diff --git a/cibuildwheel/__main__.py b/cibuildwheel/__main__.py
index cf15f57c..9d3e0bc5 100644
--- a/cibuildwheel/__main__.py
+++ b/cibuildwheel/__main__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from __future__ import print_function
-import argparse, os, subprocess, sys, textwrap
+import argparse, os, subprocess, sys, textwrap, shlex
 
 import cibuildwheel
 import cibuildwheel.linux, cibuildwheel.windows, cibuildwheel.macos
@@ -72,6 +72,16 @@ def main():
     project_dir = args.project_dir
     before_build = get_option_from_environment('CIBW_BEFORE_BUILD', platform=platform)
     skip_config = os.environ.get('CIBW_SKIP', '')
+    environment_config = get_option_from_environment('CIBW_ENVIRONMENT', platform=platform) or ''
+
+    environment = {}
+    for key_value in shlex.split(environment_config):
+        try:
+            key, value = key_value.split('=')
+            environment[key] = value
+        except:
+            print('cibuildwheel: Malformed environment option "%s"' % key_value, file=sys.stderr)
+            exit(2)
 
     skip = BuildSkipper(skip_config)
 
@@ -103,6 +113,7 @@ def main():
         test_requires=test_requires,
         before_build=before_build,
         skip=skip,
+        environment=environment,
     )
 
     print_preamble(platform, build_options)
diff --git a/cibuildwheel/linux.py b/cibuildwheel/linux.py
index af6415aa..7e28208a 100644
--- a/cibuildwheel/linux.py
+++ b/cibuildwheel/linux.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ except ImportError:
     from pipes import quote as shlex_quote
 
 
-def build(project_dir, package_name, output_dir, test_command, test_requires, before_build, skip):
+def build(project_dir, package_name, output_dir, test_command, test_requires, before_build, skip, environment):
     try:
         subprocess.check_call(['docker', '--version'])
     except:
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ def build(project_dir, package_name, output_dir, test_command, test_requires, be
             set -o xtrace
             cd /project
 
+            {environment_exports}
+
             for PYBIN in {pybin_paths}; do
                 # Setup
                 rm -rf /tmp/built_wheel
@@ -106,6 +108,9 @@ def build(project_dir, package_name, output_dir, test_command, test_requires, be
             before_build=shlex_quote(
                 prepare_command(before_build, python='python', pip='pip') if before_build else ''
             ),
+            environment_exports=' '.join(
+                ('export %s=%s\n' % (key, shlex_quote(value)) for key, value in environment.items())
+            ),
         )
 
         docker_process = subprocess.Popen([