diff --git a/task_test.go b/task_test.go
index f991f163..31710445 100644
--- a/task_test.go
+++ b/task_test.go
@@ -829,7 +829,7 @@ func TestShortTaskNotation(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestDotenvShouldIncludeAllEnvFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	tt := fileContentTest{
-		Dir:       "testdata/dotenv",
+		Dir:       "testdata/dotenv/default",
 		Target:    "default",
 		TrimSpace: false,
 		Files: map[string]string{
@@ -839,26 +839,9 @@ func TestDotenvShouldIncludeAllEnvFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	tt.Run(t)
 }
 
-func TestDotenvShouldErrorWithIncludeEnvPath(t *testing.T) {
-	const dir = "testdata/dotenv"
-	const entry = "Taskfile-errors1.yml"
-
-	var buff bytes.Buffer
-	e := task.Executor{
-		Dir:        dir,
-		Entrypoint: entry,
-		Summary:    true,
-		Stdout:     &buff,
-		Stderr:     &buff,
-	}
-	err := e.Setup()
-	assert.Error(t, err)
-	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "no such file")
-}
-
 func TestDotenvShouldErrorWhenIncludingDependantDotenvs(t *testing.T) {
-	const dir = "testdata/dotenv"
-	const entry = "Taskfile-errors2.yml"
+	const dir = "testdata/dotenv/error_included_envs"
+	const entry = "Taskfile.yml"
 
 	var buff bytes.Buffer
 	e := task.Executor{
@@ -873,3 +856,15 @@ func TestDotenvShouldErrorWhenIncludingDependantDotenvs(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "move the dotenv")
 }
+
+func TestDotenvShouldAllowMissingEnv(t *testing.T) {
+	tt := fileContentTest{
+		Dir:       "testdata/dotenv/missing_env",
+		Target:    "default",
+		TrimSpace: false,
+		Files: map[string]string{
+			"include.txt": "INCLUDE1='' INCLUDE2=''\n",
+		},
+	}
+	tt.Run(t)
+}
diff --git a/taskfile/read/taskfile.go b/taskfile/read/taskfile.go
index e333feb7..e483c0cb 100644
--- a/taskfile/read/taskfile.go
+++ b/taskfile/read/taskfile.go
@@ -42,14 +42,18 @@ func Taskfile(dir string, entrypoint string) (*taskfile.Taskfile, error) {
 			if !filepath.IsAbs(dotEnvPath) {
 				dotEnvPath = filepath.Join(dir, dotEnvPath)
 			}
-			envs, err := godotenv.Read(dotEnvPath)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, err
-			}
-			for key, value := range envs {
-				if _, ok := t.Env.Mapping[key]; !ok {
-					t.Env.Set(key, taskfile.Var{Static: value})
+			// allow for missing env files since they may be created by a bootstrap task
+			if _, err := os.Stat(dotEnvPath); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+				envs, err := godotenv.Read(dotEnvPath)
+				if err != nil {
+					return nil, err
 				}
+				for key, value := range envs {
+					if _, ok := t.Env.Mapping[key]; !ok {
+						t.Env.Set(key, taskfile.Var{Static: value})
+					}
+				}
+			} else {
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/testdata/dotenv/Taskfile-errors1.yml b/testdata/dotenv/default/Taskfile.yml
similarity index 55%
rename from testdata/dotenv/Taskfile-errors1.yml
rename to testdata/dotenv/default/Taskfile.yml
index 8551f165..f33195d1 100644
--- a/testdata/dotenv/Taskfile-errors1.yml
+++ b/testdata/dotenv/default/Taskfile.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 version: '3'
 
-dotenv: ['include1/.env', 'include1/envs/.env', 'file-does-not-exist']
+dotenv: ['../include1/.env', '../include1/envs/.env']
 
 tasks:
   default:
     cmds:
-      - echo "INCLUDE1='$INCLUDE1' INCLUDE2='$INCLUDE2'" > include-errors1.txt
+      - echo "INCLUDE1='$INCLUDE1' INCLUDE2='$INCLUDE2'" > include.txt
diff --git a/testdata/dotenv/Taskfile-errors2.yml b/testdata/dotenv/error_included_envs/Taskfile.yml
similarity index 83%
rename from testdata/dotenv/Taskfile-errors2.yml
rename to testdata/dotenv/error_included_envs/Taskfile.yml
index 7da25c5e..62230188 100644
--- a/testdata/dotenv/Taskfile-errors2.yml
+++ b/testdata/dotenv/error_included_envs/Taskfile.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 version: '3'
 
 includes:
-  include1: './include1'
+  include1: '../include1'
 
 tasks:
   default:
diff --git a/testdata/dotenv/Taskfile.yml b/testdata/dotenv/missing_env/Taskfile.yml
similarity index 70%
rename from testdata/dotenv/Taskfile.yml
rename to testdata/dotenv/missing_env/Taskfile.yml
index f4b775fc..865ab6dd 100644
--- a/testdata/dotenv/Taskfile.yml
+++ b/testdata/dotenv/missing_env/Taskfile.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 version: '3'
 
-dotenv: ['include1/.env', 'include1/envs/.env']
+dotenv: ['.env']
 
 tasks:
   default: