diff --git a/.changes/unreleased/Features-20230119-141156.yaml b/.changes/unreleased/Features-20230119-141156.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..dde705b05c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/unreleased/Features-20230119-141156.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+kind: Features
+body: add support for DBT_PROJECT_DIR env var
+time: 2023-01-19T14:11:56.638325919+01:00
+custom:
+  Author: leo-schick
+  Issue: "6078"
diff --git a/core/dbt/cli/params.py b/core/dbt/cli/params.py
index ec3c1107fa9..4d5a5e560fc 100644
--- a/core/dbt/cli/params.py
+++ b/core/dbt/cli/params.py
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@
 
 project_dir = click.option(
     "--project-dir",
-    envvar=None,
+    envvar="DBT_PROJECT_DIR",
     help="Which directory to look in for the dbt_project.yml file. Default is the current working directory and its parents.",
     default=default_project_dir,
     type=click.Path(exists=True),