diff --git a/internal/devconfig/configfile/ast.go b/internal/devconfig/configfile/ast.go
index b11df73347a..f42ab82ccb4 100644
--- a/internal/devconfig/configfile/ast.go
+++ b/internal/devconfig/configfile/ast.go
@@ -425,3 +425,32 @@ func (c *configAST) beforeComment(path ...any) []byte {
 		}),
 	)
 }
+
+func (c *configAST) createMemberIfMissing(key string) *hujson.ObjectMember {
+	i := c.memberIndex(c.root.Value.(*hujson.Object), key)
+	if i == -1 {
+		c.root.Value.(*hujson.Object).Members = append(c.root.Value.(*hujson.Object).Members, hujson.ObjectMember{
+			Name: hujson.Value{Value: hujson.String(key)},
+		})
+		i = len(c.root.Value.(*hujson.Object).Members) - 1
+	}
+	return &c.root.Value.(*hujson.Object).Members[i]
+}
+
+func mapToObjectMembers(env map[string]string) []hujson.ObjectMember {
+	members := make([]hujson.ObjectMember, 0, len(env))
+	for k, v := range env {
+		members = append(members, hujson.ObjectMember{
+			Name:  hujson.Value{Value: hujson.String(k)},
+			Value: hujson.Value{Value: hujson.String(v)},
+		})
+	}
+	return members
+}
+
+func (c *configAST) setEnv(env map[string]string) {
+	c.createMemberIfMissing("env").Value.Value = &hujson.Object{
+		Members: mapToObjectMembers(env),
+	}
+	c.root.Format()
+}
diff --git a/internal/devconfig/configfile/ast_test.go b/internal/devconfig/configfile/ast_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ac63b9094d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/devconfig/configfile/ast_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+package configfile
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/tailscale/hujson"
+)
+
+func TestSetEnv(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		initial  string
+		env      map[string]string
+		expected string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:    "add env to empty config",
+			initial: "{}",
+			env: map[string]string{
+				"FOO": "bar",
+				"BAZ": "qux",
+			},
+			expected: `{"env": {"FOO": "bar", "BAZ": "qux"}}
+`,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "update existing env",
+			initial: `{
+	"env": {
+		"EXISTING": "value"
+	}
+}`,
+			env: map[string]string{
+				"FOO": "bar",
+			},
+			expected: `{
+	"env": {"FOO": "bar"}
+}
+`,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "clear env with empty map",
+			initial: `{
+	"env": {
+		"EXISTING": "value"
+	}
+}`,
+			env: map[string]string{},
+			expected: `{
+	"env": {}
+}
+`,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			val, err := hujson.Parse([]byte(tt.initial))
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+			ast := &configAST{root: val}
+			ast.setEnv(tt.env)
+
+			actual := string(ast.root.Pack())
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.expected, actual)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/devconfig/configfile/env.go b/internal/devconfig/configfile/env.go
index 83161aed658..5effb5b933f 100644
--- a/internal/devconfig/configfile/env.go
+++ b/internal/devconfig/configfile/env.go
@@ -44,3 +44,8 @@ func (c *ConfigFile) ParseEnvsFromDotEnv() (map[string]string, error) {
 
 	return envMap, nil
 }
+
+func (c *ConfigFile) SetEnv(env map[string]string) {
+	c.Env = env
+	c.ast.setEnv(env)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/autodetect/autodetect.go b/pkg/autodetect/autodetect.go
index a37ee460100..64b114d4d09 100644
--- a/pkg/autodetect/autodetect.go
+++ b/pkg/autodetect/autodetect.go
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ func populateConfig(ctx context.Context, path string, config *devconfig.Config)
 	for _, pkg := range pkgs {
 		config.PackageMutator().Add(pkg)
 	}
+	env, err := env(ctx, path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	config.Root.SetEnv(env)
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -57,6 +62,14 @@ func packages(ctx context.Context, path string) ([]string, error) {
 	return mostRelevantDetector.Packages(ctx)
 }
 
+func env(ctx context.Context, path string) (map[string]string, error) {
+	mostRelevantDetector, err := relevantDetector(path)
+	if err != nil || mostRelevantDetector == nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return mostRelevantDetector.Env(ctx)
+}
+
 // relevantDetector returns the most relevant detector for the given path.
 // We could modify this to return a list of detectors and their scores or
 // possibly grouped detectors by category (e.g. python, server, etc.)
diff --git a/pkg/autodetect/detector/detector.go b/pkg/autodetect/detector/detector.go
index 6388cc9b1e7..bcdbc78928f 100644
--- a/pkg/autodetect/detector/detector.go
+++ b/pkg/autodetect/detector/detector.go
@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@ import "context"
 type Detector interface {
 	Relevance(path string) (float64, error)
 	Packages(ctx context.Context) ([]string, error)
+	Env(ctx context.Context) (map[string]string, error)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/autodetect/detector/go.go b/pkg/autodetect/detector/go.go
index d7c44f007ca..cdd49ffc9ec 100644
--- a/pkg/autodetect/detector/go.go
+++ b/pkg/autodetect/detector/go.go
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ func (d *GoDetector) Packages(ctx context.Context) ([]string, error) {
 	return []string{"go@" + goVersion}, nil
 }
 
