`--env-file` is silently ignored when using `--run`

[PolariTOON]

Version

v24.15.0

Platform

Linux beta 6.8.0-106-generic #106-Ubuntu SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Fri Mar  6 07:58:08 UTC 2026 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Subsystem

No response

What steps will reproduce the bug?

Given the following files:

• package.json:

  {
    "type": "module",
    "scripts": {
      "start": "echo $NODE_ENV"
    }
  }

• .env.production:

  NODE_ENV=production

Run the following command:

node --env-file=.env.production --run start

How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?

Always

What is the expected behavior? Why is that the expected behavior?

It outputs PRODUCTION.

What do you see instead?

Nothing

Additional information

I was expecting to be able to provide a whole set of environment variables to commands from a file, instead of setting them either in the shell or the surrounding environment (something like NODE_ENV=production node --run start) or rewriting the command. I didn't find information in the docs saying --env-file and --run can not be combined. Same for --env-file-if-exists.

[DivyanshuX9]

Hi, I'd like to look into this! I can reproduce the issue on v24.x.
My initial read: --env-file loads variables into process.env of the Node.js process itself, but --run spawns a child shell to execute the npm script — and it seems the variables from --env-file aren't being forwarded into that child process's environment.
A few questions before I dig into a fix:

Where does --run construct the child process environment? Is it in lib/internal/main/run_main_module.js or closer to the node --run implementation in src/node_worker.cc / src/util.cc?
Should --env-file variables be merged into the child's env explicitly, or should --run simply inherit the full process.env (which would already include --env-file vars if loaded early enough)?
Is there a reason --run might intentionally isolate the child environment — e.g., to avoid leaking Node.js internals into scripts?

Happy to open a draft PR once I understand the intended design. Would you be open to pointing me to the right file where --run's child process is spawned?

[AugustinMauroy]

IMO we shouldn't change this behavior but need to document it.
And it make sense because you have 2 process the runner and ran process.
for example if the script is node scriptThatRequirenv && node --run build the env variable will be spread everywhere which can be problematic

[bitpshr]

Opened #64442 to document this under --run, since the behavior is intended. It just notes that variables loaded with --env-file aren't applied to the command --run executes.