diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index 6dbf566..9be04a4 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -22,13 +22,13 @@
         "php": "^8.0",
         "ext-json": "*",
         "codeception/lib-innerbrowser": "^3.1",
-        "codeception/codeception": "^5.0.0-RC2"
+        "codeception/codeception": "^5.0.0-RC2",
+        "vlucas/phpdotenv": "^5.3"
     },
     "require-dev": {
         "codeception/module-asserts": "^3.0",
         "codeception/module-rest": "^3.1",
-        "laravel/framework": "^8.0",
-        "vlucas/phpdotenv": "^5.3"
+        "laravel/framework": "^8.0"
     },
     "autoload": {
         "classmap": ["src/"]
diff --git a/src/Codeception/Lib/Connector/Laravel.php b/src/Codeception/Lib/Connector/Laravel.php
index 049c718..9483c70 100644
--- a/src/Codeception/Lib/Connector/Laravel.php
+++ b/src/Codeception/Lib/Connector/Laravel.php
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 use Codeception\Lib\Connector\Laravel6\ExceptionHandlerDecorator as Laravel6ExceptionHandlerDecorator;
 use Codeception\Module\Laravel as LaravelModule;
 use Codeception\Stub;
+use Dotenv\Dotenv;
 use Exception;
 use Illuminate\Contracts\Config\Repository as Config;
 use Illuminate\Contracts\Debug\ExceptionHandler;
@@ -186,7 +187,10 @@ private function loadApplication(): AppContract
     {
         /** @var AppContract $app */
         $app = require $this->module->config['bootstrap_file'];
-        $app->loadEnvironmentFrom($this->module->config['environment_file']);
+        if ($this->module->config['environment_file'] !== '.env') {
+            $env = Dotenv::createMutable($app->basePath(), $this->module->config['environment_file']);
+            $env->load();
+        }
         $app->instance('request', new Request());
 
         return $app;