diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/config/print.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/config/print.ts
index 8be88adce7..56dcd3f753 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/config/print.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/config/print.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ export default async (cmd: Command) => {
   const { schema, appConfigs } = await loadCliConfig({
     args: cmd.config,
     fromPackage: cmd.package,
+    mockEnv: cmd.lax,
   });
   const visibility = getVisibilityOption(cmd);
   const data = serializeConfigData(appConfigs, schema, visibility);
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/config/validate.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/config/validate.ts
index 581e4bae43..37f41164af 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/config/validate.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/config/validate.ts
@@ -21,5 +21,6 @@ export default async (cmd: Command) => {
   await loadCliConfig({
     args: cmd.config,
     fromPackage: cmd.package,
+    mockEnv: cmd.lax,
   });
 };
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/index.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/index.ts
index 1151e434c8..1d267c6889 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/index.ts
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ export function registerCommands(program: CommanderStatic) {
       '--package <name>',
       'Only load config schema that applies to the given package',
     )
+    .option('--lax', 'Do not require environment variables to be set')
     .option('--frontend', 'Print only the frontend configuration')
     .option('--with-secrets', 'Include secrets in the printed configuration')
     .option(
@@ -169,6 +170,7 @@ export function registerCommands(program: CommanderStatic) {
       '--package <name>',
       'Only load config schema that applies to the given package',
     )
+    .option('--lax', 'Do not require environment variables to be set')
     .option(...configOption)
     .description(
       'Validate that the given configuration loads and matches schema',
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/config.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/config.ts
index 88aac1e33c..30469421d3 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/config.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/config.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import { paths } from './paths';
 type Options = {
   args: string[];
   fromPackage?: string;
+  mockEnv?: boolean;
 };
 
 export async function loadCliConfig(options: Options) {
@@ -40,7 +41,9 @@ export async function loadCliConfig(options: Options) {
   });
 
   const appConfigs = await loadConfig({
-    env: process.env.APP_ENV ?? process.env.NODE_ENV ?? 'production',
+    experimentalEnvFunc: options.mockEnv
+      ? async name => process.env[name] || 'x'
+      : undefined,
     configRoot: paths.targetRoot,
     configPaths,
   });