diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5cf54a2f..90e7c33e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 - `--profile` reports the slowest tests after a run (count via `BASHUNIT_PROFILE_COUNT`, default 10); works in sequential and parallel mode (#678)
 - Snapshot mismatches show a readable line diff even when `git` is unavailable (expected lines prefixed `-`, actual `+`) (#679)
 - Failure output now includes the originating test `file:line` (`at <file>:<line>`) (#680)
+- Project config file `.bashunitrc` (`KEY=value` lines); precedence is CLI flag > env var / `.env` > `.bashunitrc` > default; honors `--skip-env-file` (#681)
 
 ### Fixed
 - `bashunit learn` and coverage now create temp directories via `mktemp -d` (no predictable PID-based paths under `/tmp`)
diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index c3dd313b..3b479cfe 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -7,6 +7,30 @@ You need to create a `.env` file in the root directory,
 but you can give it another name if you pass it as an argument to the command with
 `--env` [option](/command-line#environment).
 
+## Config file (.bashunitrc)
+
+As an alternative to a `.env` file, you can place a `.bashunitrc` file in the
+project root with `KEY=value` lines (blank lines and `#` comments are ignored):
+
+```bash
+# .bashunitrc
+BASHUNIT_SHOW_HEADER=false
+BASHUNIT_PARALLEL_RUN=true
+BASHUNIT_PROFILE=true
+```
+
+It is meant for committing sensible project defaults. Precedence, from highest
+to lowest:
+
+1. CLI flags (e.g. `--simple`)
+2. Environment variables and the `.env` file
+3. `.bashunitrc`
+4. Built-in defaults
+
+`.bashunitrc` only fills values that are not already set, so an exported
+environment variable or a `.env` entry always wins. `--skip-env-file` skips
+`.bashunitrc` as well.
+
 ## Default path
 
 > `BASHUNIT_DEFAULT_PATH=directory|file`
diff --git a/src/env.sh b/src/env.sh
index c762ff4d..43e4c446 100644
--- a/src/env.sh
+++ b/src/env.sh
@@ -2,8 +2,53 @@
 
 # shellcheck disable=SC2034
 
+##
+# Loads a project config file of `KEY=value` lines (comments with `#` and blank
+# lines are ignored). Each key is only applied when not already set in the
+# environment, so real env vars and CLI flags keep precedence over the file.
+# Surrounding single/double quotes and an optional `export ` prefix are stripped.
+# Arguments: $1 path to the config file
+##
+function bashunit::env::load_config_file() {
+  local file=$1
+  [ -f "$file" ] || return 0
+
+  local line key val
+  while IFS= read -r line || [ -n "$line" ]; do
+    # Trim leading whitespace
+    line=${line#"${line%%[![:space:]]*}"}
+    case "$line" in
+    '' | '#'*) continue ;;
+    esac
+    case "$line" in export\ *) line=${line#export } ;; esac
+    case "$line" in
+    *=*) ;;
+    *) continue ;;
+    esac
+
+    key=${line%%=*}
+    val=${line#*=}
+
+    # Only accept valid shell identifiers (defends the eval below)
+    case "$key" in
+    '' | *[!A-Za-z0-9_]* | [0-9]*) continue ;;
+    esac
+
+    # Strip surrounding matching quotes
+    case "$val" in
+    \"*\") val=${val#\"} val=${val%\"} ;;
+    \'*\') val=${val#\'} val=${val%\'} ;;
+    esac
+
+    # Apply only when unset: env var / CLI flag > config file
+    eval "export $key=\"\${$key:-\$val}\""
+  done <"$file"
+}
+
+# Load project config (lower precedence than env vars, .env and CLI flags).
 # Load .env file (skip if --skip-env-file is used to keep shell environment intact)
 if [ "${BASHUNIT_SKIP_ENV_FILE:-false}" != "true" ]; then
+  bashunit::env::load_config_file ".bashunitrc"
   set -o allexport
   # shellcheck source=/dev/null
   [ -f ".env" ] && source .env
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/bashunit_bashunitrc_test.sh b/tests/acceptance/bashunit_bashunitrc_test.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b8d5dc30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/acceptance/bashunit_bashunitrc_test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+function set_up() {
+  BIN="$PWD/bashunit"
+  # The outer run inherits an exported BASHUNIT_SHOW_HEADER; clear it so the
+  # child process starts without it and the config file can take effect.
+  unset BASHUNIT_SHOW_HEADER
+  WORKDIR="$(bashunit::temp_dir)/rc_project"
+  mkdir -p "$WORKDIR"
+  cat >"$WORKDIR/a_test.sh" <<'TEST'
+function test_pass() { assert_same 1 1; }
+TEST
+}
+
+function test_bashunitrc_config_is_applied() {
+  printf 'BASHUNIT_SHOW_HEADER=false\n' >"$WORKDIR/.bashunitrc"
+
+  local output
+  output=$(cd "$WORKDIR" && "$BIN" --no-parallel --no-color a_test.sh 2>&1) || true
+
+  assert_not_contains "bashunit -" "$output"
+  assert_contains "All tests passed" "$output"
+}
+
+function test_without_bashunitrc_header_is_shown() {
+  rm -f "$WORKDIR/.bashunitrc"
+
+  local output
+  output=$(cd "$WORKDIR" && "$BIN" --no-parallel --no-color a_test.sh 2>&1) || true
+
+  assert_contains "bashunit -" "$output"
+}
+
+function test_env_var_overrides_bashunitrc() {
+  printf 'BASHUNIT_SHOW_HEADER=false\n' >"$WORKDIR/.bashunitrc"
+
+  local output
+  output=$(cd "$WORKDIR" && BASHUNIT_SHOW_HEADER=true "$BIN" --no-parallel --no-color a_test.sh 2>&1) || true
+
+  assert_contains "bashunit -" "$output"
+}
+
+function test_skip_env_file_skips_bashunitrc() {
+  printf 'BASHUNIT_SHOW_HEADER=false\n' >"$WORKDIR/.bashunitrc"
+
+  local output
+  output=$(cd "$WORKDIR" && "$BIN" --no-parallel --no-color --skip-env-file a_test.sh 2>&1) || true
+
+  assert_contains "bashunit -" "$output"
+}