diff --git a/internal/decryptor/decryptor.go b/internal/decryptor/decryptor.go
index 70b61375..bec4cb54 100644
--- a/internal/decryptor/decryptor.go
+++ b/internal/decryptor/decryptor.go
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import (
 	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
+	ctrl "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/konfig"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/resource"
@@ -194,13 +195,26 @@ func IsEncryptedSecret(object *unstructured.Unstructured) bool {
 // For the import of PGP keys, the Decryptor must be configured with
 // an absolute GnuPG home directory path.
 func (d *Decryptor) ImportKeys(ctx context.Context) error {
-	if d.kustomization.Spec.Decryption == nil || d.kustomization.Spec.Decryption.SecretRef == nil {
+	if d.kustomization.Spec.Decryption == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
 
 	provider := d.kustomization.Spec.Decryption.Provider
 	switch provider {
 	case DecryptionProviderSOPS:
+		// load age key from env variable
+		globalAgeIdentities, err := age.GlobalIdentities()
+		if err != nil {
+			log := ctrl.LoggerFrom(ctx)
+			log.Info("failed to decrypt age identity from environment, ignoring", "error", err)
+		} else {
+			d.ageIdentities = append(d.ageIdentities, globalAgeIdentities...)
+		}
+
+		if d.kustomization.Spec.Decryption.SecretRef == nil {
+			return nil
+		}
+
 		secretName := types.NamespacedName{
 			Namespace: d.kustomization.GetNamespace(),
 			Name:      d.kustomization.Spec.Decryption.SecretRef.Name,
@@ -214,7 +228,6 @@ func (d *Decryptor) ImportKeys(ctx context.Context) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("cannot get %s decryption Secret '%s': %w", provider, secretName, err)
 		}
 
-		var err error
 		for name, value := range secret.Data {
 			switch filepath.Ext(name) {
 			case DecryptionPGPExt:
diff --git a/internal/decryptor/decryptor_test.go b/internal/decryptor/decryptor_test.go
index 322b856a..ad12fddb 100644
--- a/internal/decryptor/decryptor_test.go
+++ b/internal/decryptor/decryptor_test.go
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ func TestDecryptor_ImportKeys(t *testing.T) {
 		secret      *corev1.Secret
 		wantErr     bool
 		inspectFunc func(g *GomegaWithT, decryptor *Decryptor)
+		env         map[string]string
 	}{
 		{
 			name: "PGP key",
@@ -169,6 +170,54 @@ func TestDecryptor_ImportKeys(t *testing.T) {
 				g.Expect(decryptor.ageIdentities).To(HaveLen(0))
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "age key from env",
+			decryption: &kustomizev1.Decryption{
+				Provider: provider,
+			},
+			env: map[string]string{
+				"FLUX_SOPS_AGE_KEY": string(ageKey),
+			},
+			inspectFunc: func(g *GomegaWithT, decryptor *Decryptor) {
+				g.Expect(decryptor.ageIdentities).To(HaveLen(1))
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "age key from env invalid",
+			decryption: &kustomizev1.Decryption{
+				Provider: provider,
+			},
+			env: map[string]string{
+				"FLUX_SOPS_AGE_KEY": "invalid-key",
+			},
+			inspectFunc: func(g *GomegaWithT, decryptor *Decryptor) {
+				g.Expect(decryptor.ageIdentities).To(HaveLen(0))
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "age key from env and secret",
+			decryption: &kustomizev1.Decryption{
+				Provider: provider,
+				SecretRef: &meta.LocalObjectReference{
+					Name: "age-secret",
+				},
+			},
+			env: map[string]string{
+				"FLUX_SOPS_AGE_KEY": string(ageKey),
+			},
+			secret: &corev1.Secret{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Name:      "age-secret",
+					Namespace: provider,
+				},
+				Data: map[string][]byte{
+					"age" + DecryptionAgeExt: ageKey,
+				},
+			},
+			inspectFunc: func(g *GomegaWithT, decryptor *Decryptor) {
+				g.Expect(decryptor.ageIdentities).To(HaveLen(2))
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "HC Vault token",
 			decryption: &kustomizev1.Decryption{
@@ -376,6 +425,19 @@ clientSecret: some-client-secret`),
 				},
 			}
 
+			for envName, envVal := range tt.env {
+				cleanName := envName
+				prevValue, wasPresent := os.LookupEnv(envName)
+				t.Cleanup(func() {
+					if wasPresent {
+						os.Setenv(cleanName, prevValue)
+					} else {
+						os.Unsetenv(cleanName)
+					}
+				})
+				os.Setenv(envName, envVal)
+			}
+
 			d, cleanup, err := NewTempDecryptor("", cb.Build(), &kustomization)
 			g.Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 			t.Cleanup(cleanup)
diff --git a/internal/sops/age/keysource.go b/internal/sops/age/keysource.go
index c63d3686..6ad13ff5 100644
--- a/internal/sops/age/keysource.go
+++ b/internal/sops/age/keysource.go
@@ -11,12 +11,32 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"os"
 	"strings"
 
 	"filippo.io/age"
 	"filippo.io/age/armor"
 )
 
+const (
+	// SopsAgeKeyEnv can be set as an environment variable to provide
+	// an additional key to use for decryption.
+	SopsAgeKeyEnv = "FLUX_SOPS_AGE_KEY"
+)
+
+// GlobalIdentities loads age identities from the [SopsAgeKeyEnv] environment variable.
+func GlobalIdentities() ([]age.Identity, error) {
+	if globalKey, ok := os.LookupEnv(SopsAgeKeyEnv); ok {
+		parsed, err := age.ParseIdentities(strings.NewReader(globalKey))
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse age identities from env var: %w", err)
+		}
+		return parsed, nil
+	}
+
+	return nil, nil
+}
+
 // MasterKey is an age key used to Encrypt and Decrypt SOPS' data key.
 //
 // Adapted from https://github.com/mozilla/sops/blob/v3.7.2/age/keysource.go