diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c93da12b..8648a432 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 # v3.0.0 - Unreleased
 
+- Add support to `.env` like files
+  ([#324](https://github.com/go-task/task/issues/324), [#356](https://github.com/go-task/task/pull/356)).
 - Add `label:` to task so you can override the task name in the logs
   ([#321](https://github.com/go-task/task/issues/321]), [#337](https://github.com/go-task/task/pull/337)).
 
diff --git a/docs/usage.md b/docs/usage.md
index 609f9c71..4561fcf0 100644
--- a/docs/usage.md
+++ b/docs/usage.md
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ If you omit a task name, "default" will be assumed.
 
 ## Environment variables
 
-
 ### Task
+
 You can use `env` to set custom environment variables for a specific task:
 
 ```yaml
@@ -68,29 +68,20 @@ tasks:
 > NOTE: `env` supports expansion and retrieving output from a shell command
 > just like variables, as you can see on the [Variables](#variables) section.
 
+### .env files
 
-### Operating System
-Environment variables from the OS are accessible using `$VARNAME`:
+You can also ask Task to include `.env` like files by using the `dotenv:`
+setting:
 
-```yaml
-version: '2'
-
-tasks:
-  greet:
-    cmds:
-      - echo "Hello $USER"
-```
-
-### .env
-
-*.env* files are supported in v3 using the `dotenv` declaration:
-
-.env
 ```
+# .env
 KEYNAME=VALUE
 ```
-Taskfile.yml
+
+
 ```yaml
+# Taskfile.yml
+
 version: '3'
 
 dotenv: ['.env']
diff --git a/internal/taskfile/read/taskfile.go b/internal/taskfile/read/taskfile.go
index 70bee710..edde4bcc 100644
--- a/internal/taskfile/read/taskfile.go
+++ b/internal/taskfile/read/taskfile.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package read
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/joho/godotenv"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
@@ -11,12 +10,14 @@ import (
 	"github.com/go-task/task/v2/internal/taskfile"
 	"github.com/go-task/task/v2/internal/templater"
 
+	"github.com/joho/godotenv"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
 
 var (
 	// ErrIncludedTaskfilesCantHaveIncludes is returned when a included Taskfile contains includes
 	ErrIncludedTaskfilesCantHaveIncludes = errors.New("task: Included Taskfiles can't have includes. Please, move the include to the main Taskfile")
+	// ErrIncludedTaskfilesCantHaveDotenvs is returned when a included Taskfile contains dotenvs
 	ErrIncludedTaskfilesCantHaveDotenvs = errors.New("task: Included Taskfiles can't have dotenv declarations. Please, move the dotenv declaration to the main Taskfile")
 )
 
@@ -36,17 +37,18 @@ func Taskfile(dir string, entrypoint string) (*taskfile.Taskfile, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if v >= 3.0 {
-		if len(t.Dotenv) > 0 {
-			for _, envFile := range t.Dotenv {
-				var envFilePath string
-				if filepath.IsAbs(envFile) {
-					envFilePath = envFile
-				} else {
-					envFilePath = filepath.Join(dir, envFile)
-				}
-				if  err = godotenv.Load(envFilePath); err != nil {
-					return nil, err
+	if v >= 3.0 && len(t.Dotenv) > 0 {
+		for _, dotEnvPath := range t.Dotenv {
+			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})
 				}
 			}
 		}
@@ -86,10 +88,8 @@ func Taskfile(dir string, entrypoint string) (*taskfile.Taskfile, error) {
 			return nil, ErrIncludedTaskfilesCantHaveIncludes
 		}
 
-		if v >= 3.0 {
-			if len(includedTaskfile.Dotenv) > 0 {
-				return nil, ErrIncludedTaskfilesCantHaveDotenvs
-			}
+		if v >= 3.0 && len(includedTaskfile.Dotenv) > 0 {
+			return nil, ErrIncludedTaskfilesCantHaveDotenvs
 		}
 
 		if includedTask.AdvancedImport {