diff --git a/roles/docker_compose/README.md b/roles/docker_compose/README.md
index d407a62..d3204ec 100644
--- a/roles/docker_compose/README.md
+++ b/roles/docker_compose/README.md
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 # Role `docker_compose`
 
 A role for deploying a Docker-Compose-based application.
-It deploys the given Compose file as well as configuration files to the specified hosts and makes sure all services are up-to-date and running.
-The Compose file gets deployed to `/ansible_docker_compose/compose.yaml` and the configuration files get deployed into the `/ansible_docker_compose/configs/` directory.
+It deploys the given Compose file, an optional `.env` file, as well as configuration files to the specified hosts and makes sure all services are up-to-date and running.
+The Compose file gets deployed to `/ansible_docker_compose/compose.yaml`, the `.env` file to `/ansible_docker_compose/.env` and the configuration files get deployed into the `/ansible_docker_compose/configs/` directory.
 A use case for the deployment of the additional configuration files is Composes top-level element `configs` in conjunction with the `configs` option for services.
 
 ## Supported Distributions
diff --git a/roles/docker_compose/meta/argument_specs.yaml b/roles/docker_compose/meta/argument_specs.yaml
index 81ce504..c588ba0 100644
--- a/roles/docker_compose/meta/argument_specs.yaml
+++ b/roles/docker_compose/meta/argument_specs.yaml
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ argument_specs:
           `/ansible_docker_compose/compose.yaml`.
         type: str
         required: true
+      docker_compose__env_file_content:
+        description: >-
+          The content of the .env file at
+          `/ansible_docker_compose/.env`.
+        type: str
+        required: false
       docker_compose__configuration_files:
         description: >-
           A list of configuration files to be deployed in the
diff --git a/roles/docker_compose/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/docker_compose/tasks/main.yaml
index af7f717..7b01304 100644
--- a/roles/docker_compose/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/docker_compose/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -17,6 +17,17 @@
   become: true
   notify: docker compose down
 
+- name: deploy the .env file
+  ansible.builtin.copy:
+    content: "{{ docker_compose__env_file_content }}"
+    dest: /ansible_docker_compose/.env
+    mode: "0644"
+    owner: root
+    group: root
+  become: true
+  when: docker_compose__env_file_content is defined
+  notify: docker compose down
+
 - name: make sure the `/ansible_docker_compose/configs` directory exists
   ansible.builtin.file:
     path: /ansible_docker_compose/configs