diff --git a/packages/env/src/lib/create-env.test.ts b/packages/env/src/lib/create-env.test.ts
index d7b1508fe0..09f27761ad 100644
--- a/packages/env/src/lib/create-env.test.ts
+++ b/packages/env/src/lib/create-env.test.ts
@@ -59,19 +59,6 @@ test('Reads file configuration from config path', () => {
 	expect(readConfigurationFromFile).toHaveBeenCalledWith('./test/config/path');
 });
 
-test('Skips environment variables that are not Directus configuration flags', () => {
-	vi.mocked(isDirectusVariable).mockImplementation((key) => {
-		return key === 'PROCESS';
-	});
-
-	const env = createEnv();
-
-	expect(env).toEqual({
-		PROCESS: 'test-process',
-		DEFAULT: 'test-default',
-	});
-});
-
 test('Reads value from file if key is a file key', () => {
 	vi.mocked(readConfigurationFromFile).mockReturnValue({
 		TEST_FILE: './test/path',
@@ -81,6 +68,10 @@ test('Reads value from file if key is a file key', () => {
 		return key === 'TEST_FILE';
 	});
 
+	vi.mocked(isDirectusVariable).mockImplementation((key) => {
+		return key === 'TEST_FILE';
+	});
+
 	vi.mocked(removeFileSuffix).mockReturnValue('TEST');
 	vi.mocked(readFileSync).mockReturnValue('file-contents');
 
@@ -96,6 +87,26 @@ test('Reads value from file if key is a file key', () => {
 	});
 });
 
+test('Passthrough file variables that are not Directus configuration flags', () => {
+	vi.mocked(readConfigurationFromFile).mockReturnValue({
+		TEST_FILE: './test/path',
+	});
+
+	vi.mocked(isDirectusVariable).mockImplementation(() => {
+		return false;
+	});
+
+	const env = createEnv();
+
+	expect(readFileSync).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+	expect(env).toEqual({
+		PROCESS: 'test-process',
+		DEFAULT: 'test-default',
+		TEST_FILE: './test/path',
+	});
+});
+
 test('Throws error if file could not be read', () => {
 	vi.mocked(readConfigurationFromFile).mockReturnValue({
 		TEST_FILE: './test/path',
@@ -105,6 +116,10 @@ test('Throws error if file could not be read', () => {
 		return key === 'TEST_FILE';
 	});
 
+	vi.mocked(isDirectusVariable).mockImplementation((key) => {
+		return key === 'TEST_FILE';
+	});
+
 	vi.mocked(removeFileSuffix).mockReturnValue('TEST');
 
 	vi.mocked(readFileSync).mockImplementation(() => {
diff --git a/packages/env/src/lib/create-env.ts b/packages/env/src/lib/create-env.ts
index 6df077093b..b602da1ff7 100644
--- a/packages/env/src/lib/create-env.ts
+++ b/packages/env/src/lib/create-env.ts
@@ -17,18 +17,17 @@ export const createEnv = (): Env => {
 
 	const output: Env = {};
 
-	for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(rawConfiguration)) {
-		if (isDirectusVariable(key) === false) continue;
-
-		if (isFileKey(key) && typeof value === 'string') {
+	for (let [key, value] of Object.entries(rawConfiguration)) {
+		if (isFileKey(key) && isDirectusVariable(key) && typeof value === 'string') {
 			try {
-				output[removeFileSuffix(key)] = readFileSync(value, { encoding: 'utf8' });
+				value = readFileSync(value, { encoding: 'utf8' });
+				key = removeFileSuffix(key);
 			} catch {
 				throw new Error(`Failed to read value from file "${value}", defined in environment variable "${key}".`);
 			}
-		} else {
-			output[key] = cast(value, key);
 		}
+
+		output[key] = cast(key, value);
 	}
 
 	return { ...DEFAULTS, ...output };