diff --git a/packages/cli-helpers/src/index.ts b/packages/cli-helpers/src/index.ts
index a420eb66c355..0a1d770aebe8 100644
--- a/packages/cli-helpers/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-helpers/src/index.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@
 
 export * from './lib/index.js'
 export * from './lib/colors.js'
+export { loadEnvFiles } from './lib/loadEnvFiles.js'
+export {
+  loadDefaultEnvFiles,
+  loadNodeEnvDerivedEnvFile,
+  loadUserSpecifiedEnvFiles,
+} from './lib/loadEnvFiles.js'
 export * from './lib/paths.js'
 export * from './lib/project.js'
 export * from './lib/version.js'
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-collision/.env.base b/packages/cli-helpers/src/lib/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-collision/.env.base
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/src/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-collision/.env.base
rename to packages/cli-helpers/src/lib/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-collision/.env.base
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-collision/.env.collision b/packages/cli-helpers/src/lib/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-collision/.env.collision
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/src/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-collision/.env.collision
rename to packages/cli-helpers/src/lib/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-collision/.env.collision
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-many/.env.dev b/packages/cli-helpers/src/lib/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-many/.env.dev
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/src/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-many/.env.dev
rename to packages/cli-helpers/src/lib/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-many/.env.dev
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-many/.env.prod b/packages/cli-helpers/src/lib/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-many/.env.prod
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/src/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-many/.env.prod
rename to packages/cli-helpers/src/lib/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-many/.env.prod
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-node-env/.env.bazinga b/packages/cli-helpers/src/lib/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-node-env/.env.bazinga
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/src/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-node-env/.env.bazinga
rename to packages/cli-helpers/src/lib/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-node-env/.env.bazinga
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-node-env/.env.prod b/packages/cli-helpers/src/lib/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-node-env/.env.prod
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/src/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-node-env/.env.prod
rename to packages/cli-helpers/src/lib/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-node-env/.env.prod
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-prod/.env.prod b/packages/cli-helpers/src/lib/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-prod/.env.prod
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/src/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-prod/.env.prod
rename to packages/cli-helpers/src/lib/__tests__/__fixtures__/redwood-app-env-prod/.env.prod
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/loadEnvFiles.test.js b/packages/cli-helpers/src/lib/__tests__/loadEnvFiles.test.ts
similarity index 96%
rename from packages/cli/src/__tests__/loadEnvFiles.test.js
rename to packages/cli-helpers/src/lib/__tests__/loadEnvFiles.test.ts
index 0628758cfcbd..ac5b1e5ff202 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/loadEnvFiles.test.js
+++ b/packages/cli-helpers/src/lib/__tests__/loadEnvFiles.test.ts
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@ import {
   loadDefaultEnvFiles,
   loadNodeEnvDerivedEnvFile,
   loadUserSpecifiedEnvFiles,
-} from '../lib/loadEnvFiles'
+} from '../loadEnvFiles.js'
 
 describe('loadEnvFiles', () => {
-  let originalProcessEnv
+  let originalProcessEnv: NodeJS.Process['env']
   beforeAll(() => {
     originalProcessEnv = { ...process.env }
   })
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ describe('loadEnvFiles', () => {
       loadUserSpecifiedEnvFiles(cwd, ['missing'])
     } catch (error) {
       // Just testing that the error message reports the file it tried to load.
-      expect(error.message).toMatch(/\.env\.missing/)
+      expect((error as Error).message).toMatch(/\.env\.missing/)
     }
   })
 })
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/index.js b/packages/cli/src/index.js
index e91c0b3d8d03..74d6b74317a5 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/index.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import fs from 'fs-extra'
 import { hideBin, Parser } from 'yargs/helpers'
 import yargs from 'yargs/yargs'
 
-import { recordTelemetryAttributes } from '@redwoodjs/cli-helpers'
+import { loadEnvFiles, recordTelemetryAttributes } from '@redwoodjs/cli-helpers'
 import { telemetryMiddleware } from '@redwoodjs/telemetry'
 
 import * as buildCommand from './commands/build'
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ import * as typeCheckCommand from './commands/type-check'
 import * as upgradeCommand from './commands/upgrade'
 import { findUp } from './lib'
 import { exitWithError } from './lib/exit'
-import { loadEnvFiles } from './lib/loadEnvFiles'
 import * as updateCheck from './lib/updateCheck'
 import { loadPlugins } from './plugin'
 import { startTelemetry, shutdownTelemetry } from './telemetry/index'
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/loadEnvFiles.js b/packages/cli/src/lib/loadEnvFiles.js
index cf77c3666f30..57cf019ea159 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/loadEnvFiles.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/loadEnvFiles.js
@@ -1,79 +1,16 @@
 // @ts-check
 
-import path from 'path'
-
-import { config as dotenvConfig } from 'dotenv'
-import { config as dotenvDefaultsConfig } from 'dotenv-defaults'
-import fs from 'fs-extra'
-import { hideBin, Parser } from 'yargs/helpers'
-
-import { getPaths } from '@redwoodjs/project-config'
-
-export function loadEnvFiles() {
-  if (process.env.REDWOOD_ENV_FILES_LOADED) {
-    return
-  }
-
-  const { base } = getPaths()
-
-  loadDefaultEnvFiles(base)
-  loadNodeEnvDerivedEnvFile(base)
-
-  const { loadEnvFiles } = Parser(hideBin(process.argv), {
-    array: ['load-env-files'],
-    default: {
-      loadEnvFiles: [],
-    },
-  })
-  if (loadEnvFiles.length > 0) {
-    loadUserSpecifiedEnvFiles(base, loadEnvFiles)
-  }
-
-  process.env.REDWOOD_ENV_FILES_LOADED = 'true'
-}
-
-/**
- * @param {string} cwd
- */
-export function loadDefaultEnvFiles(cwd) {
-  dotenvDefaultsConfig({
-    path: path.join(cwd, '.env'),
-    defaults: path.join(cwd, '.env.defaults'),
-    multiline: true,
-  })
-}
-
-/**
- * @param {string} cwd
- */
-export function loadNodeEnvDerivedEnvFile(cwd) {
-  if (!process.env.NODE_ENV) {
-    return
-  }
-
-  const nodeEnvDerivedEnvFilePath = path.join(
-    cwd,
-    `.env.${process.env.NODE_ENV}`,
-  )
-  if (!fs.existsSync(nodeEnvDerivedEnvFilePath)) {
-    return
-  }
-
-  dotenvConfig({ path: nodeEnvDerivedEnvFilePath, override: true })
-}
+export {
+  loadEnvFiles,
+  loadDefaultEnvFiles,
+  loadNodeEnvDerivedEnvFile,
+  loadUserSpecifiedEnvFiles,
+} from '@redwoodjs/cli-helpers'
 
 /**
- * @param {string} cwd
+ * Retaining the file here as per https://github.com/redwoodjs/redwood/pull/11885#issuecomment-2575847407
+ *
+ * This ensures there are no breaking changes in case people are deep-importing any of these methods.
+ *
+ * This file can finally be removed in the next major version as a documented breaking change.
  */
-export function loadUserSpecifiedEnvFiles(cwd, loadEnvFiles) {
-  for (const suffix of loadEnvFiles) {
-    const envPath = path.join(cwd, `.env.${suffix}`)
-    if (!fs.pathExistsSync(envPath)) {
-      throw new Error(
-        `Couldn't find an .env file at '${envPath}' as specified by '--load-env-files'`,
-      )
-    }
-
-    dotenvConfig({ path: envPath, override: true })
-  }
-}