Make the location of project-scoped `.codex` directory customizable

What variant of Codex are you using?

CLI

What feature would you like to see?

Overview

Currently, Codex CLI has a predefined set of places where it looks for its configuration:

• Project config files: .codex/config.toml, ordered from the project root down to your current working directory (closest wins)
• User config: ~/.codex/config.toml

Some projects, however, prefer different layouts for AI configuration. For example: repository-root/ai/.codex/config.toml.

The Proposed Improvement

Allow Codex CLI to search for .codex configuration directories in custom locations specified with CODEX_CONFIG_DIR environment variable.

Ideally, CODEX_CONFIG_DIR would accept multiple locations separated by a path separator defining closest-furthest relationships if hierarchical configuration support is needed.

Alternative Design

As an alternative solution, allow Codex CLI to search for .codex configuration directories in locations specified with --add-dir option, maybe gated by CODEX_ADDITIONAL_DIRECTORIES_CONFIG=1 environment variable as a safety switch.

Benefits

The suggested improvement will:

• Enable custom configuration layouts
• Which in turn will remove the pressure from --profile option because users will be able to compose theirs own configuration profiles in varying combinations according to their needs and preferences

Existing Artwork

Claude Code support CLAUDE_CONFIG and CLAUDE_CODE_ADDITIONAL_DIRECTORIES_CLAUDE_MD environment variables that allow to achieve similar results.

Additional information

_No response_