diff --git a/cmd/age-plugin-batchpass/plugin-batchpass.go b/cmd/age-plugin-batchpass/plugin-batchpass.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3974d77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/age-plugin-batchpass/plugin-batchpass.go
@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"flag"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"log"
+	"os"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+
+	"filippo.io/age"
+	"filippo.io/age/plugin"
+)
+
+const usage = `age-plugin-batchpass is an age plugin that enables non-interactive
+passphrase-based encryption and decryption using environment variables.
+
+It is not built into the age CLI because most applications should use
+native keys instead of scripting passphrase-based encryption.
+
+Usage:
+
+  AGE_PASSPHRASE=password age -e -j batchpass file.txt > file.txt.age
+
+  AGE_PASSPHRASE=password age -d -j batchpass file.txt.age > file.txt
+
+Alternatively, you can use AGE_PASSPHRASE_FD to read the passphrase from
+a file descriptor. Trailing newlines are stripped from the file contents.
+
+When encrypting, you can set AGE_PASSPHRASE_WORK_FACTOR to adjust the scrypt
+work factor (between 1 and 30, default 18). Higher values are more secure
+but slower.
+
+When decrypting, you can set AGE_PASSPHRASE_MAX_WORK_FACTOR to limit the
+maximum scrypt work factor accepted (between 1 and 30, default 30). This can
+be used to avoid very slow decryptions.`
+
+func main() {
+	flag.Usage = func() { fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%s\n", usage) }
+
+	p, err := plugin.New("batchpass")
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	p.HandleIdentityAsRecipient(func(data []byte) (age.Recipient, error) {
+		if len(data) != 0 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("batchpass identity does not take any payload")
+		}
+		pass, err := passphrase()
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		r, err := age.NewScryptRecipient(pass)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create scrypt recipient: %v", err)
+		}
+		if envWorkFactor := os.Getenv("AGE_PASSPHRASE_WORK_FACTOR"); envWorkFactor != "" {
+			workFactor, err := strconv.Atoi(envWorkFactor)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid AGE_PASSPHRASE_WORK_FACTOR: %v", err)
+			}
+			if workFactor > 30 || workFactor < 1 {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("AGE_PASSPHRASE_WORK_FACTOR must be between 1 and 30")
+			}
+			r.SetWorkFactor(workFactor)
+		}
+		return r, nil
+	})
+	p.HandleIdentity(func(data []byte) (age.Identity, error) {
+		if len(data) != 0 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("batchpass identity does not take any payload")
+		}
+		pass, err := passphrase()
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		maxWorkFactor := 0
+		if envMaxWorkFactor := os.Getenv("AGE_PASSPHRASE_MAX_WORK_FACTOR"); envMaxWorkFactor != "" {
+			maxWorkFactor, err = strconv.Atoi(envMaxWorkFactor)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid AGE_PASSPHRASE_MAX_WORK_FACTOR: %v", err)
+			}
+			if maxWorkFactor > 30 || maxWorkFactor < 1 {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("AGE_PASSPHRASE_MAX_WORK_FACTOR must be between 1 and 30")
+			}
+		}
+		return &batchpassIdentity{password: pass, maxWorkFactor: maxWorkFactor}, nil
+	})
+	os.Exit(p.Main())
+}
+
+type batchpassIdentity struct {
+	password      string
+	maxWorkFactor int
+}
+
+func (i *batchpassIdentity) Unwrap(stanzas []*age.Stanza) ([]byte, error) {
+	for _, s := range stanzas {
+		if s.Type == "scrypt" && len(stanzas) != 1 {
+			return nil, errors.New("an scrypt recipient must be the only one")
+		}
+	}
+	if len(stanzas) != 1 || stanzas[0].Type != "scrypt" {
+		// Don't fallback to other identities, this plugin should mostly be used
+		// in isolation, from the CLI.
