diff --git a/beets/ui/__init__.py b/beets/ui/__init__.py
index 386410a090..b478b2443a 100644
--- a/beets/ui/__init__.py
+++ b/beets/ui/__init__.py
@@ -1839,7 +1839,7 @@ def _raw_main(args, lib=None):
     ):
         from beets.ui.commands import config_edit
 
-        return config_edit()
+        return config_edit(options)
 
     test_lib = bool(lib)
     subcommands, plugins, lib = _setup(options, lib)
diff --git a/beets/ui/commands.py b/beets/ui/commands.py
index 99aa04f0ac..66faa0b6ec 100755
--- a/beets/ui/commands.py
+++ b/beets/ui/commands.py
@@ -2351,7 +2351,10 @@ def config_func(lib, opts, args):
 
     # Open in editor.
     elif opts.edit:
-        config_edit()
+        # Note:  This branch *should* be unreachable
+        # since the normal flow should be short-circuited
+        # by the special case in ui._raw_main
+        config_edit(opts)
 
     # Dump configuration.
     else:
@@ -2362,11 +2365,11 @@ def config_func(lib, opts, args):
             print("Empty configuration")
 
 
-def config_edit():
+def config_edit(cli_options):
     """Open a program to edit the user configuration.
     An empty config file is created if no existing config file exists.
     """
-    path = config.user_config_path()
+    path = cli_options.config or config.user_config_path()
     editor = util.editor_command()
     try:
         if not os.path.isfile(path):
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 88d87e32f0..401640f618 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ Bug fixes:
 * :ref:`query-sort`: Fix a bug that would raise an exception when sorting on
   a non-string field that is not populated in all items.
   :bug:`5512`
+* Running `beet --config <mypath> config -e` now edits `<mypath>` rather than
+  the default config path.
+  :bug:`5652`
 * :doc:`plugins/lastgenre`: Fix track-level genre handling. Now when an album-level
   genre is set already, single tracks don't fall back to the album's genre and
   request their own last.fm genre. Also log messages regarding what's been
diff --git a/test/test_config_command.py b/test/test_config_command.py
index b68c4f0427..c81b143ec4 100644
--- a/test/test_config_command.py
+++ b/test/test_config_command.py
@@ -128,3 +128,15 @@ def test_edit_invalid_config_file(self):
         with patch("os.execlp") as execlp:
             self.run_command("config", "-e")
         execlp.assert_called_once_with("myeditor", "myeditor", self.config_path)
+
+    def test_edit_config_with_custom_config_path(self):
+        alt_config_path = os.path.join(
+            self.temp_dir.decode(), "alt_config.yaml"
+        )
+        with open(self.config_path, "w") as file:
+            file.write("option: alt value\n")
+
+        os.environ["EDITOR"] = "myeditor"
+        with patch("os.execlp") as execlp:
+            self.run_command("--config", alt_config_path, "config", "-e")
+        execlp.assert_called_once_with("myeditor", "myeditor", alt_config_path)