diff --git a/Documentation/Monitors/MySQL-Monitor.md b/Documentation/Monitors/MySQL-Monitor.md
index 3d254cf32..910d99adb 100644
--- a/Documentation/Monitors/MySQL-Monitor.md
+++ b/Documentation/Monitors/MySQL-Monitor.md
@@ -230,6 +230,14 @@ error is logged and the failover functionality is disabled. If this happens, the
 cluster must be fixed manually and the failover needs to be re-enabled via the
 REST API or MaxAdmin.
 
+### `failover_script`
+
+*NOTE* By default, MariaDB MaxScale uses the MariaDB provided failover
+script, so `failover_script` need not be specified.
+
+This command will be executed in order to perform a failover. `failover_script`
+should be specified the same way as [script](./Monitor-Common.md#script) is.
+
 ### `failover_timeout`
 
 The timeout for the cluster failover in seconds. The default value is 90
diff --git a/include/maxscale/monitor.h b/include/maxscale/monitor.h
index 051f8ce02..7ed677e6a 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/monitor.h
+++ b/include/maxscale/monitor.h
@@ -310,6 +310,7 @@ void mon_process_state_changes(MXS_MONITOR *monitor, const char *script, uint64_
  * This function should be called immediately after @c mon_process_state_changes.
  *
  * @param monitor          Monitor whose cluster is processed
+ * @param failover_script  The script to be used for performing the failover.
  * @param failover_timeout Timeout in seconds for the failover
  *
  * @return True on success, false on error
@@ -317,7 +318,9 @@ void mon_process_state_changes(MXS_MONITOR *monitor, const char *script, uint64_
  * @todo Currently this only works with flat replication topologies and
  *       needs to be moved inside mysqlmon as it is MariaDB specific code.
  */
-bool mon_process_failover(MXS_MONITOR *monitor, uint32_t failover_timeout);
+bool mon_process_failover(MXS_MONITOR *monitor,
+                          const char* failover_script,
+                          uint32_t failover_timeout);
 
 /**
  * @brief Hangup connections to failed servers
diff --git a/server/core/monitor.cc b/server/core/monitor.cc
index 9c2e73533..e7618b7b4 100644
--- a/server/core/monitor.cc
+++ b/server/core/monitor.cc
@@ -1775,7 +1775,7 @@ void mon_process_state_changes(MXS_MONITOR *monitor, const char *script, uint64_
     }
 }
 
-bool mon_process_failover(MXS_MONITOR *monitor, uint32_t failover_timeout)
+bool mon_process_failover(MXS_MONITOR *monitor, const char* failover_script, uint32_t failover_timeout)
 {
     bool rval = true;
     MXS_CONFIG* cnf = config_get_global_options();
@@ -1839,15 +1839,7 @@ bool mon_process_failover(MXS_MONITOR *monitor, uint32_t failover_timeout)
     {
         MXS_NOTICE("Performing failover of server '%s'", failed_master->server->unique_name);
 
-        // TODO: Use the actual failover command
-        const char* failover_cmd = "/usr/bin/echo INITIATOR=$INITIATOR "
-                                   "PARENT=$PARENT CHILDREN=$CHILDREN EVENT=$EVENT "
-                                   "CREDENTIALS=$CREDENTIALS NODELIST=$NODELIST "
-                                   "LIST=$LIST MASTERLIST=$MASTERLIST "
-                                   "SLAVELIST=$SLAVELIST SYNCEDLIST=$SYNCEDLIST";
-
-        if (monitor_launch_script(monitor, failed_master, failover_cmd,
-                                  failover_timeout))
+        if (monitor_launch_script(monitor, failed_master, failover_script, failover_timeout))
         {
             rval = false;
         }
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon.h b/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon.h
index a313a1e37..2612bfede 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon.h
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon.h
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ typedef struct
     bool warn_failover;            /**< Log a warning when failover happens */
     bool allow_external_slaves;    /**< Whether to allow usage of external slave servers */
     bool failover;                 /**< If master failover is enabled */
+    char* failover_script;         /**< Script to call for performing master failover */
     uint32_t failover_timeout;     /**< Timeout in seconds for the master failover */
     bool switchover;               /**< If master switchover is enabled */
     char* switchover_script;       /**< Script to call for performing master switchover */
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.cc b/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.cc
index f5dc79d93..a09a9aff4 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.cc
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.cc
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ static bool report_version_err = true;
 static const char* hb_table_name = "maxscale_schema.replication_heartbeat";
 