+func (d *GoDetector) Env(ctx context.Context) (map[string]string, error) {
+	return map[string]string{}, nil
+}
+
 func parseGoVersion(goModContent string) string {
 	// Use a regular expression to find the Go version directive
 	re := regexp.MustCompile(`(?m)^go\s+(\d+\.\d+(\.\d+)?)`)
diff --git a/pkg/autodetect/detector/nodejs.go b/pkg/autodetect/detector/nodejs.go
index 785f6fa2cfa..5becaa4169b 100644
--- a/pkg/autodetect/detector/nodejs.go
+++ b/pkg/autodetect/detector/nodejs.go
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ func (d *NodeJSDetector) Packages(ctx context.Context) ([]string, error) {
 	return []string{"nodejs@" + d.nodeVersion(ctx)}, nil
 }
 
+func (d *NodeJSDetector) Env(ctx context.Context) (map[string]string, error) {
+	return map[string]string{"DEVBOX_COREPACK_ENABLED": "1"}, nil
+}
+
 func (d *NodeJSDetector) nodeVersion(ctx context.Context) string {
 	if d.packageJSON == nil || d.packageJSON.Engines.Node == "" {
 		return "latest" // Default to latest if not specified
diff --git a/pkg/autodetect/detector/nodejs_test.go b/pkg/autodetect/detector/nodejs_test.go
index 9d63e2e75d6..7b84e8dbecb 100644
--- a/pkg/autodetect/detector/nodejs_test.go
+++ b/pkg/autodetect/detector/nodejs_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ func TestNodeJSDetector_Relevance(t *testing.T) {
 		fs               fstest.MapFS
 		expected         float64
 		expectedPackages []string
+		expectedEnv      map[string]string
 	}{
 		{
 			name: "package.json in root",
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ func TestNodeJSDetector_Relevance(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			expected:         1,
 			expectedPackages: []string{"nodejs@latest"},
+			expectedEnv:      map[string]string{"DEVBOX_COREPACK_ENABLED": "1"},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "package.json with node version",
@@ -41,6 +43,7 @@ func TestNodeJSDetector_Relevance(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			expected:         1,
 			expectedPackages: []string{"nodejs@18.0.0"},
+			expectedEnv:      map[string]string{"DEVBOX_COREPACK_ENABLED": "1"},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "no nodejs files",
@@ -54,12 +57,14 @@ func TestNodeJSDetector_Relevance(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			expected:         0,
 			expectedPackages: []string{},
+			expectedEnv:      map[string]string{},
 		},
 		{
 			name:             "empty directory",
 			fs:               fstest.MapFS{},
 			expected:         0,
 			expectedPackages: []string{},
+			expectedEnv:      map[string]string{},
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -74,17 +79,21 @@ func TestNodeJSDetector_Relevance(t *testing.T) {
 				require.NoError(t, err)
 			}
 
-			d := &NodeJSDetector{Root: dir}
-			err := d.Init()
+			detector := &NodeJSDetector{Root: dir}
+			err := detector.Init()
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 
-			score, err := d.Relevance(dir)
+			score, err := detector.Relevance(dir)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 			assert.Equal(t, curTest.expected, score)
 			if score > 0 {
-				packages, err := d.Packages(context.Background())
+				packages, err := detector.Packages(context.Background())
 				require.NoError(t, err)
 				assert.Equal(t, curTest.expectedPackages, packages)
+
+				env, err := detector.Env(context.Background())
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+				assert.Equal(t, curTest.expectedEnv, env)
 			}
 		})
 	}
@@ -96,3 +105,10 @@ func TestNodeJSDetector_Packages(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, []string{"nodejs@latest"}, packages)
 }
+
+func TestNodeJSDetector_Env(t *testing.T) {
+	d := &NodeJSDetector{}
+	env, err := d.Env(context.Background())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, map[string]string{"DEVBOX_COREPACK_ENABLED": "1"}, env)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/autodetect/detector/php.go b/pkg/autodetect/detector/php.go
index ed01079f50e..fc1a0ee5416 100644
--- a/pkg/autodetect/detector/php.go
+++ b/pkg/autodetect/detector/php.go
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ func (d *PHPDetector) Packages(ctx context.Context) ([]string, error) {
 	return packages, nil
 }
 
+func (d *PHPDetector) Env(ctx context.Context) (map[string]string, error) {
+	return map[string]string{}, nil
+}
+
 func (d *PHPDetector) phpVersion(ctx context.Context) string {
 	require := d.composerJSON.Require
 
diff --git a/pkg/autodetect/detector/poetry.go b/pkg/autodetect/detector/poetry.go
index 65d73854e0e..1533684d551 100644
--- a/pkg/autodetect/detector/poetry.go
+++ b/pkg/autodetect/detector/poetry.go
@@ -58,6 +58,10 @@ func (d *PoetryDetector) Packages(ctx context.Context) ([]string, error) {
 	return []string{"python@" + pythonVersion, "poetry@" + poetryVersion}, nil
 }
 
+func (d *PoetryDetector) Env(ctx context.Context) (map[string]string, error) {
+	return d.PythonDetector.Env(ctx)
+}
+
 func determineBestVersion(ctx context.Context, pkg, version string) string {
 	if version == "" {
 		return "latest"
diff --git a/pkg/autodetect/detector/python.go b/pkg/autodetect/detector/python.go
index a542ab1b4d8..5acbb3d3d56 100644
--- a/pkg/autodetect/detector/python.go
+++ b/pkg/autodetect/detector/python.go
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ func (d *PythonDetector) Packages(ctx context.Context) ([]string, error) {
 	return []string{"python@latest"}, nil
 }
 
+func (d *PythonDetector) Env(ctx context.Context) (map[string]string, error) {
+	return map[string]string{}, nil
+}
+
 func (d *PythonDetector) maxRelevance() float64 {
 	return 1.0
 }