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("file is not passphrase-encrypted")
+	}
+	ii, err := age.NewScryptIdentity(i.password)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if i.maxWorkFactor != 0 {
+		ii.SetMaxWorkFactor(i.maxWorkFactor)
+	}
+	fileKey, err := ii.Unwrap(stanzas)
+	if errors.Is(err, age.ErrIncorrectIdentity) {
+		// ScryptIdentity returns ErrIncorrectIdentity to make it possible to
+		// try multiple passphrases from the API. If a user is invoking this
+		// plugin, it's safe to say they expect it to be the only mechanism to
+		// decrypt a passphrase-protected file.
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("incorrect passphrase")
+	}
+	return fileKey, err
+}
+
+func passphrase() (string, error) {
+	envPASSPHRASE := os.Getenv("AGE_PASSPHRASE")
+	envFD := os.Getenv("AGE_PASSPHRASE_FD")
+	if envPASSPHRASE != "" && envFD != "" {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("AGE_PASSPHRASE and AGE_PASSPHRASE_FD are mutually exclusive")
+	}
+	if envPASSPHRASE == "" && envFD == "" {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("either AGE_PASSPHRASE or AGE_PASSPHRASE_FD must be set")
+	}
+
+	if envPASSPHRASE != "" {
+		return envPASSPHRASE, nil
+	}
+
+	fd, err := strconv.Atoi(envFD)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("invalid AGE_PASSPHRASE_FD: %v", err)
+	}
+	f := os.NewFile(uintptr(fd), "AGE_PASSPHRASE_FD")
+	if f == nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to open file descriptor %d", fd)
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+	const maxPassphraseSize = 1024 * 1024 // 1 MiB
+	b, err := io.ReadAll(io.LimitReader(f, maxPassphraseSize+1))
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to read passphrase from fd %d: %v", fd, err)
+	}
+	if len(b) > maxPassphraseSize {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("passphrase from fd %d is too long", fd)
+	}
+	return strings.TrimRight(string(b), "\r\n"), nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/age/age.go b/cmd/age/age.go
index 2ff0a8c..f6661c1 100644
--- a/cmd/age/age.go
+++ b/cmd/age/age.go
@@ -440,8 +440,7 @@ func (rejectScryptIdentity) Unwrap(stanzas []*age.Stanza) ([]byte, error) {
 }
 
 func decryptNotPass(flags identityFlags, in io.Reader, out io.Writer) {
-	identities := []age.Identity{rejectScryptIdentity{}}
-
+	var identities []age.Identity
 	for _, f := range flags {
 		switch f.Type {
 		case "i":
@@ -458,7 +457,7 @@ func decryptNotPass(flags identityFlags, in io.Reader, out io.Writer) {
 			identities = append(identities, id)
 		}
 	}
-
+	identities = append(identities, rejectScryptIdentity{})
 	decrypt(identities, in, out)
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/age/age_test.go b/cmd/age/age_test.go
index 5213384..522a638 100644
--- a/cmd/age/age_test.go
+++ b/cmd/age/age_test.go
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ var buildExtraCommands = sync.OnceValue(func() error {
 	}
 	cmd.Args = append(cmd.Args, "filippo.io/age/cmd/age-keygen")
 	cmd.Args = append(cmd.Args, "filippo.io/age/cmd/age-plugin-pq")
+	cmd.Args = append(cmd.Args, "filippo.io/age/cmd/age-plugin-batchpass")
 	cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
 	cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
 	return cmd.Run()
diff --git a/cmd/age/testdata/batchpass.txt b/cmd/age/testdata/batchpass.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a37361c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/age/testdata/batchpass.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# encrypt and decrypt with AGE_PASSPHRASE
