diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9eae9345..004f806e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -45,7 +45,11 @@ releases:
       foo: bar
     chart: roboll/vault-secret-manager     # the chart being installed to create this release, referenced by `repository/chart` syntax
     version: ~1.24.1                       # the semver of the chart. range constraint is supported
-    values: [ vault.yaml ]                 # value files (--values)
+    values:
+      - vault.yaml                         # value files (--values)
+      - db:                                # inline values. Passed via a temporary values file (--values)
+          username: {{ requiredEnv "DB_USERNAME" }}
+          password: {{ requiredEnv "DB_PASSWORD" }}
     secrets:
       - vault_secret.yaml                  # will attempt to decrypt it using helm-secrets plugin
     set:                                   # values (--set)
@@ -78,7 +82,7 @@ If the environment variable is unset or empty, the template rendering will fail
 
 ## Using environment variables
 
-Environment variables can be used in most places for templating the helmfile. Currently this is supported for `name`, `namespace`, `value` (in set) and `url` (in repositories).
+Environment variables can be used in most places for templating the helmfile. Currently this is supported for `name`, `namespace`, `value` (in set), `values` and `url` (in repositories).
 
 Examples:
 
@@ -93,6 +97,10 @@ releases:
   - name: {{ requiredEnv "NAME" }}-vault
     namespace: {{ requiredEnv "NAME" }}
     chart: roboll/vault-secret-manager
+    values:
+      - db:
+          username: {{ requiredEnv "DB_USERNAME" }}
+          password: {{ requiredEnv "DB_PASSWORD" }}
     set:
       - name: proxy.domain
         value: {{ requiredEnv "PLATFORM_ID" }}.my-domain.com
diff --git a/state/state.go b/state/state.go
index 29a9ba32..f7400147 100644
--- a/state/state.go
+++ b/state/state.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ type ReleaseSpec struct {
 	Name      string            `yaml:"name"`
 	Namespace string            `yaml:"namespace"`
 	Labels    map[string]string `yaml:"labels"`
-	Values    []string          `yaml:"values"`
+	Values    []interface{}     `yaml:"values"`
 	Secrets   []string          `yaml:"secrets"`
 	SetValues []SetValue        `yaml:"set"`
 
@@ -479,12 +479,28 @@ func flagsForRelease(helm helmexec.Interface, basePath string, release *ReleaseS
 		flags = append(flags, "--namespace", release.Namespace)
 	}
 	for _, value := range release.Values {
-		path := filepath.Join(basePath, value)
-		if _, err := os.Stat(path); os.IsNotExist(err) {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+		switch typedValue := value.(type) {
+		case string:
+			path := filepath.Join(basePath, typedValue)
+			if _, err := os.Stat(path); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			flags = append(flags, "--values", path)
 
-		flags = append(flags, "--values", path)
+		case map[interface{}]interface{}:
+			valfile, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "values")
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			defer valfile.Close()
+			encoder := yaml.NewEncoder(valfile)
+			defer encoder.Close()
+			if err := encoder.Encode(typedValue); err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			release.generatedValues = append(release.generatedValues, valfile.Name())
+			flags = append(flags, "--values", valfile.Name())
+		}
 	}
 	for _, value := range release.Secrets {
 		path := filepath.Join(basePath, value)