diff --git a/cmd/limactl/shell.go b/cmd/limactl/shell.go
index 66c56c4af13..69622b0cc72 100644
--- a/cmd/limactl/shell.go
+++ b/cmd/limactl/shell.go
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ func newShellCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	shellCmd.Flags().Bool("reconnect", false, "Reconnect to the SSH session")
 	shellCmd.Flags().Bool("preserve-env", false, "Propagate environment variables to the shell")
 	shellCmd.Flags().Bool("start", false, "Start the instance if it is not already running")
+	shellCmd.Flags().StringSlice("allow-env", []string{}, "Comma-separated list of environment variable patterns to allow when --preserve-env is set (overrides LIMA_SHELLENV_ALLOW)")
+	shellCmd.Flags().StringSlice("block-env", []string{}, "Comma-separated list of environment variable patterns to allow when --preserve-env is set (overrides LIMA_SHELLENV_BLOCK)")
 	return shellCmd
 }
 
@@ -216,8 +218,16 @@ func shellAction(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	allowListRaw, err := cmd.Flags().GetStringSlice("allow-env")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	blockListRaw, err := cmd.Flags().GetStringSlice("block-env")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	if preserveEnv {
-		filteredEnv := envutil.FilterEnvironment()
+		filteredEnv := envutil.FilterEnvironment(allowListRaw, blockListRaw)
 		if len(filteredEnv) > 0 {
 			envPrefix = "env "
 			for _, envVar := range filteredEnv {
diff --git a/pkg/envutil/envutil.go b/pkg/envutil/envutil.go
index d5147d5a8c7..f9284cab17c 100644
--- a/pkg/envutil/envutil.go
+++ b/pkg/envutil/envutil.go
@@ -56,15 +56,20 @@ func validatePattern(pattern string) error {
 }
 
 // getBlockList returns the list of environment variable patterns to be blocked.
-func getBlockList() []string {
-	blockEnv := os.Getenv("LIMA_SHELLENV_BLOCK")
-	if blockEnv == "" {
-		return defaultBlockList
+func getBlockList(blockListRaw []string) []string {
+	var shouldAppend bool
+	patterns := blockListRaw
+	if len(patterns) == 0 {
+		blockEnv := os.Getenv("LIMA_SHELLENV_BLOCK")
+		if blockEnv == "" {
+			return defaultBlockList
+		}
+		shouldAppend = strings.HasPrefix(blockEnv, "+")
+		patterns = parseEnvList(strings.TrimPrefix(blockEnv, "+"))
+	} else {
+		shouldAppend = strings.HasPrefix(patterns[0], "+")
 	}
 
-	shouldAppend := strings.HasPrefix(blockEnv, "+")
-	patterns := parseEnvList(strings.TrimPrefix(blockEnv, "+"))
-
 	for _, pattern := range patterns {
 		if err := validatePattern(pattern); err != nil {
 			logrus.Fatalf("Invalid LIMA_SHELLENV_BLOCK pattern: %v", err)
@@ -78,14 +83,16 @@ func getBlockList() []string {
 }
 
 // getAllowList returns the list of environment variable patterns to be allowed.
-func getAllowList() []string {
-	allowEnv := os.Getenv("LIMA_SHELLENV_ALLOW")
-	if allowEnv == "" {
-		return nil
+func getAllowList(allowListRaw []string) []string {
+	patterns := allowListRaw
+	if len(patterns) == 0 {
+		allowEnv := os.Getenv("LIMA_SHELLENV_ALLOW")
+		if allowEnv == "" {
+			return nil
+		}
+		patterns = parseEnvList(allowEnv)
 	}
 
-	patterns := parseEnvList(allowEnv)
-
 	for _, pattern := range patterns {
 		if err := validatePattern(pattern); err != nil {
 			logrus.Fatalf("Invalid LIMA_SHELLENV_ALLOW pattern: %v", err)
@@ -131,11 +138,11 @@ func matchesAnyPattern(name string, patterns []string) bool {
 // FilterEnvironment filters environment variables based on configuration from environment variables.
 // It returns a slice of environment variables that are not blocked by the current configuration.
 // The filtering is controlled by LIMA_SHELLENV_BLOCK and LIMA_SHELLENV_ALLOW environment variables.
-func FilterEnvironment() []string {
+func FilterEnvironment(allowListRaw, blockListRaw []string) []string {
 	return filterEnvironmentWithLists(
 		os.Environ(),
-		getAllowList(),
-		getBlockList(),
+		getAllowList(allowListRaw),
+		getBlockList(blockListRaw),
 	)
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/envutil/envutil_test.go b/pkg/envutil/envutil_test.go
index 6904580fa7d..9111d6a3552 100644
--- a/pkg/envutil/envutil_test.go
+++ b/pkg/envutil/envutil_test.go
@@ -88,8 +88,8 @@ func TestGetBlockAndAllowLists(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Setenv("LIMA_SHELLENV_BLOCK", "")
 		t.Setenv("LIMA_SHELLENV_ALLOW", "")
 
-		blockList := getBlockList()
-		allowList := getAllowList()
+		blockList := getBlockList([]string{})
+		allowList := getAllowList([]string{})
 
 		assert.Assert(t, isUsingDefaultBlockList())
 		assert.DeepEqual(t, blockList, defaultBlockList)
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ func TestGetBlockAndAllowLists(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("custom blocklist", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Setenv("LIMA_SHELLENV_BLOCK", "PATH,HOME")
 
-		blockList := getBlockList()
+		blockList := getBlockList([]string{})
 		assert.Assert(t, !isUsingDefaultBlockList())
 		expected := []string{"PATH", "HOME"}
 		assert.DeepEqual(t, blockList, expected)
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ func TestGetBlockAndAllowLists(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("additive blocklist", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Setenv("LIMA_SHELLENV_BLOCK", "+CUSTOM_VAR")
 
-		blockList := getBlockList()
+		blockList := getBlockList([]string{})
 		assert.Assert(t, isUsingDefaultBlockList())
 		expected := slices.Concat(GetDefaultBlockList(), []string{"CUSTOM_VAR"})
 		assert.DeepEqual(t, blockList, expected)
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ func TestGetBlockAndAllowLists(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("allowlist", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Setenv("LIMA_SHELLENV_ALLOW", "FOO,BAR")
 
-		allowList := getAllowList()
+		allowList := getAllowList([]string{})
 		expected := []string{"FOO", "BAR"}
 		assert.DeepEqual(t, allowList, expected)
 	})