diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index fcc71f79d6f1..096efdecec37 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -51,7 +51,10 @@ unreleased
 - Fix handling of Control+C in watch mode (#1678, fixes #1671, @diml)
 
 - Look for jsoo runtime in the same dir as the `js_of_ocaml` binary
-  when the ocamlfind package is not available (#1467, @nobj)
+  when the ocamlfind package is not available (#1467, @nojb)
+
+- Add `DUNE_WORKSPACE` variable. This variable is equivalent to setting
+  `--workspace` in the command line. (#1711, fix #1503, @rgrinberg)
 
 1.6.2 (05/12/2018)
 ------------------
diff --git a/bin/common.ml b/bin/common.ml
index 5f767b92a3c2..2fa66d9aed4e 100644
--- a/bin/common.ml
+++ b/bin/common.ml
@@ -160,10 +160,11 @@ let term =
                     $(b,--verbose) as well, to make sure that commands are printed
                     before they are being executed.|})
   and workspace_file =
+    let doc = "Use this specific workspace file instead of looking it up." in
     Arg.(value
          & opt (some path) None
-         & info ["workspace"] ~docs ~docv:"FILE"
-             ~doc:"Use this specific workspace file instead of looking it up.")
+         & info ["workspace"] ~docs ~docv:"FILE" ~doc
+             ~env:(Arg.env_var ~doc "DUNE_WORKSPACE"))
   and auto_promote =
     Arg.(value
          & flag