diff --git a/tools/appslib/get_apps_repo.py b/tools/appslib/get_apps_repo.py
index 21675657e0..c8094a161e 100644
--- a/tools/appslib/get_apps_repo.py
+++ b/tools/appslib/get_apps_repo.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 
+import os
 import argparse
 import tempfile
 import logging
@@ -19,10 +20,13 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
 
 
 def add_args(parser: argparse.ArgumentParser, required: bool = False) -> None:
+    env_apps_dir_str = os.environ.get("YNH_APPS_DIR")
+    env_apps_dir = Path(env_apps_dir_str) if env_apps_dir_str is not None else None
+
     repo_group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group(required=required)
     repo_group.add_argument("-c", "--apps-repo", type=str, default=DEFAULT_GIT_REPO,
                         help="Git url to clone the 'apps' repository")
-    repo_group.add_argument("-d", "--apps-dir", type=Path, help="Path to an existing 'apps' repository")
+    repo_group.add_argument("-d", "--apps-dir", type=Path, help="Path to an existing 'apps' repository", default=env_apps_dir)
 
 
 def from_args(args: argparse.Namespace) -> Path: