diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f83fe42..47cecf2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -106,9 +106,11 @@ your repository.
 | github<br>features<br>issues `boolean` |false| Enable issues tab.|
 | github<br>features<br>projects `boolean` |false| Enable projects tab.|
 | helm_charts `boolean` |false| Enable generation of Helm charts.|
-| devcontainer<br>private_packagist `boolean` |true| Repository requires private packagist access. Property is ignored is not of type php-*, or the other (deprecated) types: application, library, symfony-bundle.|
 | devcontainer<br>postCreateCommand `string` |-| Additional (shell) commands to run when the containers is created. For a typical project you would specify commands that only need to run once when the project is setup. For example you might add a command in here to load database fixtures for your project.|
 | devcontainer<br>postStartCommand `string` |-| Additional (shell) commands to run when the container is started. This event takes place after the create event, but opposed to the create event it's triggered every time the container is started (including when it's resumed from a suspended state). In a typical JavaScript application you might set it to run a `npm run dev` or equivalent step.|
+| devcontainer<br>customizations_vscode<br>extensions `array` |-| Additional extensions to install. Refer to the [group_vars/all.yaml](group_vars/all.yaml) file for extensions installed by default.|
+| devcontainer<br>customizations_vscode<br>settings `object` |-| Settings overrides for VSCode and installed extensions. Refer to the [group_vars/all.yaml](group_vars/all.yaml) file regarding proper format and default values.|
+| devcontainer<br>private_packagist `boolean` |true| Repository requires private packagist access. Property is ignored is not of type php-*, or the other (deprecated) types: application, library, symfony-bundle.|
 | devcontainer<br>repository `string` |ghcr.io/linkorb/php-docker-base| Image to use for devcontainer (registry image URL)|
 | devcontainer<br>tag `string` |php8-review| Image tag|
 | archived `boolean` |false| Setting this option to `true` will cause the repository to be archived. Once archived, it can only be unarchived manually.|
diff --git a/docs/partials/readme.configuration.md b/docs/partials/readme.configuration.md
index f17e226..212cfc1 100644
--- a/docs/partials/readme.configuration.md
+++ b/docs/partials/readme.configuration.md
@@ -28,9 +28,11 @@
 | github<br>features<br>issues `boolean` |false| Enable issues tab.|
 | github<br>features<br>projects `boolean` |false| Enable projects tab.|
 | helm_charts `boolean` |false| Enable generation of Helm charts.|
-| devcontainer<br>private_packagist `boolean` |true| Repository requires private packagist access. Property is ignored is not of type php-*, or the other (deprecated) types: application, library, symfony-bundle.|
 | devcontainer<br>postCreateCommand `string` |-| Additional (shell) commands to run when the containers is created. For a typical project you would specify commands that only need to run once when the project is setup. For example you might add a command in here to load database fixtures for your project.|
 | devcontainer<br>postStartCommand `string` |-| Additional (shell) commands to run when the container is started. This event takes place after the create event, but opposed to the create event it's triggered every time the container is started (including when it's resumed from a suspended state). In a typical JavaScript application you might set it to run a `npm run dev` or equivalent step.|
+| devcontainer<br>customizations_vscode<br>extensions `array` |-| Additional extensions to install. Refer to the [group_vars/all.yaml](group_vars/all.yaml) file for extensions installed by default.|
+| devcontainer<br>customizations_vscode<br>settings `object` |-| Settings overrides for VSCode and installed extensions. Refer to the [group_vars/all.yaml](group_vars/all.yaml) file regarding proper format and default values.|
+| devcontainer<br>private_packagist `boolean` |true| Repository requires private packagist access. Property is ignored is not of type php-*, or the other (deprecated) types: application, library, symfony-bundle.|
 | devcontainer<br>repository `string` |ghcr.io/linkorb/php-docker-base| Image to use for devcontainer (registry image URL)|
 | devcontainer<br>tag `string` |php8-review| Image tag|
 | archived `boolean` |false| Setting this option to `true` will cause the repository to be archived. Once archived, it can only be unarchived manually.|
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/group_vars/all.yaml b/group_vars/all.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..60d74ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/group_vars/all.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+default_devcontainer_customizations_vscode:
+  extensions:
+    - xdebug.php-debug
+    - bmewburn.vscode-intelephense-client
+    - mrmlnc.vscode-apache
+    - 74th.json-yaml-schema-selector
+
+  settings:
+    "php.validate.executablePath": /usr/local/bin/php
+    "yaml.schemas":
+      "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/linkorb/repo-ansible/main/repo.schema.yaml":
+        - repo.yaml
+    # YAML extension by RedHat that prompts on each new devcontainer to enable telemetry
+    "redhat.telemetry.enabled": false
diff --git a/repo.schema.yaml b/repo.schema.yaml
index d7d7487..7e54d59 100644
--- a/repo.schema.yaml
+++ b/repo.schema.yaml
@@ -195,12 +195,6 @@ properties:
     type: object
     description: Devcontainer specific values
     properties:
-      private_packagist:
-        type: boolean
-        default: true
-        description: >
-          Repository requires private packagist access. Property is ignored is not of type php-*, or the
-          other (deprecated) types: application, library, symfony-bundle.
       postCreateCommand:
         description: >
           Additional (shell) commands to run when the containers is created. For a typical project you would specify
@@ -215,6 +209,32 @@ properties:
           `npm run dev` or equivalent step.
         type: string
 
