diff --git a/sqlx-cli/src/bin/cargo-sqlx.rs b/sqlx-cli/src/bin/cargo-sqlx.rs
index bfae83e995..a924af4244 100644
--- a/sqlx-cli/src/bin/cargo-sqlx.rs
+++ b/sqlx-cli/src/bin/cargo-sqlx.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use clap::{crate_version, AppSettings, FromArgMatches, IntoApp};
 use console::style;
+use dotenv::dotenv;
 use sqlx_cli::Opt;
 use std::{env, process};
 
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ async fn main() {
     // so we want to notch out that superfluous "sqlx"
     let args = env::args_os().skip(2);
 
+    dotenv().ok();
     let matches = Opt::into_app()
         .version(crate_version!())
         .bin_name("cargo sqlx")
diff --git a/sqlx-cli/src/bin/sqlx.rs b/sqlx-cli/src/bin/sqlx.rs
index 0d18278577..e413581bb9 100644
--- a/sqlx-cli/src/bin/sqlx.rs
+++ b/sqlx-cli/src/bin/sqlx.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 use clap::{crate_version, FromArgMatches, IntoApp};
 use console::style;
+use dotenv::dotenv;
 use sqlx_cli::Opt;
 
 #[tokio::main]
 async fn main() {
+    dotenv().ok();
     let matches = Opt::into_app().version(crate_version!()).get_matches();
 
     // no special handling here
diff --git a/sqlx-cli/src/lib.rs b/sqlx-cli/src/lib.rs
index c8956e212e..d02f4fa3b4 100644
--- a/sqlx-cli/src/lib.rs
+++ b/sqlx-cli/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 use anyhow::Result;
-use dotenv::dotenv;
 
 use crate::opt::{Command, DatabaseCommand, MigrateCommand};
 
@@ -13,8 +12,6 @@ mod prepare;
 pub use crate::opt::Opt;
 
 pub async fn run(opt: Opt) -> Result<()> {
-    dotenv().ok();
-
     match opt.command {
         Command::Migrate(migrate) => match migrate.command {
             MigrateCommand::Add {