diff --git a/docs/shared/reference/environment-variables.md b/docs/shared/reference/environment-variables.md
index a3479d838c7ba..d1dc04c61f65e 100644
--- a/docs/shared/reference/environment-variables.md
+++ b/docs/shared/reference/environment-variables.md
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ The following environment variables are ones that you can set to change the beha
 | NX_BATCH_MODE                    | boolean | If set to `true`, Nx will run task(s) in batches for executors which support batches.                                                                                                                                          |
 | NX_SKIP_LOG_GROUPING             | boolean | If set to `true`, Nx will not group command's logs on CI.                                                                                                                                                                      |
 | NX_MIGRATE_CLI_VERSION           | string  | The version of Nx to use for running the `nx migrate` command. If not set, it defaults to `latest`.                                                                                                                            |
+| NX_LOAD_DOT_ENV_FILES            | boolean | If set to 'false', Nx will not load any environment files (e.g. `.local.env`, `.env.local`)                                                                                                                                    |
 
 Nx will set the following environment variables so they can be accessible within the process even outside of executors and generators.
 
diff --git a/packages/nx/src/command-line/affected/affected.ts b/packages/nx/src/command-line/affected/affected.ts
index 3b24f70a8e130..24be3c9048648 100644
--- a/packages/nx/src/command-line/affected/affected.ts
+++ b/packages/nx/src/command-line/affected/affected.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,14 @@ export async function affected(
   extraTargetDependencies: Record<
     string,
     (TargetDependencyConfig | string)[]
-  > = {}
+  > = {},
+  extraOptions = {
+    excludeTaskDependencies: false,
+    loadDotEnvFiles: process.env.NX_LOAD_DOT_ENV_FILES !== 'false',
+  } as {
+    excludeTaskDependencies: boolean;
+    loadDotEnvFiles: boolean;
+  }
 ): Promise<void> {
   performance.mark('code-loading:end');
   performance.measure('code-loading', 'init-local', 'code-loading:end');
@@ -84,7 +91,7 @@ export async function affected(
             overrides,
             null,
             extraTargetDependencies,
-            { excludeTaskDependencies: false, loadDotEnvFiles: true }
+            extraOptions
           );
           process.exit(status);
         }
diff --git a/packages/nx/src/command-line/release/publish.ts b/packages/nx/src/command-line/release/publish.ts
index b42a9180a7fc3..08daf70787409 100644
--- a/packages/nx/src/command-line/release/publish.ts
+++ b/packages/nx/src/command-line/release/publish.ts
@@ -93,8 +93,11 @@ export async function releasePublish(
         projectGraph,
         nxJson,
         Array.from(releaseGroupToFilteredProjects.get(releaseGroup)),
-        shouldExcludeTaskDependencies,
-        isCLI
+        isCLI,
+        {
+          excludeTaskDependencies: shouldExcludeTaskDependencies,
+          loadDotEnvFiles: process.env.NX_LOAD_DOT_ENV_FILES !== 'false',
+        }
       );
       if (status !== 0) {
         overallExitStatus = status || 1;
@@ -113,8 +116,11 @@ export async function releasePublish(
       projectGraph,
       nxJson,
       releaseGroup.projects,
-      shouldExcludeTaskDependencies,
-      isCLI
+      isCLI,
+      {
+        excludeTaskDependencies: shouldExcludeTaskDependencies,
+        loadDotEnvFiles: process.env.NX_LOAD_DOT_ENV_FILES !== 'false',
+      }
     );
     if (status !== 0) {
       overallExitStatus = status || 1;
@@ -129,8 +135,11 @@ async function runPublishOnProjects(
   projectGraph: ProjectGraph,
   nxJson: NxJsonConfiguration,
   projectNames: string[],
-  shouldExcludeTaskDependencies: boolean,
-  isCLI: boolean
+  isCLI: boolean,
+  extraOptions: {
+    excludeTaskDependencies: boolean;
+    loadDotEnvFiles: boolean;
+  }
 ): Promise<number> {
   const projectsToRun: ProjectGraphProjectNode[] = projectNames.map(
     (projectName) => projectGraph.nodes[projectName]
@@ -218,10 +227,7 @@ async function runPublishOnProjects(
     overrides,
     null,
     {},
-    {
-      excludeTaskDependencies: shouldExcludeTaskDependencies,
-      loadDotEnvFiles: true,
-    }
+    extraOptions
   );
 
   if (status !== 0) {
diff --git a/packages/nx/src/command-line/run-many/run-many.ts b/packages/nx/src/command-line/run-many/run-many.ts
index f36c50525886d..6b56e5aafce55 100644
--- a/packages/nx/src/command-line/run-many/run-many.ts
+++ b/packages/nx/src/command-line/run-many/run-many.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,10 @@ export async function runMany(
     string,
     (TargetDependencyConfig | string)[]
   > = {},
-  extraOptions = { excludeTaskDependencies: false, loadDotEnvFiles: true } as {
+  extraOptions = {
+    excludeTaskDependencies: false,
+    loadDotEnvFiles: process.env.NX_LOAD_DOT_ENV_FILES !== 'false',
+  } as {
     excludeTaskDependencies: boolean;
     loadDotEnvFiles: boolean;
   }
diff --git a/packages/nx/src/command-line/run/run-one.ts b/packages/nx/src/command-line/run/run-one.ts
index cd376e54904ab..74797bdc083e7 100644
--- a/packages/nx/src/command-line/run/run-one.ts
+++ b/packages/nx/src/command-line/run/run-one.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,10 @@ export async function runOne(
     string,
     (TargetDependencyConfig | string)[]
   > = {},
-  extraOptions = { excludeTaskDependencies: false, loadDotEnvFiles: true } as {
+  extraOptions = {
+    excludeTaskDependencies: false,
+    loadDotEnvFiles: process.env.NX_LOAD_DOT_ENV_FILES !== 'false',
+  } as {
     excludeTaskDependencies: boolean;
     loadDotEnvFiles: boolean;
   }
diff --git a/packages/nx/src/executors/run-commands/run-commands.impl.ts b/packages/nx/src/executors/run-commands/run-commands.impl.ts
index b6f71b2060262..4675de6944f17 100644
--- a/packages/nx/src/executors/run-commands/run-commands.impl.ts
+++ b/packages/nx/src/executors/run-commands/run-commands.impl.ts
@@ -106,7 +106,9 @@ export default async function (
   terminalOutput: string;
 }> {
   registerProcessListener();
-  await loadEnvVars(options.envFile);
+  if (process.env.NX_LOAD_DOT_ENV_FILES !== 'false') {
+    await loadEnvVars(options.envFile);
+  }
   const normalized = normalizeOptions(options);
 
   if (options.readyWhen && !options.parallel) {