diff --git a/scripts/docs_env.py b/scripts/docs_env.py
index e844cf4c..feeb26fa 100644
--- a/scripts/docs_env.py
+++ b/scripts/docs_env.py
@@ -9,7 +9,16 @@
 DIRENV_ENV_MARKER = "DIGITAL_ASSET_DOCS_DIRENV"
 
 
+def already_reentered_direnv() -> bool:
+    return os.environ.get(DIRENV_ENV_MARKER) == "1"
+
+
 def repo_direnv_command(repo_root: Path, *args: str) -> list[str]:
+    if already_reentered_direnv():
+        if args and args[0] == "x2mdx":
+            return ["python3", "-m", "x2mdx.cli", *args[1:]]
+        return list(args)
+
     if args and args[0] == "x2mdx":
         return [
             "direnv",
@@ -25,7 +34,7 @@ def repo_direnv_command(repo_root: Path, *args: str) -> list[str]:
 
 
 def ensure_repo_direnv(*, repo_root: Path, script_path: Path, argv: Sequence[str]) -> None:
-    if os.environ.get(DIRENV_ENV_MARKER) == "1":
+    if already_reentered_direnv():
         return
 
     env = os.environ.copy()
diff --git a/tests/test_docs_env.py b/tests/test_docs_env.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..551fd970
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_docs_env.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import importlib
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def load_docs_env():
+    return importlib.import_module("scripts.docs_env")
+
+
+def test_repo_direnv_command_runs_x2mdx_directly_after_direnv_reentry(monkeypatch) -> None:
+    docs_env = load_docs_env()
+    monkeypatch.setenv(docs_env.DIRENV_ENV_MARKER, "1")
+
+    assert docs_env.repo_direnv_command(Path("/repo"), "x2mdx", "openrpc") == [
+        "python3",
+        "-m",
+        "x2mdx.cli",
+        "openrpc",
+    ]
+
+
+def test_repo_direnv_command_uses_direnv_even_inside_nix_shell(monkeypatch) -> None:
+    docs_env = load_docs_env()
+    monkeypatch.delenv(docs_env.DIRENV_ENV_MARKER, raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("IN_NIX_SHELL", "pure")
+
+    assert docs_env.repo_direnv_command(Path("/repo"), "python3", "script.py") == [
+        "direnv",
+        "exec",
+        "/repo",
+        "python3",
+        "script.py",
+    ]