diff --git a/env/codec.go b/env/codec.go
index 085fedc..f244071 100644
--- a/env/codec.go
+++ b/env/codec.go
@@ -17,9 +17,14 @@ import (
 	"github.com/joho/godotenv"
 )
 
+type loadedLayer struct {
+	load   func(context.Context) (map[string]string, error)
+	jqPath string // empty: merge full nested tree; e.g. ".service" merges only that subtree
+}
+
 // Codec loads environment-style key/value data from multiple sources.
 type Codec struct {
-	layers     []func(context.Context) (map[string]string, error)
+	layers     []loadedLayer
 	prefix     string
 	normalizer keymap.Normalizer
 	sliceStrat merge.SliceStrategy
@@ -55,11 +60,15 @@ func (c *Codec) Map(ctx context.Context) (map[string]any, error) {
 	}
 	acc := make(map[string]any)
 	for _, layer := range c.layers {
-		flat, err := layer(ctx)
+		flat, err := layer.load(ctx)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		nested := nestedFromFlat(flat, c.prefix)
+		if segs := splitJQPath(layer.jqPath); len(segs) > 0 {
+			sub := nestedUnderJQPath(nested, layer.jqPath)
+			nested = buildNestedTreeAtPath(segs, sub)
+		}
 		merge.DeepMerge(acc, nested, c.mergeOpts...)
 	}
 	if c.normalizer != nil {
@@ -156,17 +165,24 @@ func flatFromEnviron(environ []string) map[string]string {
 }
 