+      customizations_vscode:
+        type: object
+        additionalProperties: false
+        default: {}
+        description: >
+          Customizations done in this group will be merged with the default values configured in
+          [group_vars/all.yaml](group_vars/all.yaml)
+        properties:
+          extensions:
+            type: array
+            description: >
+              Additional extensions to install. Refer to the [group_vars/all.yaml](group_vars/all.yaml) file for
+              extensions installed by default.
+          settings:
+            type: object
+            description: >
+              Settings overrides for VSCode and installed extensions. Refer to the
+              [group_vars/all.yaml](group_vars/all.yaml) file regarding proper format and default values.
+
+      private_packagist:
+        type: boolean
+        default: true
+        description: >
+          Repository requires private packagist access. Property is ignored is not of type php-*, or the
+          other (deprecated) types: application, library, symfony-bundle.
+
       repository:
         type: string
         description: Image to use for devcontainer (registry image URL)
diff --git a/tasks/devcontainer.yaml b/tasks/devcontainer.yaml
index 9271fd4..86abddd 100644
--- a/tasks/devcontainer.yaml
+++ b/tasks/devcontainer.yaml
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
   ansible.builtin.template:
     src: "{{ './templates/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json.j2' }}"
     dest: "{{ repo_path + '/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json' }}"
+  vars:
+    customizations_vscode: "{{ default_devcontainer_customizations_vscode | combine(repo.devcontainer.customizations_vscode, recursive=True, list_merge='append') }}"
 
 - name: copy .devcontainer/git directory
   ansible.builtin.copy:
diff --git a/templates/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json.j2 b/templates/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json.j2
index e478a32..e2b49a2 100644
--- a/templates/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json.j2
+++ b/templates/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json.j2
@@ -15,27 +15,10 @@
       "ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/docker-in-docker:1": {}
   },
 
-  // Configure tool-specific properties.
   "customizations": {
-      // Configure properties specific to VS Code.
-      "vscode": {
-          // Set *default* container specific settings.json values on container create.
-          "settings": {
-              "php.validate.executablePath": "/usr/local/bin/php",
-              "yaml.schemas": {
-                "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/linkorb/repo-ansible/main/repo.schema.yaml": ["repo.yaml"]
-              },
-              // YAML extension by RedHat that prompts on each new devcontainer to enable telemetry
-              "redhat.telemetry.enabled": false
-          },
-          // Add the IDs of extensions you want installed when the container is created.
-          "extensions": [
-              "xdebug.php-debug",
-              "bmewburn.vscode-intelephense-client",
-              "mrmlnc.vscode-apache",
-              "74th.json-yaml-schema-selector"
-          ]
-      }
+      // auto-generated based on repo-ansible defaults + repo.yaml (devcontainer.customizations_vscode) definition
+      "vscode":
+{{ customizations_vscode | to_json(indent=2) }}
   },
   "forwardPorts": [ 80, 8000 ],
   "remoteUser": "vscode",