diff --git a/docs/reference/module-types/container.md b/docs/reference/module-types/container.md
index fb14c78a7a..cfa7065088 100644
--- a/docs/reference/module-types/container.md
+++ b/docs/reference/module-types/container.md
@@ -552,6 +552,14 @@ module:
       - rake
       - 'db:migrate'
 ```
+### `module.tasks[].env`
+[module](#module) > [tasks](#module.tasks[]) > env
+
+Key/value map of environment variables. Keys must be valid POSIX environment variable names (must not start with `GARDEN`) and values must be primitives.
+
+| Type | Required |
+| ---- | -------- |
+| `object` | No
 
 
 ## Complete YAML schema
@@ -614,4 +622,5 @@ module:
       dependencies: []
       timeout: null
       args:
+      env: {}
 ```
diff --git a/docs/reference/module-types/maven-container.md b/docs/reference/module-types/maven-container.md
index c0ac2a345d..0a310f8e58 100644
--- a/docs/reference/module-types/maven-container.md
+++ b/docs/reference/module-types/maven-container.md
@@ -552,6 +552,14 @@ module:
       - rake
       - 'db:migrate'
 ```
+### `module.tasks[].env`
+[module](#module) > [tasks](#module.tasks[]) > env
+
+Key/value map of environment variables. Keys must be valid POSIX environment variable names (must not start with `GARDEN`) and values must be primitives.
+
+| Type | Required |
+| ---- | -------- |
+| `object` | No
 ### `module.jarPath`
 [module](#module) > jarPath
 
@@ -637,6 +645,7 @@ module:
       dependencies: []
       timeout: null
       args:
+      env: {}
   jarPath:
   jdkVersion: 8
 ```
diff --git a/garden-service/src/plugins/container/config.ts b/garden-service/src/plugins/container/config.ts
index 2b2fc5dacb..3c5f87ed7d 100644
--- a/garden-service/src/plugins/container/config.ts
+++ b/garden-service/src/plugins/container/config.ts
@@ -269,7 +269,8 @@ export const containerTestSchema = baseTestSpecSchema
   })
 
 export interface ContainerTaskSpec extends BaseTaskSpec {
-  args: string[],
+  args: string[]
+  env: PrimitiveMap
 }
 
 export const containerTaskSchema = baseTaskSpecSchema
@@ -277,6 +278,7 @@ export const containerTaskSchema = baseTaskSpecSchema
     args: Joi.array().items(Joi.string())
       .description("The arguments used to run the task inside the container.")
       .example([["rake", "db:migrate"], {}]),
+    env: joiEnvVars(),
   })
   .description("A task that can be run in the container.")
 
@@ -341,5 +343,6 @@ export const containerModuleSpecSchema = Joi.object()
 export interface ContainerModule<
   M extends ContainerModuleSpec = ContainerModuleSpec,
   S extends ContainerServiceSpec = ContainerServiceSpec,
-  T extends ContainerTestSpec = ContainerTestSpec
-  > extends Module<M, S, T> { }
+  T extends ContainerTestSpec = ContainerTestSpec,
+  W extends ContainerTaskSpec = ContainerTaskSpec
+  > extends Module<M, S, T, W> { }
diff --git a/garden-service/src/plugins/kubernetes/container/run.ts b/garden-service/src/plugins/kubernetes/container/run.ts
index f2966c2dc2..fa6f3c8ddb 100644
--- a/garden-service/src/plugins/kubernetes/container/run.ts
+++ b/garden-service/src/plugins/kubernetes/container/run.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  * file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
  */
 
-import { includes } from "lodash"
+import { includes, extend } from "lodash"
 import { DeploymentError } from "../../../exceptions"
 import { RunResult } from "../../../types/plugin/outputs"
 import {
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@ export async function runContainerService(
 export async function runContainerTask(
   { ctx, task, interactive, runtimeContext, log }: RunTaskParams<ContainerModule>,
 ) {
+  extend(runtimeContext.envVars, task.spec.env || {})
+
   const result = await runContainerModule({
     ctx,
     interactive,
diff --git a/garden-service/test/src/plugins/container.ts b/garden-service/test/src/plugins/container.ts
index 6bed534d1b..14fed50b3e 100644
--- a/garden-service/test/src/plugins/container.ts
+++ b/garden-service/test/src/plugins/container.ts
@@ -348,13 +348,18 @@ describe("plugins.container", () => {
               name: "task-a",
               args: ["echo", "OK"],
               dependencies: [],
+              env: {
+                TASK_ENV_VAR: "value",
+              },
               timeout: null,
             }],
             tests: [{
               name: "unit",
               args: ["echo", "OK"],
               dependencies: [],
-              env: {},
+              env: {
+                TEST_ENV_VAR: "value",
+              },
               timeout: null,
             }],
           },
@@ -404,6 +409,9 @@ describe("plugins.container", () => {
                 name: "task-a",
                 args: ["echo", "OK"],
                 dependencies: [],
+                env: {
+                  TASK_ENV_VAR: "value",
+                },
                 timeout: null,
               }],
             tests:
@@ -411,7 +419,9 @@ describe("plugins.container", () => {
                 name: "unit",
                 args: ["echo", "OK"],
                 dependencies: [],
-                env: {},
+                env: {
+                  TEST_ENV_VAR: "value",
+                },
                 timeout: null,
               }],
           },
@@ -452,6 +462,9 @@ describe("plugins.container", () => {
                   "OK",
                 ],
                 dependencies: [],
+                env: {
+                  TASK_ENV_VAR: "value",
+                },
                 name: "task-a",
                 timeout: null,
               },
@@ -466,7 +479,9 @@ describe("plugins.container", () => {
                 name: "unit",
                 args: ["echo", "OK"],
                 dependencies: [],
-                env: {},
+                env: {
+                  TEST_ENV_VAR: "value",
+                },
                 timeout: null,
               },
               timeout: null,
@@ -521,6 +536,7 @@ describe("plugins.container", () => {
               name: "task-a",
               args: ["echo"],
               dependencies: [],
+              env: {},
               timeout: null,
             }],
             tests: [{
@@ -580,6 +596,7 @@ describe("plugins.container", () => {
               name: "task-a",
               args: ["echo"],
               dependencies: [],
+              env: {},
               timeout: null,
             }],
             tests: [],
@@ -630,6 +647,7 @@ describe("plugins.container", () => {
               name: "task-a",
               args: ["echo"],
               dependencies: [],
+              env: {},
               timeout: null,
             }],
             tests: [],