diff --git a/docs/configuration.rst b/docs/configuration.rst
index e99274e75..ed7aa3826 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/configuration.rst
@@ -3,12 +3,13 @@ Configuration File
 
 The Supervisor configuration file is conventionally named
 :file:`supervisord.conf`.  It is used by both :program:`supervisord`
-and :program:`supervisorctl`.  If either application is started
-without the ``-c`` option (the option which is used to tell the
-application the configuration filename explicitly), the application
-will look for a file named :file:`supervisord.conf` within the
-following locations, in the specified order.  It will use the first
-file it finds.
+and :program:`supervisorctl`. Either application can be starting with
+the ``-c`` or ``--configuration`` option, which is used to tell the
+application the configuration filename explicitly. Alternatively the
+config file can be specified in the ``$SUPERVISOR_CONFIG`` environment
+variable. If neither is he application will look for a file named
+:file:`supervisord.conf` within the following locations, in the
+specified order.  It will use the first file it finds.
 
 #. :file:`$CWD/supervisord.conf`
 
diff --git a/supervisor/options.py b/supervisor/options.py
index 9747e4292..f297cb3c4 100644
--- a/supervisor/options.py
+++ b/supervisor/options.py
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ def __init__(self, require_configfile=True):
         self.attr_priorities = {}
         self.require_configfile = require_configfile
         self.add(None, None, "h", "help", self.help)
-        self.add("configfile", None, "c:", "configuration=")
+        self.add("configfile", None, "c:", "configuration=", env="SUPERVISOR_CONFIG")
 
         here = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(sys.argv[0]))
         searchpaths = [os.path.join(here, 'etc', 'supervisord.conf'),
diff --git a/supervisor/tests/test_options.py b/supervisor/tests/test_options.py
index 3bae59b8a..a2966d526 100644
--- a/supervisor/tests/test_options.py
+++ b/supervisor/tests/test_options.py
@@ -281,6 +281,33 @@ def test_no_config_file(self):
         self.assertEqual(instance.username, 'chris')
         self.assertEqual(instance.password, '123')
 
+    def test_config_file_env(self):
+        """Making sure config file can be loaded from env."""
+        supervisord_conf = os.path.join(tempfile.mkdtemp(), 'supervisord.conf')
+        text = lstrip("""[supervisorctl]
+        serverurl=http://localhost:9001
+        username=chris
+        password=123
+        """)
+        with open(supervisord_conf, 'w') as f:
+            f.write(text)
+
+        try:
+          os.environ['SUPERVISOR_CONFIG'] = supervisord_conf
+          instance = self._makeOne()
+          instance.searchpaths = []
+          exitcodes = []
+          instance.exit = lambda x: exitcodes.append(x)
+          instance.realize(args=[])
+        finally:
+          os.environ.pop('SUPERVISOR_CONFIG', None)
+
+        self.assertEqual(exitcodes, [])
+        self.assertEqual(instance.interactive, 1)
+        self.assertEqual(instance.serverurl, 'http://localhost:9001')
+        self.assertEqual(instance.username, 'chris')
+        self.assertEqual(instance.password, '123')
+
     def test_options(self):
         tempdir = tempfile.gettempdir()
         s = lstrip("""[supervisorctl]