diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index cd01998..c2a6687 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -242,7 +242,6 @@ in {
         };
         shellHook = ''
           mize_project_root=$(${pkgs.lib.getExe pkgs.git} rev-parse --show-toplevel)
-          export MIZE_CONFIG_FILES=$mize_project_root/mize_config.toml
         '';
         #_shell_type = "rust";
         nativeBuildInputs = [
@@ -332,6 +331,11 @@ in {
           example = "/home/user/here/mize.toml";
           description = "If set to NOT null, the mize daemon service will use the config file at this path instead of one written to the nix store";
         };
+        enableConfigFile = lib.mkOption {
+          type = lib.types.bool;
+          default = true;
+          description = "allows to disable setting MIZE_CONFIG_FILES env var for the mize daemon service";
+        };
         config = lib.mkOption {
           type = lib.types.attrsOf lib.types.anything;
           default = {};
@@ -347,7 +351,7 @@ in {
         systemd.user.services.mize = {
         description = "the mize daemon";
          wantedBy = [ "default.target" ];
-         environment = {
+         environment = lib.mkIf config.mize.enableConfigFile {
            MIZE_CONFIG_FILES = let fileInStore = (pkgs.formats.toml {}).generate "mize-daemon-config.toml" config.mize.config; in if config.mize.debugConfigFile == null then "${fileInStore}" else "${config.mize.debugConfigFile}";
          };
          serviceConfig = {