+env AGE_PASSPHRASE_WORK_FACTOR=5
+env AGE_PASSPHRASE=password
+age -e -j batchpass -o test.age input
+age -d -j batchpass test.age
+cmp stdout input
+
+# decrypt with AGE_PASSPHRASE_MAX_WORK_FACTOR
+env AGE_PASSPHRASE_MAX_WORK_FACTOR=10
+age -d -j batchpass test.age
+cmp stdout input
+
+# AGE_PASSPHRASE_MAX_WORK_FACTOR lower than work factor
+env AGE_PASSPHRASE_MAX_WORK_FACTOR=3
+! age -d -j batchpass test.age
+stderr 'work factor'
+env AGE_PASSPHRASE_MAX_WORK_FACTOR=
+
+# error: both AGE_PASSPHRASE and AGE_PASSPHRASE_FD set
+env AGE_PASSPHRASE=password
+env AGE_PASSPHRASE_FD=3
+! age -e -j batchpass -a input
+stderr 'mutually exclusive'
+
+# error: neither AGE_PASSPHRASE nor AGE_PASSPHRASE_FD set
+env AGE_PASSPHRASE=
+env AGE_PASSPHRASE_FD=
+! age -e -j batchpass -a test.age
+stderr 'must be set'
+
+# error: incorrect passphrase
+env AGE_PASSPHRASE=wrongpassword
+! age -d -j batchpass test.age
+stderr 'incorrect passphrase'
+
+# error: encrypting to other recipients along with passphrase
+env AGE_PASSPHRASE=password
+! age -e -j batchpass -r age1gc2zwslg9j25pg9e9ld7623aewc2gjzquzgq90m75r75myqdt5cq3yudvh -a input
+stderr 'incompatible recipients'
+! age -e -r age1gc2zwslg9j25pg9e9ld7623aewc2gjzquzgq90m75r75myqdt5cq3yudvh -j batchpass -a input
+stderr 'incompatible recipients'
+
+# decrypt with native scrypt
+[!linux] [!darwin] skip # no pty support
+[darwin] [go1.20] skip # https://go.dev/issue/61779
+ttyin terminal
+age -d test.age
+cmp stdout input
+
+-- terminal --
+password
+password
+-- input --
+test
diff --git a/doc/age-plugin-batchpass.1.ronn b/doc/age-plugin-batchpass.1.ronn
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..335d6ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/age-plugin-batchpass.1.ronn
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+age-plugin-batchpass(1) -- non-interactive passphrase encryption plugin for age(1)
+==================================================================================
+
+## SYNOPSIS
+
+`age` `-e` `-j` `batchpass`<br>
+`age` `-d` `-j` `batchpass`
+
+## DESCRIPTION
+
+`age-plugin-batchpass` is an age(1) plugin that enables non-interactive
+passphrase-based encryption and decryption using environment variables.
+
+It is not built into the age CLI because most applications should use
+native keys instead of scripting passphrase-based encryption.
+
+## ENVIRONMENT
+
+* `AGE_PASSPHRASE`:
+    The passphrase to use for encryption or decryption.
+    Mutually exclusive with `AGE_PASSPHRASE_FD`.
+
+* `AGE_PASSPHRASE_FD`:
+    A file descriptor number to read the passphrase from.
+    Trailing newlines are stripped from the file contents.
+    Mutually exclusive with `AGE_PASSPHRASE`.
+
+* `AGE_PASSPHRASE_WORK_FACTOR`:
+    The scrypt work factor to use when encrypting.
+    Must be between 1 and 30. Default is 18.
+    Higher values are more secure but slower.
+
+* `AGE_PASSPHRASE_MAX_WORK_FACTOR`:
+    The maximum scrypt work factor to accept when decrypting.
+    Must be between 1 and 30. Default is 30.
+    Can be used to avoid very slow decryptions.
+
+## EXAMPLES
+
+Encrypt a file with a passphrase:
+
+    $ AGE_PASSPHRASE=secret age -e -j batchpass file.txt > file.txt.age
+
+Decrypt a file with a passphrase:
+
+    $ AGE_PASSPHRASE=secret age -d -j batchpass file.txt.age > file.txt
+
+Read the passphrase from a file descriptor:
+
+    $ AGE_PASSPHRASE_FD=3 age -e -j batchpass file.txt 3< passphrase.txt > file.txt.age
+
+## SEE ALSO
+
+age(1)
+
+## AUTHORS
+
+Filippo Valsorda <age@filippo.io>