diff --git a/crates/doot-cli/src/commands/reencrypt.rs b/crates/doot-cli/src/commands/reencrypt.rs
index 3170d3d..663246d 100644
--- a/crates/doot-cli/src/commands/reencrypt.rs
+++ b/crates/doot-cli/src/commands/reencrypt.rs
@@ -55,11 +55,35 @@ pub fn run(config_path: Option<PathBuf>, recipients: Vec<String>) -> anyhow::Res
         anyhow::bail!("no recipient keys found");
     }
 
-    // Also re-encrypt encrypted vars from the doot config
     let (result, _vars) = super::load(&path)?;
 
     let mut count = 0;
 
+    // Re-encrypt inline encrypted vars (stored as base64 ciphertext in the config
+    // source) by rewriting their literals in place.
+    if !result.encrypted_vars.is_empty() {
+        let mut source = std::fs::read_to_string(&path)?;
+        let mut changed = 0;
+        for (name, b64) in &result.encrypted_vars {
+            let from = format!("\"{b64}\"");
+            if !source.contains(&from) {
+                eprintln!(
+                    "skip var {name}: ciphertext not found verbatim in {}",
+                    path.display()
+                );
+                continue;
+            }
+            let new_b64 = reencrypt_var(b64, &identity_key, &keys)?;
+            source = source.replace(&from, &format!("\"{new_b64}\""));
+            eprintln!("re-encrypted var {name}");
+            changed += 1;
+        }
+        if changed > 0 {
+            std::fs::write(&path, source)?;
+            count += changed;
+        }
+    }
+
     // Re-encrypt .age files referenced in encrypted: block
     for (name, rel_path) in &result.encrypted_files {
         let full_path = if rel_path.is_relative() {
@@ -144,6 +168,22 @@ pub fn run(config_path: Option<PathBuf>, recipients: Vec<String>) -> anyhow::Res
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// Decrypt a base64 age ciphertext and re-encrypt it to `recipients`, returning
+/// the new base64 ciphertext.
+fn reencrypt_var(b64: &str, identity_key: &str, recipients: &[String]) -> anyhow::Result<String> {
+    let data = doot_core::builtins::crypto::base64_decode(b64)
+        .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("invalid base64: {e}"))?;
+    let plaintext = AgeEncryption::new()
+        .with_identity(identity_key)?
+        .decrypt(&data)?;
+    let mut encryption = AgeEncryption::new();
+    for key in recipients {
+        encryption.add_recipient(key)?;
+    }
+    let ciphertext = encryption.encrypt(&plaintext)?;
+    Ok(doot_core::builtins::crypto::base64_encode(&ciphertext))
+}
+
 fn reencrypt_file(path: &PathBuf, identity_key: &str, recipients: &[String]) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     // Decrypt
     let decryption = AgeEncryption::new().with_identity(identity_key)?;