diff --git a/cmd/sops/main.go b/cmd/sops/main.go
index 6b19f60b1..94fae39fa 100644
--- a/cmd/sops/main.go
+++ b/cmd/sops/main.go
@@ -78,6 +78,13 @@ func main() {
 	cli.VersionPrinter = version.PrintVersion
 	app := cli.NewApp()
 
+	// Bridge --age-key-file into its environment variable before any command
+	// runs, so it applies to every decrypt path (the top-level action as well
+	// as the decrypt/edit/exec-env/exec-file subcommands, which have their own
+	// actions). Like other global flags (e.g. --config, --verbose), it must be
+	// given before the subcommand.
+	app.Before = ageKeyFileFlagBefore
+
 	keyserviceFlags := []cli.Flag{
 		cli.BoolTFlag{
 			Name:   "enable-local-keyservice",
@@ -1734,6 +1741,11 @@ func main() {
 			Usage:  "comma separated list of age recipients",
 			EnvVar: "SOPS_AGE_RECIPIENTS",
 		},
+		cli.StringFlag{
+			Name:   "age-key-file",
+			Usage:  "path to a file containing age identities used for decryption",
+			EnvVar: "SOPS_AGE_KEY_FILE",
+		},
 		cli.BoolFlag{
 			Name:  "in-place, i",
 			Usage: "write output back to the same file instead of stdout",
@@ -2300,6 +2312,28 @@ func getRotateOpts(c *cli.Context, fileName string, inputStore common.Store, out
 	}, nil
 }
 
+// ageKeyFileFlagBefore is the app-level Before hook that applies the
+// --age-key-file flag. It runs ahead of every command (the implicit top-level
+// action and each subcommand), so the flag takes effect on all decrypt paths.
+func ageKeyFileFlagBefore(c *cli.Context) error {
+	return applyAgeKeyFileFlag(c.String("age-key-file"))
+}
+
+// applyAgeKeyFileFlag bridges the --age-key-file CLI flag into the
+// SOPS_AGE_KEY_FILE environment variable, which the age keysource reads in
+// loadIdentities to locate the identity file used for decryption. Decrypt-time
+// age identities are reconstructed from a file's metadata, so there is no
+// MasterKey to inject the path into directly; setting the environment the
+// keysource already consumes is the least-invasive way to expose this as a
+// POSIX-style flag. An explicitly passed flag therefore overrides any
+// pre-existing SOPS_AGE_KEY_FILE value. A no-op when the flag is unset.
+func applyAgeKeyFileFlag(ageKeyFile string) error {
+	if ageKeyFile == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return os.Setenv(age.SopsAgeKeyFileEnv, ageKeyFile)
+}
+
 func toExitError(err error) error {
 	if cliErr, ok := err.(*cli.ExitError); ok && cliErr != nil {
 		return cliErr
diff --git a/cmd/sops/main_test.go b/cmd/sops/main_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4335724e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/sops/main_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"flag"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/getsops/sops/v3/age"
+	"github.com/urfave/cli"
+)
+
+func TestApplyAgeKeyFileFlag(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("sets the environment when the flag is provided", func(t *testing.T) {
+		// t.Setenv registers restoration of the original value; clearing it
+		// afterwards gives the subtest a known, unset starting point.
+		t.Setenv(age.SopsAgeKeyFileEnv, "")
+		if err := os.Unsetenv(age.SopsAgeKeyFileEnv); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("failed to unset %s: %v", age.SopsAgeKeyFileEnv, err)
+		}
+
+		const want = "/path/to/keys.txt"
+		if err := applyAgeKeyFileFlag(want); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		if got := os.Getenv(age.SopsAgeKeyFileEnv); got != want {
+			t.Errorf("%s = %q, want %q", age.SopsAgeKeyFileEnv, got, want)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("overrides a pre-existing environment value", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Setenv(age.SopsAgeKeyFileEnv, "/from/env")
+
+		const want = "/from/flag"
+		if err := applyAgeKeyFileFlag(want); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		if got := os.Getenv(age.SopsAgeKeyFileEnv); got != want {
+			t.Errorf("%s = %q, want %q", age.SopsAgeKeyFileEnv, got, want)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("leaves the environment untouched when the flag is empty", func(t *testing.T) {
+		const want = "/from/env"
+		t.Setenv(age.SopsAgeKeyFileEnv, want)
+
+		if err := applyAgeKeyFileFlag(""); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		if got := os.Getenv(age.SopsAgeKeyFileEnv); got != want {
+			t.Errorf("%s = %q, want %q", age.SopsAgeKeyFileEnv, got, want)
+		}
+	})
+}
+
+// TestAgeKeyFileFlagBefore exercises the actual app.Before hook through a
+// cli.Context carrying the --age-key-file flag. Because the hook is wired to
+// app.Before (not app.Action), it runs for every command path, including the
+// decrypt/exec-env/exec-file subcommands that have their own actions.
+func TestAgeKeyFileFlagBefore(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv(age.SopsAgeKeyFileEnv, "")
+	if err := os.Unsetenv(age.SopsAgeKeyFileEnv); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to unset %s: %v", age.SopsAgeKeyFileEnv, err)
+	}
+
+	const want = "/path/to/keys.txt"
+	set := flag.NewFlagSet("test", flag.ContinueOnError)
+	set.String("age-key-file", "", "")
+	if err := set.Set("age-key-file", want); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to set flag: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if err := ageKeyFileFlagBefore(cli.NewContext(nil, set, nil)); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got := os.Getenv(age.SopsAgeKeyFileEnv); got != want {
+		t.Errorf("%s = %q, want %q", age.SopsAgeKeyFileEnv, got, want)
+	}
+}