diff --git a/cli/command/cli.go b/cli/command/cli.go
index 62a36b20b3..6a73da08e4 100644
--- a/cli/command/cli.go
+++ b/cli/command/cli.go
@@ -162,7 +162,12 @@ func (cli *DockerCli) Initialize(opts *cliflags.ClientOptions) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	hasExperimental, err := isEnabled(cli.configFile.Experimental)
+	var experimentalValue string
+	// Environment variable always overrides configuration
+	if experimentalValue = os.Getenv("DOCKER_CLI_EXPERIMENTAL"); experimentalValue == "" {
+		experimentalValue = cli.configFile.Experimental
+	}
+	hasExperimental, err := isEnabled(experimentalValue)
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "Experimental field")
 	}
diff --git a/docs/reference/commandline/cli.md b/docs/reference/commandline/cli.md
index ebb9faae27..4a21aa45f6 100644
--- a/docs/reference/commandline/cli.md
+++ b/docs/reference/commandline/cli.md
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ by the `docker` command line:
 * `DOCKER_API_VERSION` The API version to use (e.g. `1.19`)
 * `DOCKER_CONFIG` The location of your client configuration files.
 * `DOCKER_CERT_PATH` The location of your authentication keys.
+* `DOCKER_CLI_EXPERIMENTAL` Enable experimental features for the cli (e.g. `enabled` or `disabled`)
 * `DOCKER_DRIVER` The graph driver to use.
 * `DOCKER_HOST` Daemon socket to connect to.
 * `DOCKER_NOWARN_KERNEL_VERSION` Prevent warnings that your Linux kernel is