 func withSource(s source.Source, label string) func(*Codec) {
+	return withSourceAtJQ(s, label, "")
+}
+
+func withSourceAtJQ(s source.Source, label, jqPath string) func(*Codec) {
 	return func(c *Codec) {
-		c.layers = append(c.layers, func(ctx context.Context) (map[string]string, error) {
-			b, err := bytesutil.ReadAll(ctx, s)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("env: read %s: %w", label, err)
-			}
-			m, err := godotenv.UnmarshalBytes(b)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("env: parse %s: %w", label, err)
-			}
-			return m, nil
+		c.layers = append(c.layers, loadedLayer{
+			jqPath: jqPath,
+			load: func(ctx context.Context) (map[string]string, error) {
+				b, err := bytesutil.ReadAll(ctx, s)
+				if err != nil {
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf("env: read %s: %w", label, err)
+				}
+				m, err := godotenv.UnmarshalBytes(b)
+				if err != nil {
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf("env: parse %s: %w", label, err)
+				}
+				return m, nil
+			},
 		})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/env/jqpath.go b/env/jqpath.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eecd40c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/env/jqpath.go
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+package env
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+)
+
+// nestedUnderJQPath returns the value at jqPath inside nested as a sub-tree
+// (just the inner fields — no enclosing key matching the path leaf). It
+// implements a tiny subset of jq path selection: dotted segments matched on
+// lowercased keys, consistent with nestedFromFlat / insertPath.
+//
+// Examples (jqPath = ".service"):
+//
+//	{"service": {"name": "x", "db": {...}}}              → {"name": "x", "db": {...}}
+//	{"service": {"service": {"name": "inner"}}}          → {"name": "inner"}   (redundant
+//	                                                       single-key wrapper repeating
+//	                                                       the path leaf is peeled)
+//	{"other": "v"}                                       → {}                   (missing)
+//	{"service": "scalar"}                                → {}                   (scalar at
+//	                                                       single-segment path is ignored)
+//
+// jqPath uses "." segments; a leading "." is optional. Empty / "." returns
+// the input map untouched. The caller is responsible for re-wrapping the
+// result at jqPath if it wants to merge the sub-tree at the same path in a
+// larger document (see Codec.Map).
+func nestedUnderJQPath(nested map[string]any, jqPath string) map[string]any {
+	segs := splitJQPath(jqPath)
+	if len(segs) == 0 {
+		return nested
+	}
+	var cur any = nested
+	for _, seg := range segs {
+		m, ok := cur.(map[string]any)
+		if !ok {
+			return map[string]any{}
+		}
+		cur = m[seg]
+		if cur == nil {
+			return map[string]any{}
+		}
+	}
+	leaf := segs[len(segs)-1]
+	switch v := cur.(type) {
+	case map[string]any:
+		return peelRedundantPathLeaf(v, leaf)
+	default:
+		if len(segs) == 1 {
+			return map[string]any{}
+		}
+		return buildNestedTreeAtPath(segs, cur)
+	}
+}
+
+// splitJQPath parses a jq-style dotted path into lowercased segments. Empty
+// path or "." yields a nil slice (interpreted as "no path").
+func splitJQPath(jqPath string) []string {
+	jqPath = strings.TrimSpace(jqPath)
+	if jqPath == "" || jqPath == "." {
+		return nil
+	}
+	jqPath = strings.TrimPrefix(jqPath, ".")
+	if jqPath == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+	parts := strings.Split(jqPath, ".")
+	segs := make([]string, 0, len(parts))
+	for _, s := range parts {
+		s = strings.TrimSpace(s)
+		if s == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+		segs = append(segs, strings.ToLower(s))
+	}
+	if len(segs) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return segs
+}
+
+// peelRedundantPathLeaf strips outer {"<leaf>": {...}} shells while the only
+// key in the current map matches pathLeaf. Stops as soon as the map has more
+// than one key or the single key differs from pathLeaf.
+func peelRedundantPathLeaf(m map[string]any, pathLeaf string) map[string]any {
+	for len(m) == 1 {
+		inner, ok := m[pathLeaf].(map[string]any)
+		if !ok {
+			break
+		}
+		m = inner
+	}
+	return m
+}
+
+// buildNestedTreeAtPath wraps leaf inside a chain of single-key maps following
+// segments, e.g. (["a","b"], 1) → {"a": {"b": 1}}.
+func buildNestedTreeAtPath(segments []string, leaf any) map[string]any {
+	root := make(map[string]any)
+	cur := root
+	for i, seg := range segments {
+		if i == len(segments)-1 {
+			cur[seg] = leaf
+			break
+		}
+		next := make(map[string]any)
+		cur[seg] = next
+		cur = next
+	}
+	return root
+}
diff --git a/env/jqpath_test.go b/env/jqpath_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4309419
--- /dev/null
+++ b/env/jqpath_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+package env
+
+import (
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestNestedUnderJQPath(t *testing.T) {
+	nested := map[string]any{
+		"noise": map[string]any{"x": "ignore"},
+		"service": map[string]any{
+			"name": "my-service",
+			"database": map[string]any{
+				"url": "postgres://db",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	got := nestedUnderJQPath(nested, ".service")
+	want := map[string]any{
+		"name": "my-service",
+		"database": map[string]any{
+			"url": "postgres://db",
+		},
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, want) {
+		t.Fatalf("got %#v want %#v", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNestedUnderJQPath_EmptyPathNoop(t *testing.T) {
+	n := map[string]any{"a": "1"}
+	if got := nestedUnderJQPath(n, ""); !reflect.DeepEqual(got, n) {
+		t.Fatalf("%#v", got)
+	}
+	if got := nestedUnderJQPath(n, "."); !reflect.DeepEqual(got, n) {
+		t.Fatalf("%#v", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNestedUnderJQPath_MissingPath(t *testing.T) {
+	got := nestedUnderJQPath(map[string]any{"other": "v"}, ".service")
+	if len(got) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("got %#v", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNestedUnderJQPath_PeelsRedundantServiceWrapper(t *testing.T) {
+	nested := map[string]any{
+		"service": map[string]any{
+			"service": map[string]any{
+				"name": "inner",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	got := nestedUnderJQPath(nested, ".service")
+	want := map[string]any{
+		"name": "inner",
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, want) {
+		t.Fatalf("got %#v want %#v", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNestedUnderJQPath_ScalarAtServiceIgnored(t *testing.T) {
+	got := nestedUnderJQPath(map[string]any{"service": "x"}, ".service")
+	if len(got) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("got %#v", got)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/env/options.go b/env/options.go
index d875a7b..ae27829 100644
--- a/env/options.go
+++ b/env/options.go
@@ -18,15 +18,26 @@ type Option func(*Codec)
 // WithCurrentEnvironment appends the process environment as a source (read at Map time).
 func WithCurrentEnvironment() Option {
 	return func(c *Codec) {
-		c.layers = append(c.layers, func(_ context.Context) (map[string]string, error) {
-			return flatFromEnviron(os.Environ()), nil
+		c.layers = append(c.layers, loadedLayer{
+			load: func(_ context.Context) (map[string]string, error) {
+				return flatFromEnviron(os.Environ()), nil
+			},
 		})
 	}
 }
 
