diff --git a/src/config/paths.test.ts b/src/config/paths.test.ts
index e029a6a477..3f86e4a53c 100644
--- a/src/config/paths.test.ts
+++ b/src/config/paths.test.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 
 import {
   resolveDefaultConfigCandidates,
+  resolveConfigPath,
   resolveOAuthDir,
   resolveOAuthPath,
   resolveStateDir,
@@ -106,4 +107,21 @@ describe("state + config path candidates", () => {
       vi.resetModules();
     }
   });
+
+  it("respects state dir overrides when config is missing", async () => {
+    const root = await fs.mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "moltbot-config-override-"));
+    try {
+      const legacyDir = path.join(root, ".clawdbot");
+      await fs.mkdir(legacyDir, { recursive: true });
+      const legacyConfig = path.join(legacyDir, "moltbot.json");
+      await fs.writeFile(legacyConfig, "{}", "utf-8");
+
+      const overrideDir = path.join(root, "override");
+      const env = { MOLTBOT_STATE_DIR: overrideDir } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+      const resolved = resolveConfigPath(env, overrideDir, () => root);
+      expect(resolved).toBe(path.join(overrideDir, "moltbot.json"));
+    } finally {
+      await fs.rm(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/config/paths.ts b/src/config/paths.ts
index df62ddec35..f6e451596f 100644
--- a/src/config/paths.ts
+++ b/src/config/paths.ts
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ export function resolveConfigPath(
 ): string {
   const override = env.MOLTBOT_CONFIG_PATH?.trim() || env.CLAWDBOT_CONFIG_PATH?.trim();
   if (override) return resolveUserPath(override);
+  const stateOverride = env.MOLTBOT_STATE_DIR?.trim() || env.CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR?.trim();
   const candidates = [
     path.join(stateDir, CONFIG_FILENAME),
     path.join(stateDir, LEGACY_CONFIG_FILENAME),
@@ -125,6 +126,7 @@ export function resolveConfigPath(
     }
   });
   if (existing) return existing;
+  if (stateOverride) return path.join(stateDir, CONFIG_FILENAME);
   const defaultStateDir = resolveStateDir(env, homedir);
   if (path.resolve(stateDir) === path.resolve(defaultStateDir)) {
     return resolveConfigPathCandidate(env, homedir);