diff --git a/app/Config/Paths.php b/app/Config/Paths.php
index 3dc9c5d93951..16dc37068660 100644
--- a/app/Config/Paths.php
+++ b/app/Config/Paths.php
@@ -75,4 +75,14 @@ class Paths
      * is used when no value is provided to `Services::renderer()`.
      */
     public string $viewDirectory = __DIR__ . '/../Views';
+
+    /**
+     * ---------------------------------------------------------------
+     * ENVIRONMENT DIRECTORY NAME
+     * ---------------------------------------------------------------
+     *
+     * This variable must contain the name of the directory for
+     * environment files.
+     */
+    public string $environmentDirectory = __DIR__ . '/../../';
 }
diff --git a/system/Boot.php b/system/Boot.php
index ba3675516b16..283a61bd4769 100644
--- a/system/Boot.php
+++ b/system/Boot.php
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ public static function preload(Paths $paths): void
     protected static function loadDotEnv(Paths $paths): void
     {
         require_once $paths->systemDirectory . '/Config/DotEnv.php';
-        (new DotEnv($paths->appDirectory . '/../'))->load();
+        (new DotEnv($paths->environmentDirectory))->load();
     }
 
     protected static function defineEnvironment(): void
diff --git a/system/Commands/Encryption/GenerateKey.php b/system/Commands/Encryption/GenerateKey.php
index a3fdbd4393a9..3f90203c7d9c 100644
--- a/system/Commands/Encryption/GenerateKey.php
+++ b/system/Commands/Encryption/GenerateKey.php
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 use CodeIgniter\CLI\CLI;
 use CodeIgniter\Config\DotEnv;
 use CodeIgniter\Encryption\Encryption;
+use Config\Paths;
 
 /**
  * Generates a new encryption key.
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ public function run(array $params)
         // force DotEnv to reload the new env vars
         putenv('encryption.key');
         unset($_ENV['encryption.key'], $_SERVER['encryption.key']);
-        $dotenv = new DotEnv(ROOTPATH);
+        $dotenv = new DotEnv((new Paths())->environmentDirectory);
         $dotenv->load();
 
         CLI::write('Application\'s new encryption key was successfully set.', 'green');
@@ -155,7 +156,7 @@ protected function confirmOverwrite(array $params): bool
     protected function writeNewEncryptionKeyToFile(string $oldKey, string $newKey): bool
     {
         $baseEnv = ROOTPATH . 'env';
-        $envFile = ROOTPATH . '.env';
+        $envFile = (new Paths())->environmentDirectory . '.env';
 
         if (! is_file($envFile)) {
             if (! is_file($baseEnv)) {
diff --git a/system/Commands/Utilities/Environment.php b/system/Commands/Utilities/Environment.php
index 22794fe9d51d..f5caad4ba3f4 100644
--- a/system/Commands/Utilities/Environment.php
+++ b/system/Commands/Utilities/Environment.php
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 use CodeIgniter\CLI\BaseCommand;
 use CodeIgniter\CLI\CLI;
 use CodeIgniter\Config\DotEnv;
+use Config\Paths;
 
 /**
  * Command to display the current environment,
@@ -119,7 +120,7 @@ public function run(array $params)
         // however we cannot redefine the ENVIRONMENT constant
         putenv('CI_ENVIRONMENT');
         unset($_ENV['CI_ENVIRONMENT'], $_SERVER['CI_ENVIRONMENT']);
-        (new DotEnv(ROOTPATH))->load();
+        (new DotEnv((new Paths())->environmentDirectory))->load();
 
         CLI::write(sprintf('Environment is successfully changed to "%s".', $env), 'green');
         CLI::write('The ENVIRONMENT constant will be changed in the next script execution.');
@@ -134,7 +135,7 @@ public function run(array $params)
     private function writeNewEnvironmentToEnvFile(string $newEnv): bool
     {
         $baseEnv = ROOTPATH . 'env';
-        $envFile = ROOTPATH . '.env';
+        $envFile = (new Paths())->environmentDirectory . '.env';
 
         if (! is_file($envFile)) {
             if (! is_file($baseEnv)) {