diff --git a/cmd/grype/cli/commands/root.go b/cmd/grype/cli/commands/root.go
index 17be3561088..e3dfc167a7c 100644
--- a/cmd/grype/cli/commands/root.go
+++ b/cmd/grype/cli/commands/root.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/anchore/grype/grype/pkg"
 	"github.com/anchore/grype/grype/presenter/models"
 	"github.com/anchore/grype/grype/store"
+	"github.com/anchore/grype/grype/vex"
 	"github.com/anchore/grype/internal"
 	"github.com/anchore/grype/internal/bus"
 	"github.com/anchore/grype/internal/format"
@@ -94,6 +95,11 @@ var ignoreFixedMatches = []match.IgnoreRule{
 	{FixState: string(grypeDb.FixedState)},
 }
 
+var ignoreVEXFixedNotAffected = []match.IgnoreRule{
+	{VexStatus: string(vex.StatusNotAffected)},
+	{VexStatus: string(vex.StatusFixed)},
+}
+
 //nolint:funlen
 func runGrype(app clio.Application, opts *options.Grype, userInput string) error {
 	errs := make(chan error)
@@ -166,6 +172,11 @@ func runGrype(app clio.Application, opts *options.Grype, userInput string) error
 			opts.Ignore = append(opts.Ignore, ignoreFixedMatches...)
 		}
 
+		if err := applyVexRules(opts); err != nil {
+			errs <- fmt.Errorf("applying vex rules: %w", err)
+			return
+		}
+
 		applyDistroHint(packages, &pkgContext, opts)
 
 		vulnMatcher := grype.VulnerabilityMatcher{
@@ -175,8 +186,8 @@ func runGrype(app clio.Application, opts *options.Grype, userInput string) error
 			FailSeverity:   opts.FailOnServerity(),
 			Matchers:       getMatchers(opts),
 			VexProcessor: vex.NewProcessor(vex.ProcessorOptions{
-				Documents:   appConfig.VexDocuments,
-				IgnoreRules: appConfig.Ignore,
+				Documents:   opts.VexDocuments,
+				IgnoreRules: opts.Ignore,
 			}),
 		}
 
@@ -346,3 +357,26 @@ func validateRootArgs(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	return cobra.MaximumNArgs(1)(cmd, args)
 }
+
+func applyVexRules(opts *options.Grype) error {
+	if len(opts.Ignore) == 0 && len(opts.VexDocuments) > 0 {
+		opts.Ignore = append(opts.Ignore, ignoreVEXFixedNotAffected...)
+	}
+
+	for _, vexStatus := range opts.VexAdd {
+		switch vexStatus {
+		case string(vex.StatusAffected):
+			opts.Ignore = append(
+				opts.Ignore, match.IgnoreRule{VexStatus: string(vex.StatusAffected)},
+			)
+		case string(vex.StatusUnderInvestigation):
+			opts.Ignore = append(
+				opts.Ignore, match.IgnoreRule{VexStatus: string(vex.StatusUnderInvestigation)},
+			)
+		default:
+			return fmt.Errorf("invalid VEX status in vex-add setting: %s", vexStatus)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/grype/cli/options/grype.go b/cmd/grype/cli/options/grype.go
index 165f296cacc..3d139e8f109 100644
--- a/cmd/grype/cli/options/grype.go
+++ b/cmd/grype/cli/options/grype.go
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ type Grype struct {
 	ByCVE                  bool               `yaml:"by-cve" json:"by-cve" mapstructure:"by-cve"` // --by-cve, indicates if the original match vulnerability IDs should be preserved or the CVE should be used instead
 	Name                   string             `yaml:"name" json:"name" mapstructure:"name"`
 	DefaultImagePullSource string             `yaml:"default-image-pull-source" json:"default-image-pull-source" mapstructure:"default-image-pull-source"`
+	VexDocuments           []string           `yaml:"vex-documents" json:"vex-documents" mapstructure:"vex-documents"`
+	VexAdd                 []string           `yaml:"vex-add" json:"vex-add" mapstructure:"vex-add"` // GRYPE_VEX_ADD
 }
 
 var _ interface {
@@ -46,6 +48,7 @@ func DefaultGrype(id clio.Identification) *Grype {
 		Match:             defaultMatchConfig(),
 		ExternalSources:   defaultExternalSources(),
 		CheckForAppUpdate: true,
+		VexAdd:            []string{},
 	}
 }
 
@@ -118,6 +121,11 @@ func (o *Grype) AddFlags(flags clio.FlagSet) {
 		"platform", "",
 		"an optional platform specifier for container image sources (e.g. 'linux/arm64', 'linux/arm64/v8', 'arm64', 'linux')",
 	)
+
+	flags.StringArrayVarP(&o.VexDocuments,
+		"vex", "",
+		"a list of VEX documents to consider when producing scanning results",
+	)
 }
 
 func (o *Grype) PostLoad() error {