 static const char CN_FAILOVER[]           = "failover";
+static const char CN_FAILOVER_SCRIPT[]    = "failover_script";
 static const char CN_FAILOVER_TIMEOUT[]   = "failover_timeout";
 static const char CN_SWITCHOVER[]         = "switchover";
 static const char CN_SWITCHOVER_SCRIPT[]  = "switchover_script";
@@ -78,7 +79,15 @@ static const char CN_SWITCHOVER_TIMEOUT[] = "switchover_timeout";
 /** Default switchover timeout */
 #define DEFAULT_SWITCHOVER_TIMEOUT "90"
 
-// TODO: Specify the default switchover script.
+// TODO: Specify the real default failover script.
+static const char DEFAULT_FAILOVER_SCRIPT[] =
+    "/usr/bin/echo INITIATOR=$INITIATOR "
+    "PARENT=$PARENT CHILDREN=$CHILDREN EVENT=$EVENT "
+    "CREDENTIALS=$CREDENTIALS NODELIST=$NODELIST "
+    "LIST=$LIST MASTERLIST=$MASTERLIST "
+    "SLAVELIST=$SLAVELIST SYNCEDLIST=$SYNCEDLIST";
+
+// TODO: Specify the real default switchover script.
 static const char DEFAULT_SWITCHOVER_SCRIPT[] =
     "/usr/bin/echo CURRENT_MASTER=$CURRENT_MASTER NEW_MASTER=$NEW_MASTER "
     "INITIATOR=$INITIATOR "
@@ -511,6 +520,12 @@ MXS_MODULE* MXS_CREATE_MODULE()
                 mxs_monitor_event_enum_values
             },
             {CN_FAILOVER, MXS_MODULE_PARAM_BOOL, "false"},
+            {
+                CN_FAILOVER_SCRIPT,
+                MXS_MODULE_PARAM_PATH,
+                NULL,
+                MXS_MODULE_OPT_PATH_X_OK
+            },
             {CN_FAILOVER_TIMEOUT, MXS_MODULE_PARAM_COUNT, DEFAULT_FAILOVER_TIMEOUT},
             {CN_SWITCHOVER, MXS_MODULE_PARAM_BOOL, "false"},
             {
@@ -669,6 +684,7 @@ startMonitor(MXS_MONITOR *monitor, const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* params)
     handle->events = config_get_enum(params, "events", mxs_monitor_event_enum_values);
     handle->allow_external_slaves = config_get_bool(params, "allow_external_slaves");
     handle->failover = config_get_bool(params, CN_FAILOVER);
+    handle->failover_script = config_copy_string(params, CN_FAILOVER_SCRIPT);
     handle->failover_timeout = config_get_integer(params, CN_FAILOVER_TIMEOUT);
     handle->switchover = config_get_bool(params, CN_SWITCHOVER);
     handle->switchover_script = config_copy_string(params, CN_SWITCHOVER_SCRIPT);
@@ -1873,7 +1889,14 @@ monitorMain(void *arg)
 
         if (handle->failover)
         {
-            if (!mon_process_failover(mon, handle->failover_timeout))
+            const char* failover_script = handle->failover_script;
+
+            if (!failover_script)
+            {
+                failover_script = DEFAULT_FAILOVER_SCRIPT;
+            }
+
+            if (!mon_process_failover(mon, failover_script, handle->failover_timeout))
             {
                 MXS_ALERT("Failed to perform failover, disabling failover functionality. "
                           "To enable failover functionality, manually set 'failover' to "