diff --git a/tests/fixtures/dot-env-for-env-only b/tests/fixtures/dot-env-for-env-only
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ea4e68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/dot-env-for-env-only
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# Test fixture .env file for env-only vault-import.sh test
+# Contains minimal keys for testing env-only import (no sops)
+
+# Generic forge creds
+FORGE_TOKEN=generic-forge-token
+FORGE_PASS=generic-forge-pass
+FORGE_ADMIN_TOKEN=generic-admin-token
+
+# Bot tokens (review only for minimal test)
+FORGE_REVIEW_TOKEN=review-token
+FORGE_REVIEW_PASS=review-pass
+
+# Woodpecker secrets
+WOODPECKER_AGENT_SECRET=wp-agent-secret
+
+# Chat secrets
+FORWARD_AUTH_SECRET=forward-auth-secret
diff --git a/tests/vault-import.bats b/tests/vault-import.bats
index aa7ac7b..e636408 100644
--- a/tests/vault-import.bats
+++ b/tests/vault-import.bats
@@ -309,12 +309,12 @@ setup() {
   echo "$output" | grep -q "Missing required argument"
 }
 
-@test "fails with missing --sops argument" {
+@test "succeeds with --env only (no --sops required)" {
+  # Issue #921: --sops is now optional
   run "$IMPORT_SCRIPT" \
-    --env "$FIXTURES_DIR/dot-env-complete" \
-    --age-key "$FIXTURES_DIR/age-keys.txt"
-  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
-  echo "$output" | grep -q "Missing required argument"
+    --env "$FIXTURES_DIR/dot-env-for-env-only"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+  echo "$output" | grep -q "Starting Vault import"
 }
 
 @test "fails with missing --age-key argument" {
@@ -351,3 +351,68 @@ setup() {
   [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
   echo "$output" | grep -q "not found"
 }
+
+# --- Optional --sops argument tests (issue #921) ─────────────────────────────────
+
+@test "env-only import succeeds (no --sops)" {
+  run "$IMPORT_SCRIPT" \
+    --env "$FIXTURES_DIR/dot-env-for-env-only"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+  echo "$output" | grep -q "Starting Vault import"
+
+  # Verify forge path was written
+  run curl -sf -H "X-Vault-Token: ${VAULT_TOKEN}" \
+    "${VAULT_ADDR}/v1/secret/data/disinto/shared/forge"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+  echo "$output" | grep -q "generic-forge-token"
+  echo "$output" | grep -q "generic-admin-token"
+}
+
+@test "env-only import warns about age-key without sops" {
+  run "$IMPORT_SCRIPT" \
+    --env "$FIXTURES_DIR/dot-env-for-env-only" \
+    --age-key "$FIXTURES_DIR/age-keys.txt"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+  echo "$output" | grep -q "WARNING.*--age-key given without --import-sops"
+}
+
+@test "sops-only import succeeds (no --env)" {
+  run "$IMPORT_SCRIPT" \
+    --sops "$FIXTURES_DIR/.env.vault.enc" \
+    --age-key "$FIXTURES_DIR/age-keys.txt"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+  echo "$output" | grep -q "Starting Vault import"
+
+  # Verify runner path was written (from sops)
+  run curl -sf -H "X-Vault-Token: ${VAULT_TOKEN}" \
+    "${VAULT_ADDR}/v1/secret/data/disinto/runner/GITHUB_TOKEN"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+  echo "$output" | jq -e '.data.data.value == "github-test-token-abc123"'
+}
+
+@test "sops without --age-key errors" {
+  run "$IMPORT_SCRIPT" \
+    --sops "$FIXTURES_DIR/.env.vault.enc"
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  echo "$output" | grep -q "requires --age-key"
+}
+
+@test "no arguments errors" {
+  run "$IMPORT_SCRIPT"
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  echo "$output" | grep -q "must provide --import-env and/or --import-sops"
+}
+
+@test "env-only import with dry-run works" {
+  run "$IMPORT_SCRIPT" \
+    --env "$FIXTURES_DIR/dot-env-for-env-only" \
+    --dry-run
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+  echo "$output" | grep -q "DRY-RUN"
+  echo "$output" | grep -q "Import plan"
+
+  # Verify nothing was written to Vault
+  run curl -sf -H "X-Vault-Token: ${VAULT_TOKEN}" \
+    "${VAULT_ADDR}/v1/secret/data/disinto/shared/forge"
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+}
diff --git a/tools/vault-import.sh b/tools/vault-import.sh
index e678d36..7111e30 100755
--- a/tools/vault-import.sh
+++ b/tools/vault-import.sh
@@ -240,10 +240,13 @@ Usage:
     --age-key /path/to/age/keys.txt \
     [--dry-run]
 
+Note: --env and --sops are optional but at least one must be provided.
+      --age-key is only required when using --sops.
+
 Options:
-  --env       Path to .env file (required)
-  --sops      Path to sops-encrypted .env.vault.enc file (required)
-  --age-key   Path to age keys file (required)
+  --env       Path to .env file (optional, use with --sops)
+  --sops      Path to sops-encrypted .env.vault.enc file (optional, use with --env)
+  --age-key   Path to age keys file (required when using --sops)
   --dry-run   Print import plan without writing to Vault (optional)
   --help      Show this help message
 
