diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ea04502d..83fe183d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -154,13 +154,28 @@ The default category is `main`.
 [environment.yml][envyaml], using a vendored copy of [Poetry's][poetry] dependency solver.
 
 ### private pip repositories
-Right now `conda-lock` only supports [legacy](https://warehouse.pypa.io/api-reference/legacy.html) pypi repos with basic auth. Most self-hosted repositories like Nexus, Artifactory etc. use this. To use this feature, add your private repo into Poetry's config _including_ the basic auth in the url:
+Right now `conda-lock` only supports [legacy](https://warehouse.pypa.io/api-reference/legacy.html) pypi repos with basic auth. Most self-hosted repositories like Nexus, Artifactory etc. use this. You can configure private repositories by setting the `CONDA_LOCK_PYPI_REPOSITORY_<custom-repository>` environment variable to the URL of the private repo, _including_ any basic auth. For example:
 
 ```bash
-poetry config repositories.foo https://username:password@foo.repo/simple/
+export CONDA_LOCK_PYPI_REPOSITORY_EXAMPLE="https://username:password@example.repo/simple"
 ```
 
-The private repo will be used in addition to `pypi.org`. For projects using `pyproject.toml`, it is possible to [disable `pypi.org` entirely](#disabling-pypiorg).
+Alternatively, you can use the `poetry` configuration file format to configure private PyPi repositories. The configuration file should be named `config.toml` and have the following format:
+
+```toml
+[repositories.example]
+url = "https://username:password@example.repo/simple"
+```
+
+The discoverable location of this file depends on the operating system:
+
+- **Linux**: `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/pypoetry-conda-lock` or `~/.config/pypoetry-conda-lock`
+- **OSX**:  `~/Library/Application Support/pypoetry-conda-lock`
+- **Windows**: Check output of `python -c 'from conda_lock._vendor.poetry.locations import CONFIG_DIR;print(CONFIG_DIR)'`
+
+
+Private repositories will be used in addition to `pypi.org`. For projects using `pyproject.toml`, it is possible to [disable `pypi.org` entirely](#disabling-pypiorg).
+
 
 ### --dev-dependencies/--no-dev-dependencies
 
diff --git a/conda_lock/pypi_solver.py b/conda_lock/pypi_solver.py
index 56b85d81..fa26a102 100644
--- a/conda_lock/pypi_solver.py
+++ b/conda_lock/pypi_solver.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
+import os
 import re
 import sys
 
+from functools import lru_cache
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Dict, List, Optional
 from urllib.parse import urldefrag, urlsplit, urlunsplit
@@ -373,6 +375,9 @@ def _prepare_repositories_pool(allow_pypi_requests: bool) -> Pool:
     factory = Factory()
     config = factory.create_config()
     repos = [
+        factory.create_legacy_repository({"name": name, "url": url}, config)
+        for name, url in _parse_repositories_from_environment().items()
+    ] + [
         factory.create_legacy_repository(
             {"name": source[0], "url": source[1]["url"]}, config
         )
@@ -383,6 +388,16 @@ def _prepare_repositories_pool(allow_pypi_requests: bool) -> Pool:
     return Pool(repositories=[*repos])
 
 
+@lru_cache(maxsize=1)
+def _parse_repositories_from_environment() -> Dict[str, str]:
+    env_prefix = "CONDA_LOCK_PYPI_REPOSITORY_"
+    return {
+        key[len(env_prefix) :].lower(): value
+        for key, value in os.environ.items()
+        if key.startswith(env_prefix)
+    }
+
+
 def _strip_auth(url: str) -> str:
     """Strip HTTP Basic authentication from a URL."""
     parts = urlsplit(url, allow_fragments=True)
diff --git a/tests/test_conda_lock.py b/tests/test_conda_lock.py
index 764c66ae..9cd9b796 100644
--- a/tests/test_conda_lock.py
+++ b/tests/test_conda_lock.py
@@ -60,7 +60,13 @@
 )
 from conda_lock.models.channel import Channel
 from conda_lock.models.lock_spec import VCSDependency, VersionedDependency
-from conda_lock.pypi_solver import _strip_auth, parse_pip_requirement, solve_pypi
+from conda_lock.pypi_solver import (
+    _parse_repositories_from_environment,
+    _prepare_repositories_pool,
+    _strip_auth,
+    parse_pip_requirement,
+    solve_pypi,
+)
 from conda_lock.src_parser import (
     DEFAULT_PLATFORMS,
     LockSpecification,
@@ -1673,6 +1679,24 @@ def test__extract_domain(line: str, stripped: str):
     assert _extract_domain(line) == stripped
 
 
+def test_parse_repositories_from_environment():
+    # Given a private repository is configured in the environment
+    try:
+        _parse_repositories_from_environment.cache_clear()
+        repository_url = "https://username:password@example.repo/simple"
+        os.environ["CONDA_LOCK_PYPI_REPOSITORY_EXAMPLE"] = repository_url
+        # When I prepare the repositories pool
+        pool = _prepare_repositories_pool(allow_pypi_requests=False)
+        # Then the private repository is included in the pool
+        assert pool.repositories, "No repositories were detected"
+        assert (
+            pool.repositories[0].url == repository_url
+        ), "Detected repository has incorrect URL"
+    finally:
+        _parse_repositories_from_environment.cache_clear()
+        del os.environ["CONDA_LOCK_PYPI_REPOSITORY_EXAMPLE"]
+
+
 def _read_file(filepath: "str | Path") -> str:
     with open(filepath, mode="r") as file_pointer:
         return file_pointer.read()