diff --git a/doc/source/autoscaling.rst b/doc/source/autoscaling.rst
index ec886e0f0..94b4b5813 100644
--- a/doc/source/autoscaling.rst
+++ b/doc/source/autoscaling.rst
@@ -157,6 +157,21 @@ with GPU worker nodes instead.
             MarketType: spot
         InstanceType: p2.xlarge
 
+
+External Node Provider
+--------------------------
+
+Ray also supports external node providers (check `node_provider.py <https://github.com/ray-project/ray/tree/master/python/ray/autoscaler/node_provider.py>`__ implementation).
+You can specify the external node provider using the yaml config:
+
+.. code-block:: yaml
+
+    provider:
+        type: external
+        module: mypackage.myclass
+
+The module needs to be in the format `package.provider_class` or `package.sub_package.provider_class`.
+
 Additional Cloud providers
 --------------------------
 
diff --git a/python/ray/autoscaler/autoscaler.py b/python/ray/autoscaler/autoscaler.py
index fb1c6389b..8132d73be 100644
--- a/python/ray/autoscaler/autoscaler.py
+++ b/python/ray/autoscaler/autoscaler.py
@@ -53,8 +53,9 @@ CLUSTER_CONFIG_SCHEMA = {
     # Cloud-provider specific configuration.
     "provider": ({
         "type": (str, REQUIRED),  # e.g. aws
-        "region": (str, REQUIRED),  # e.g. us-east-1
-        "availability_zone": (str, REQUIRED),  # e.g. us-east-1a
+        "region": (str, OPTIONAL),  # e.g. us-east-1
+        "availability_zone": (str, OPTIONAL),  # e.g. us-east-1a
+        "module": (str, OPTIONAL),  # module, if using external node provider
     }, REQUIRED),
 
     # How Ray will authenticate with newly launched nodes.
diff --git a/python/ray/autoscaler/node_provider.py b/python/ray/autoscaler/node_provider.py
index 082bb5d43..b3f2796f4 100644
--- a/python/ray/autoscaler/node_provider.py
+++ b/python/ray/autoscaler/node_provider.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import
 from __future__ import division
 from __future__ import print_function
 
+import importlib
 import os
 import yaml
 
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ NODE_PROVIDERS = {
     "kubernetes": None,
     "docker": None,
     "local_cluster": None,
+    "external": None,  # Import an external module
 }
 
 DEFAULT_CONFIGS = {
@@ -37,8 +39,30 @@ DEFAULT_CONFIGS = {
 }
 
 
+def load_class(path):
+    """
+    Load a class at runtime given a full path.
+
+    Example of the path: mypkg.mysubpkg.myclass
+    """
+    class_data = path.split(".")
+    if len(class_data) < 2:
+        raise ValueError(
+            "You need to pass a valid path like mymodule.provider_class"
+            )
+    module_path = ".".join(class_data[:-1])
+    class_str = class_data[-1]
+    module = importlib.import_module(module_path)
+    return getattr(module, class_str)
+
+
 def get_node_provider(provider_config, cluster_name):
+    if provider_config["type"] == "external":
+        provider_cls = load_class(path=provider_config["module"])
+        return provider_cls(provider_config, cluster_name)
+
     importer = NODE_PROVIDERS.get(provider_config["type"])
+
     if importer is None:
         raise NotImplementedError(
             "Unsupported node provider: {}".format(provider_config["type"]))
diff --git a/test/__init__.py b/test/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/test/autoscaler_test.py b/test/autoscaler_test.py
index f5193ca0e..fb04ba823 100644
--- a/test/autoscaler_test.py
+++ b/test/autoscaler_test.py
@@ -507,6 +507,41 @@ class AutoscalingTest(unittest.TestCase):
         autoscaler.update()
         self.waitFor(lambda: len(runner.calls) > num_calls)
 
+    def testExternalNodeScaler(self):
+        config = SMALL_CLUSTER.copy()
+        config["provider"] = {
+            "type": "external",
+            "module": "ray.autoscaler.node_provider.NodeProvider",
+            }
+        config_path = self.write_config(config)
+        autoscaler = StandardAutoscaler(
+            config_path, LoadMetrics(), max_failures=0, update_interval_s=0)
+        self.assertIsInstance(autoscaler.provider, NodeProvider)
+
+    def testExternalNodeScalerWrongImport(self):
+        config = SMALL_CLUSTER.copy()
+        config["provider"] = {
+            "type": "external",
+            "module": "mymodule.provider_class",
+            }
+        invalid_provider = self.write_config(config)
+        self.assertRaises(
+            ImportError,
+            lambda: StandardAutoscaler(
+                invalid_provider, LoadMetrics(), update_interval_s=0))
+
+    def testExternalNodeScalerWrongModuleFormat(self):
+        config = SMALL_CLUSTER.copy()
+        config["provider"] = {
+            "type": "external",
+            "module": "does-not-exist",
+            }
+        invalid_provider = self.write_config(config)
+        self.assertRaises(
+            ValueError,
+            lambda: StandardAutoscaler(
+                invalid_provider, LoadMetrics(), update_interval_s=0))
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main(verbosity=2)