@@ -272,30 +275,36 @@ EOF
     esac
   done
 
-  # Validate required arguments
-  if [ -z "$env_file" ]; then
-    _die "Missing required argument: --env"
+  # --import-sops requires --age-key (can't decrypt without key)
+  if [ -n "${sops_file:-}" ] && [ -z "${age_key_file:-}" ]; then
+    _die "ERROR: --import-sops requires --age-key"
   fi
-  if [ -z "$sops_file" ]; then
-    _die "Missing required argument: --sops"
+
+  # --age-key without --import-sops is a no-op — accept it but warn
+  if [ -z "${sops_file:-}" ] && [ -n "${age_key_file:-}" ]; then
+    echo "WARNING: --age-key given without --import-sops; ignoring" >&2
   fi
-  if [ -z "$age_key_file" ]; then
-    _die "Missing required argument: --age-key"
+
+  # At least one of --import-env / --import-sops must be provided
+  if [ -z "${env_file:-}" ] && [ -z "${sops_file:-}" ]; then
+    _die "ERROR: must provide --import-env and/or --import-sops"
   fi
 
   # Validate files exist
-  if [ ! -f "$env_file" ]; then
+  if [ -n "$env_file" ] && [ ! -f "$env_file" ]; then
     _die "Environment file not found: $env_file"
   fi
-  if [ ! -f "$sops_file" ]; then
+  if [ -n "$sops_file" ] && [ ! -f "$sops_file" ]; then
     _die "Sops file not found: $sops_file"
   fi
-  if [ ! -f "$age_key_file" ]; then
+  if [ -n "$age_key_file" ] && [ ! -f "$age_key_file" ]; then
     _die "Age key file not found: $age_key_file"
   fi
 
-  # Security check: age key permissions
-  _validate_age_key_perms "$age_key_file"
+  # Security check: age key permissions (only if sops is being used)
+  if [ -n "$age_key_file" ]; then
+    _validate_age_key_perms "$age_key_file"
+  fi
 
   # Security check: VAULT_ADDR must be localhost
   _check_vault_addr
@@ -303,16 +312,20 @@ EOF
   # Source the Vault helpers
   source "$(dirname "$0")/../lib/hvault.sh"
 
-  # Load .env file
-  _log "Loading environment from: $env_file"
-  _load_env_file "$env_file"
+  # Load .env file (if provided)
+  if [ -n "$env_file" ]; then
+    _log "Loading environment from: $env_file"
+    _load_env_file "$env_file"
+  fi
 
-  # Decrypt sops file
-  _log "Decrypting sops file: $sops_file"
-  local sops_env
-  sops_env="$(_decrypt_sops "$sops_file" "$age_key_file")"
-  # shellcheck disable=SC2086
-  eval "$sops_env"
+  # Decrypt sops file (if provided)
+  if [ -n "$sops_file" ]; then
+    _log "Decrypting sops file: $sops_file"
+    local sops_env
+    sops_env="$(_decrypt_sops "$sops_file" "$age_key_file")"
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2086
+    eval "$sops_env"
+  fi
 
   # Collect all import operations
   declare -a operations=()
@@ -383,15 +396,17 @@ EOF
     fi
   done
 
-  # --- From sops-decrypted .env.vault.enc ---
+  # --- From sops-decrypted .env.vault.enc (if provided) ---
 
-  # Runner tokens
-  for token_name in "${RUNNER_TOKENS[@]}"; do
-    local token_val="${!token_name:-}"
-    if [ -n "$token_val" ]; then
-      operations+=("runner|$token_name|$sops_file|$token_name")
-    fi
-  done
+  if [ -n "$sops_file" ]; then
+    # Runner tokens
+    for token_name in "${RUNNER_TOKENS[@]}"; do
+      local token_val="${!token_name:-}"
+      if [ -n "$token_val" ]; then
+        operations+=("runner|$token_name|$sops_file|$token_name")
+      fi
+    done
+  fi
 
   # If dry-run, just print the plan
   if $dry_run; then
@@ -454,12 +469,17 @@ EOF
     local vault_key="$subkey"
     local source_value=""
 
-    if [ "$file" = "$env_file" ]; then
-      # Source from environment file (envvar contains the variable name)
-      source_value="${!envvar:-}"
+    if [ -n "$sops_file" ]; then
+      if [ "$file" = "$env_file" ]; then
+        # Source from environment file (envvar contains the variable name)
+        source_value="${!envvar:-}"
+      else
+        # Source from sops-decrypted env (envvar contains the variable name)
+        source_value="$(printf '%s' "$sops_env" | grep "^${envvar}=" | sed "s/^${envvar}=//" || true)"
+      fi
     else
-      # Source from sops-decrypted env (envvar contains the variable name)
-      source_value="$(printf '%s' "$sops_env" | grep "^${envvar}=" | sed "s/^${envvar}=//" || true)"
+      # No sops file - source from environment file only
+      source_value="${!envvar:-}"
     fi
 
     case "$category" in