diff --git a/src/exec.js b/src/exec.js
index 33bef22..d635616 100644
--- a/src/exec.js
+++ b/src/exec.js
@@ -1,11 +1,21 @@
-const docker = require("./docker");
-const { parseVars } = require("./util");
+const docker = require('./docker'),
+  { parseVars, load } = require('./environment');
+
+function exec (script, image, flags) {
+  let environmentVars = [];
+  if (flags.env) {
+    if (flags.env.includes('=')) {
+      environmentVars = parseVars(flags.env);
+    }
+    // try if env is file
+    else {
+      environmentVars = load(flags.env);
+    }
+  }
 
-function exec(script, image, flags) {
-  const environmentVars = flags.env ? parseVars(flags.env) : [];
   const commands = [].concat(
-    environmentVars.map(x => `export ${x}`),
-    "set -e",
+    environmentVars.map((x) => { return x && (x.includes('export') ? x : `export ${x}`); }),
+    'set -e',
     script
   );
   docker.run(commands, image, flags.dryRun, flags.interactive, flags.workDir);