read-only source file should be modified and the environment variables removed instead."
+	echo >&2
+	newConfigFile="$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE"
+fi
 if [ -n "$shouldWriteConfig" ] && [ -f "$oldConfigFile" ]; then
 	{
 		echo "error: Docker configuration environment variables specified, but old-style (Erlang syntax) configuration file '$oldConfigFile' exists"
diff --git a/docker-entrypoint.sh b/docker-entrypoint.sh
index 4b002977..e159f8b5 100755
--- a/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -202,6 +202,16 @@ oldConfigFile="$configBase.config"
 newConfigFile="$configBase.conf"
 
 shouldWriteConfig="$haveConfig"
+if [ -n "$shouldWriteConfig" ] && ! touch "$newConfigFile"; then
+	# config file exists but it isn't writeable (likely read-only mount, such as Kubernetes configMap)
+	export RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE='/tmp/rabbitmq.conf'
+	cp "$newConfigFile" "$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE"
+	echo >&2
+	echo >&2 "WARNING: '$newConfigFile' is not writable, but environment variables have been provided which request that we write to it"
+	echo >&2 "  We have copied it to '$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE' so it can be amended to work around the problem, but it is recommended that the read-only source file should be modified and the environment variables removed instead."
+	echo >&2
+	newConfigFile="$RABBITMQ_CONFIG_FILE"
+fi
 if [ -n "$shouldWriteConfig" ] && [ -f "$oldConfigFile" ]; then
 	{
 		echo "error: Docker configuration environment variables specified, but old-style (Erlang syntax) configuration file '$oldConfigFile' exists"