diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/DetectEnvironment.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/DetectEnvironment.php
index 03914738d960..7bdedac15c19 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/DetectEnvironment.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/DetectEnvironment.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 use Dotenv\Dotenv;
 use Dotenv\Exception\InvalidPathException;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\ArgvInput;
 use Illuminate\Contracts\Foundation\Application;
 
 class DetectEnvironment
@@ -35,12 +36,36 @@ public function bootstrap(Application $app)
      */
     protected function checkForSpecificEnvironmentFile($app)
     {
+        if (php_sapi_name() == 'cli') {
+            $input = new ArgvInput;
+
+            if ($input->hasParameterOption('--env')) {
+                $file = $app->environmentFile().'.'.$input->getParameterOption('--env');
+
+                $this->loadEnvironmentFile($app, $file);
+            }
+        }
+
         if (! env('APP_ENV')) {
             return;
         }
 
-        $file = $app->environmentFile().'.'.env('APP_ENV');
+        if (empty($file)) {
+            $file = $app->environmentFile().'.'.env('APP_ENV');
+
+            $this->loadEnvironmentFile($app, $file);
+        }
+    }
 
+    /**
+     * Load a custom environment file.
+     *
+     * @param  \Illuminate\Contracts\Foundation\Application  $app
+     * @param  string  $file
+     * @return void
+     */
+    protected function loadEnvironmentFile($app, $file)
+    {
         if (file_exists($app->environmentPath().'/'.$file)) {
             $app->loadEnvironmentFrom($file);
         }