 // WithFile appends a dotenv file path as a source.
-func WithFile(path string) Option {
-	return withSource(source.File{Path: path}, path)
+// Optional jqPath selects only that subtree before merging (jq-style path, e.g. ".service"):
+// only the object at that path is merged into the config at the same path (its fields,
+// not a scalar binding for the whole branch). Keys outside that path in the file are
+// ignored. A redundant single-key wrapper repeating the path leaf (e.g. service.service.*)
+// is flattened so fields merge directly under service.
+func WithFile(path string, jqPath ...string) Option {
+	jp := ""
+	if len(jqPath) > 0 {
+		jp = jqPath[0]
+	}
+	return withSourceAtJQ(source.File{Path: path}, path, jp)
 }
 
 // WithBytes appends raw dotenv bytes as a source.
@@ -77,7 +88,7 @@ func WithKeyNormalizer(n keymap.Normalizer) Option {
 	return func(c *Codec) { c.normalizer = n }
 }
 
-// WithSliceMerge sets slice merge strategy when merging sources.
+// WithSliceMerge sets a slice merge strategy when merging sources.
 func WithSliceMerge(s merge.SliceStrategy) Option {
 	return func(c *Codec) { c.sliceStrat = s }
 }
diff --git a/motivation_config_test.go b/motivation_config_test.go
index c344497..6a9d131 100644
--- a/motivation_config_test.go
+++ b/motivation_config_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,20 @@ type motivationConfig struct {
 	Database struct {
 		URL string `mapstructure:"url"`
 	} `mapstructure:"database"`
+
+	Service struct {
+		Database struct {
+			Poolsize string `json:"poolsize"`
+			Url      string `json:"url"`
+		} `json:"database"`
+		Name       string `json:"name"`
+		Subservice struct {
+			Enabled string `json:"enabled"`
+			Key     string `json:"key"`
+			Name    string `json:"name"`
+			Timeout string `json:"timeout"`
+		} `json:"subservice"`
+	} `json:"service"`
 }
 
 func TestMotivationConfig_YAMLThenEnvThenProcessEnv(t *testing.T) {
@@ -37,6 +51,7 @@ database:
 HTTP_LISTEN=:9090
 DATABASE_URL=postgres://dotenv
 `)),
+		env.WithFile("fixtures/identity/service.env", ".service"),
 		env.WithCurrentEnvironment(),
 	)
 
@@ -49,15 +64,21 @@ DATABASE_URL=postgres://dotenv
 		t.Fatalf("env marshal returned nil map")
 	}
 
-	// convert m to json and back to map
 	js, err := json.MarshalIndent(m, "", "  ")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("json marshal: %v", err)
 	}
-	m2 := make(map[string]interface{})
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(js, &m2); err != nil {
+	var roundTrip map[string]interface{}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(js, &roundTrip); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("json unmarshal: %v", err)
 	}
+	svc, ok := roundTrip["service"].(map[string]interface{})
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("expected service in merged map, got %s", string(js))
+	}
+	if svc["name"] != "my-service" {
+		t.Fatalf("service.name=%v", svc["name"])
+	}
 
 	var cfg motivationConfig
 	if err := yamlCfg.Unmarshal(&cfg); err != nil {
@@ -76,4 +97,16 @@ DATABASE_URL=postgres://dotenv
 	if cfg.Database.URL != "postgres://process-env" {
 		t.Fatalf("Database.URL=%q", cfg.Database.URL)
 	}
+	if cfg.Service.Name != "my-service" {
+		t.Fatalf("Service.Name=%q", cfg.Service.Name)
+	}
+	if cfg.Service.Database.Url != "postgres://localhost:5432/db" {
+		t.Fatalf("Service.Database.Url=%q", cfg.Service.Database.Url)
+	}
+	if cfg.Service.Database.Poolsize != "10" {
+		t.Fatalf("Service.Database.Poolsize=%q", cfg.Service.Database.Poolsize)
+	}
+	if cfg.Service.Subservice.Name != "abc" {
+		t.Fatalf("Service.Subservice.Name=%q", cfg.Service.Subservice.Name)
+	}
 }