diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f12b3b8..fab9d49 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@
 All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning].
 
+## Unreleased
+
+### Fixed
+
+- Substitute parent process env vars in IDEA - wasn't working before ([#81])
+
 ## 3.1.0 - 2018-11-28
 
 ### Added
@@ -92,7 +98,8 @@ This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning].
 [#68]: https://github.com/Ashald/EnvFile/issues/68
 [#70]: https://github.com/Ashald/EnvFile/issues/70
 [#72]: https://github.com/Ashald/EnvFile/issues/72
+[#81]: https://github.com/Ashald/EnvFile/issues/81
 
 [Keep a CHANGELOG]:     http://keepachangelog.com
 [Semantic Versioning]:  http://semver.org/
-[StringSubstitutor]:    https://commons.apache.org/proper/commons-text/javadocs/api-release/org/apache/commons/text/StringSubstitutor.html
\ No newline at end of file
+[StringSubstitutor]:    https://commons.apache.org/proper/commons-text/javadocs/api-release/org/apache/commons/text/StringSubstitutor.html
diff --git a/modules/core/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/AbstractEnvVarsProvider.java b/modules/core/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/AbstractEnvVarsProvider.java
index 026eee5..5fa5b01 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/AbstractEnvVarsProvider.java
+++ b/modules/core/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/AbstractEnvVarsProvider.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import org.apache.commons.text.StringSubstitutor;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 
+import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -47,4 +48,9 @@ private String renderValue(String template, @NotNull Map<String, String> context
 
         return stage2;
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean isFileLocationValid(File file) {
+        return file != null && file.exists();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/modules/core/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/EnvVarsProvider.java b/modules/core/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/EnvVarsProvider.java
index 4db710d..fb73035 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/EnvVarsProvider.java
+++ b/modules/core/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/EnvVarsProvider.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 
+import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.Map;
 
@@ -11,4 +12,6 @@ public interface EnvVarsProvider {
     @NotNull Map<String, String> process(@NotNull Map<String, String> runConfigEnv, String path, @NotNull Map<String, String> aggregatedEnv) throws EnvFileErrorException, IOException;
 
     boolean isEditable();
+
+    boolean isFileLocationValid(File file);
 }
diff --git a/modules/core/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/providers/runconfig/RunConfigEnvVarsProvider.java b/modules/core/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/providers/runconfig/RunConfigEnvVarsProvider.java
index 2c8503a..f9e2245 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/providers/runconfig/RunConfigEnvVarsProvider.java
+++ b/modules/core/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/providers/runconfig/RunConfigEnvVarsProvider.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import net.ashald.envfile.AbstractEnvVarsProvider;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 
+import java.io.File;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 
@@ -23,4 +24,8 @@ public boolean isEditable() {
         return false;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public boolean isFileLocationValid(File file) {
+        return true; // no file needed
+    }
 }
diff --git a/modules/platform/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/platform/EnvFileEntry.java b/modules/platform/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/platform/EnvFileEntry.java
index c7f6bbb..7d99e84 100644
--- a/modules/platform/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/platform/EnvFileEntry.java
+++ b/modules/platform/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/platform/EnvFileEntry.java
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ public Map<String, String> process(Map<String, String> runConfigEnv, Map<String,
 
         if (isEnabled() && parser != null) {
             File file = getFile();
-            if (ignoreMissing && (file == null || !file.exists())) {
+            if (!parser.isFileLocationValid(file) && ignoreMissing) {
                 return aggregatedEnv;
             } else {
                 return parser.process(runConfigEnv, file == null ? null : file.getPath(), aggregatedEnv);
diff --git a/modules/products/idea/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/products/idea/IdeaRunConfigurationExtension.java b/modules/products/idea/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/products/idea/IdeaRunConfigurationExtension.java
index 5d63ae1..fa09f4d 100644
--- a/modules/products/idea/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/products/idea/IdeaRunConfigurationExtension.java
+++ b/modules/products/idea/src/main/java/net/ashald/envfile/products/idea/IdeaRunConfigurationExtension.java
@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@
 
 import com.intellij.execution.ExecutionException;
 import com.intellij.execution.RunConfigurationExtension;
+import com.intellij.execution.configurations.GeneralCommandLine;
 import com.intellij.execution.configurations.JavaParameters;
 import com.intellij.execution.configurations.RunConfigurationBase;
 import com.intellij.execution.configurations.RunnerSettings;
 import com.intellij.openapi.options.SettingsEditor;
+import com.intellij.openapi.projectRoots.JdkUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.InvalidDataException;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.WriteExternalException;
 import net.ashald.envfile.platform.ui.EnvFileConfigurationEditor;
@@ -58,7 +60,15 @@ protected void validateConfiguration(@NotNull RunConfigurationBase configuration
      */
     @Override
     public <T extends RunConfigurationBase> void updateJavaParameters(T configuration, JavaParameters params, RunnerSettings runnerSettings) throws ExecutionException {
-        Map<String, String> newEnv = EnvFileConfigurationEditor.collectEnv(configuration, new HashMap<>(params.getEnv()));
+        // Borrowed from com.intellij.openapi.projectRoots.JdkUtil
+        Map<String, String> sourceEnv = new GeneralCommandLine()
+                .withEnvironment(params.getEnv())
+                .withParentEnvironmentType(
+                        params.isPassParentEnvs() ? GeneralCommandLine.ParentEnvironmentType.CONSOLE : GeneralCommandLine.ParentEnvironmentType.NONE
+                )
+                .getEffectiveEnvironment();
+
+        Map<String, String> newEnv = EnvFileConfigurationEditor.collectEnv(configuration, new HashMap<>(sourceEnv));
         // there is a chance that env is an immutable map,
         // that is why it is safer to replace it instead of updating it
         params.setEnv(newEnv);