diff --git a/src/PreferencesDialog.cpp b/src/PreferencesDialog.cpp
index 7c98f9905..775acc654 100644
--- a/src/PreferencesDialog.cpp
+++ b/src/PreferencesDialog.cpp
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ void PreferencesDialog::loadSettings()
 
     ui->spinStructureFontSize->setValue(Settings::getValue("db", "fontsize").toInt());
     ui->watcherCheckBox->setChecked(Settings::getValue("db", "watcher").toBool());
+    ui->checkSQLCipherParentDotenvLookup->setChecked(Settings::getValue("db", "sqlcipherparentdotenvlookup").toBool());
 
     // Gracefully handle the preferred Data Browser font not being available
     int matchingFont = ui->comboDataBrowserFont->findText(Settings::getValue("databrowser", "font").toString(), Qt::MatchExactly);
@@ -199,6 +200,7 @@ void PreferencesDialog::saveSettings(bool accept)
     Settings::setValue("db", "defaultfieldtype", ui->defaultFieldTypeComboBox->currentIndex());
     Settings::setValue("db", "fontsize", ui->spinStructureFontSize->value());
     Settings::setValue("db", "watcher", ui->watcherCheckBox->isChecked());
+    Settings::setValue("db", "sqlcipherparentdotenvlookup", ui->checkSQLCipherParentDotenvLookup->isChecked());
 
     Settings::setValue("checkversion", "enabled", ui->checkUpdates->isChecked());
 
diff --git a/src/PreferencesDialog.ui b/src/PreferencesDialog.ui
index 45f9f1ee3..bef09cc63 100644
--- a/src/PreferencesDialog.ui
+++ b/src/PreferencesDialog.ui
@@ -752,16 +752,36 @@ in new project file</string>
            </property>
           </widget>
          </item>
-       <item row="6" column="1">
-        <widget class="QCheckBox" name="watcherCheckBox">
-         <property name="text">
-          <string>enabled</string>
-         </property>
-         <property name="checked">
-          <bool>true</bool>
-         </property>
-        </widget>
-       </item>
+         <item row="6" column="1">
+          <widget class="QCheckBox" name="watcherCheckBox">
+           <property name="text">
+            <string>enabled</string>
+           </property>
+           <property name="checked">
+            <bool>true</bool>
+           </property>
+          </widget>
+         </item>
+         <item row="7" column="0">
+          <widget class="QLabel" name="labelSQLCipherParentDotenvLookup">
+           <property name="toolTip">
+            <string>When enabled, DB4S searches parent folders for .db4s.env files, which can slow down opening encrypted databases.</string>
+           </property>
+           <property name="text">
+            <string>Search parent folders for .db4s.env SQLCipher passwords</string>
+           </property>
+           <property name="buddy">
+            <cstring>checkSQLCipherParentDotenvLookup</cstring>
+           </property>
+          </widget>
+         </item>
+         <item row="7" column="1">
+          <widget class="QCheckBox" name="checkSQLCipherParentDotenvLookup">
+           <property name="text">
+            <string>enabled</string>
+           </property>
+          </widget>
+         </item>
         </layout>
        </item>
        <item>
diff --git a/src/Settings.cpp b/src/Settings.cpp
index 6fe1b5d7f..856680d32 100644
--- a/src/Settings.cpp
+++ b/src/Settings.cpp
@@ -163,6 +163,10 @@ QVariant Settings::getDefaultValue(const std::string& group, const std::string&
     if(group == "db" && name == "watcher")
         return false;
 
+    // db/sqlcipherparentdotenvlookup?
+    if(group == "db" && name == "sqlcipherparentdotenvlookup")
+        return false;
+
     // exportcsv/firstrowheader?
     if(group == "exportcsv" && name == "firstrowheader")
         return true;
diff --git a/src/sqlitedb.cpp b/src/sqlitedb.cpp
index 329a57012..6e58e94ab 100644
--- a/src/sqlitedb.cpp
+++ b/src/sqlitedb.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include <QDebug>
 #include <QThread>
 #include <QRegularExpression>
+#include <QSettings>
 
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <array>
@@ -478,32 +479,31 @@ bool DBBrowserDB::tryEncryptionSettings(const QString& filePath, bool* encrypted
 
             // Being in a while loop, we don't want to check the same file multiple times
             if (!isDotenvChecked) {
-                QFile databaseFile(filePath);
-                QFileInfo databaseFileInfo(databaseFile);
+                const QFileInfo databaseFileInfo(filePath);
 
-                QString databaseDirectoryPath = databaseFileInfo.dir().path();
-                QString databaseFileName(databaseFileInfo.fileName());
+                const QDir databaseDirectory(databaseFileInfo.absoluteDir());
+                const QString databaseFileName(databaseFileInfo.fileName());
 
