diff --git a/src/rebar3_hex_config.erl b/src/rebar3_hex_config.erl
index 0145a9c7..396a0602 100644
--- a/src/rebar3_hex_config.erl
+++ b/src/rebar3_hex_config.erl
@@ -45,13 +45,53 @@ repo(State, RepoName) ->
     MaybeFound2 =  get_repo(<<MaybeParentRepo/binary, BinName/binary>>, Repos),
     case {MaybeFound1, MaybeFound2} of
         {{ok, Repo1}, undefined} ->
-            {ok, Repo1};
+            {ok, merge_with_env(Repo1)};
         {undefined, {ok, Repo2}} ->
-            {ok, Repo2};
+            {ok, merge_with_env(Repo2)};
         {undefined, undefined} ->
             {error, {not_valid_repo, RepoName}}
     end.
 
+
+-define(ENV_VARS, [
+                   {"HEX_API_KEY", {api_key, {string, undefined}}},
+                   {"HEX_API_URL", {api_url, {string, undefined}}},
+                   {"HEX_UNSAFE_REGISTRY", {repo_verify, {boolean, false}}},
+                   {"HEX_NO_VERIFY_REPO_ORIGIN", {repo_verify_origin, {boolean, true}}}
+                  ]).
+
+merge_with_env(Repo) ->
+    lists:foldl(fun({EnvName, {Key, _} = Default}, Acc) ->
+                        Val = maybe_env_val(EnvName, Default),
+                        maybe_put_key(Key, Val, Acc)
+                end, Repo, ?ENV_VARS).
+
+maybe_put_key(_Key, undefined, Repo) ->
+    Repo;
+maybe_put_key(Key, Val, Repo) ->
+    case maps:get(Key, Repo, undefined) of
+        Val ->
+            Repo;
+        _ ->
+            Repo#{Key => Val}
+    end.
+
+maybe_env_val(K, {_, {Type, Default}}) ->
+    case {os:getenv(K), {Type, Default}} of
+        {false, {_, Default}} ->
+            Default;
+        {"", {_, Default}} ->
+            Default;
+        {Val, {boolean, _}} ->
+            to_bool(string:to_lower(Val));
+        {Val, {string, _}} ->
+          rebar_utils:to_binary(Val)
+    end.
+
+to_bool("0") -> false;
+to_bool("false") -> false;
+to_bool(_) -> true.
+
 parent_repos(State) ->
     Resources = rebar_state:resources(State),
     #{repos := Repos} = rebar_resource_v2:find_resource_state(pkg, Resources),
@@ -75,11 +115,11 @@ get_repo(BinaryName, Repos) ->
         {error,{rebar_hex_repos,{repo_not_found,BinaryName}}} -> undefined
     end.
 
+hex_config_write(#{api_key := Key} = HexConfig) when is_binary(Key) ->
+    {ok, HexConfig};
 hex_config_write(#{write_key := undefined}) ->
     {error, no_write_key};
-hex_config_write(#{api_key := <<_ApiKey/binary>>} = HexConfig) ->
-    {ok, HexConfig};
-hex_config_write(#{write_key := WriteKey, username := Username} = HexConfig) ->
+hex_config_write(#{api_key := undefined, write_key := WriteKey, username := Username} = HexConfig) ->
     DecryptedWriteKey = rebar3_hex_user:decrypt_write_key(Username, WriteKey),
     {ok, HexConfig#{api_key => DecryptedWriteKey}}.
 
diff --git a/src/rebar3_hex_publish.erl b/src/rebar3_hex_publish.erl
index 7ba889e4..165b8330 100644
--- a/src/rebar3_hex_publish.erl
+++ b/src/rebar3_hex_publish.erl
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ init(State) ->
                                  {short_desc, "Publish a new version of your package and update the package"},
                                  {desc, ""},
                                  {opts, [rebar3_hex:repo_opt(),
+                                         {"yes", $y, "yes", {boolean, false}, "Publishes the package without any confirmation
+                                         prompts"},
                                          {"--revert", undefined, "--revert", string, "Revert given version."}]}]),
 
     State1 = rebar_state:add_provider(State, Provider),
@@ -186,25 +188,34 @@ publish(App, Name, Version, Deps, [], AppDetails, HexConfig, State) ->
     rebar3_hex_io:say("  Links:~n    ~ts", [format_links(Links)]),
     rebar3_hex_io:say("  Build tools: ~ts", [format_build_tools(BuildTools)]),
     maybe_say_coc(HexConfig),
-    case rebar3_hex_io:ask("Proceed?", boolean, "Y") of
+    {Args, _} = rebar_state:command_parsed_args(State),
+    case proplists:get_bool("yes", Args) of
         true ->
-            %% hex_config_write should mutate and return state as well
-            {ok, HexConfig1} = rebar3_hex_config:hex_config_write(HexConfig),
-            case create_and_publish(Metadata, PackageFiles, HexConfig1) of
-                ok ->
-                    rebar_api:info("Published ~s ~s", [Name, Version]),
-                    rebar3_hex_docs:publish(App, State, HexConfig1),
-                    {ok, State};
-                Error={error, _} ->
-                    Error
-            end;
-        _ ->
-            rebar3_hex_io:say("Goodbye..."),
-            {ok, State}
+            publish_package_and_docs(Name, Version, Metadata, PackageFiles, HexConfig, App, State);
+        false ->
+            case rebar3_hex_io:ask("Proceed?", boolean, "Y") of
+                true ->
+                    publish_package_and_docs(Name, Version, Metadata, PackageFiles, HexConfig, App, State);
+                _ ->
+                    rebar3_hex_io:say("Goodbye..."),
+                    {ok, State}
+            end
     end;
+
 publish(_AppDir, _Name, _Version, _Deps, Excluded, _AppDetails, _, _) ->
     ?PRV_ERROR({non_hex_deps, Excluded}).
 
+publish_package_and_docs(Name, Version, Metadata, PackageFiles, HexConfig, App, State) ->
+    {ok, HexConfig1} = rebar3_hex_config:hex_config_write(HexConfig),
+    case create_and_publish(Metadata, PackageFiles, HexConfig1) of
+        ok ->
+            rebar_api:info("Published ~s ~s", [Name, Version]),
+            rebar3_hex_docs:publish(App, State, HexConfig1),
+            {ok, State};
+        Error={error, _} ->
+            Error
+    end.
+
 %% Internal functions
 
 %% if publishing to the public repo or to a private organization link to the code of conduct