-                QString dotenvFilePath = databaseDirectoryPath + "/.env";
-                QSettings dotenv(dotenvFilePath, QSettings::IniFormat);
+                auto tryLoadDotenv = [&](const QString& dotenvFilePath) -> bool {
+                    if (!QFile::exists(dotenvFilePath))
+                        return false;
 
-                QVariant passwordValue = dotenv.value(databaseFileName);
+                    const QSettings dotenv(dotenvFilePath, QSettings::IniFormat);
+                    const QVariant passwordValue = dotenv.value(databaseFileName);
 
-                foundDotenvPassword = !passwordValue.isNull();
-                isDotenvChecked = true;
+                    if (passwordValue.isNull())
+                        return false;
 
-                if (foundDotenvPassword)
-                {
-                    std::string password = passwordValue.toString().toStdString();
+                    const std::string password = passwordValue.toString().toStdString();
 
-                    QVariant keyFormatValue = dotenv.value(databaseFileName + "_keyFormat", QVariant(CipherSettings::KeyFormats::Passphrase));
-                    CipherSettings::KeyFormats keyFormat = CipherSettings::getKeyFormat(keyFormatValue.toInt());
+                    const QVariant keyFormatValue = dotenv.value(databaseFileName + "_keyFormat", QVariant(CipherSettings::KeyFormats::Passphrase));
+                    const CipherSettings::KeyFormats keyFormat = CipherSettings::getKeyFormat(keyFormatValue.toInt());
 
-                    int pageSize = dotenv.value(databaseFileName + "_pageSize", enc_default_page_size).toInt();
-                    int kdfIterations = dotenv.value(databaseFileName + "_kdfIter", enc_default_kdf_iter).toInt();
-                    int plaintextHeaderSize = dotenv.value(databaseFileName + "_plaintextHeaderSize", enc_default_plaintext_header_size).toInt();
-                    std::string hmacAlgorithm = dotenv.value(databaseFileName + "_hmacAlgorithm", QString::fromStdString(enc_default_hmac_algorithm)).toString().toStdString();
-                    std::string kdfAlgorithm = dotenv.value(databaseFileName + "_kdfAlgorithm", QString::fromStdString(enc_default_kdf_algorithm)).toString().toStdString();
+                    const int pageSize = dotenv.value(databaseFileName + "_pageSize", enc_default_page_size).toInt();
+                    const int kdfIterations = dotenv.value(databaseFileName + "_kdfIter", enc_default_kdf_iter).toInt();
+                    const int plaintextHeaderSize = dotenv.value(databaseFileName + "_plaintextHeaderSize", enc_default_plaintext_header_size).toInt();
+                    const std::string hmacAlgorithm = dotenv.value(databaseFileName + "_hmacAlgorithm", QString::fromStdString(enc_default_hmac_algorithm)).toString().toStdString();
+                    const std::string kdfAlgorithm = dotenv.value(databaseFileName + "_kdfAlgorithm", QString::fromStdString(enc_default_kdf_algorithm)).toString().toStdString();
 
                     cipherSettings->setKeyFormat(keyFormat);
                     cipherSettings->setPassword(password);
@@ -512,7 +512,36 @@ bool DBBrowserDB::tryEncryptionSettings(const QString& filePath, bool* encrypted
                     cipherSettings->setHmacAlgorithm("HMAC_" + hmacAlgorithm);
                     cipherSettings->setKdfAlgorithm("PBKDF2_HMAC_" + kdfAlgorithm);
                     cipherSettings->setPlaintextHeaderSize(plaintextHeaderSize);
+
+                    return true;
+                };
+
+                const QString db4sEnvPath = databaseDirectory.filePath(".db4s.env");
+                const bool hasDB4SEnv = QFile::exists(db4sEnvPath);
+
+                if (hasDB4SEnv)
+                {
+                    foundDotenvPassword = tryLoadDotenv(db4sEnvPath);
+                } else {
+                    // Deprecated: legacy .env in the database directory only. Remove once .db4s.env is adopted.
+                    foundDotenvPassword = tryLoadDotenv(databaseDirectory.filePath(".env"));
+
+                    // Parent folder search is opt-in because it can slow down opening encrypted databases.
+                    if (!foundDotenvPassword && Settings::getValue("db", "sqlcipherparentdotenvlookup").toBool())
+                    {
+                        QDir searchDirectory(databaseDirectory);
+                        while (searchDirectory.cdUp())
+                        {
+                            if (tryLoadDotenv(searchDirectory.filePath(".db4s.env")))
+                            {
+                                foundDotenvPassword = true;
+                                break;
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
                 }
+
+                isDotenvChecked = true;
             }
 
             if(foundDotenvPassword)