diff --git a/cmd/argocd/commands/headless/headless.go b/cmd/argocd/commands/headless/headless.go
index f9a744423b076..fd34a2bab9aa7 100644
--- a/cmd/argocd/commands/headless/headless.go
+++ b/cmd/argocd/commands/headless/headless.go
@@ -55,6 +55,14 @@ type forwardCacheClient struct {
 
 func (c *forwardCacheClient) doLazy(action func(client cache.CacheClient) error) error {
 	c.init.Do(func() {
+		// Check for external Redis server address to bypass in-cluster pod discovery and port-forwarding.
+		externalRedis := os.Getenv("ARGOCD_REDIS_SERVER")
+		if externalRedis != "" {
+			redisClient := redis.NewClient(&redis.Options{Addr: externalRedis, Password: c.redisPassword})
+			c.client = cache.NewRedisCache(redisClient, time.Hour, c.compression)
+			return
+		}
+
 		overrides := clientcmd.ConfigOverrides{
 			CurrentContext: c.context,
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/argocd/commands/headless/headless_test.go b/cmd/argocd/commands/headless/headless_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..aa6af84feb641
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/argocd/commands/headless/headless_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+package headless
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/alicebob/miniredis/v2"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3/util/cache"
+)
+
+func TestDoLazy_ExternalRedisConnection(t *testing.T) {
+	mr, err := miniredis.Run()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer mr.Close()
+
+	// Set ARGOCD_REDIS_SERVER to simulate external Redis (miniredis)
+	t.Setenv("ARGOCD_REDIS_SERVER", mr.Addr())
+
+	client := &forwardCacheClient{
+		compression: cache.RedisCompressionNone,
+	}
+
+	err = client.doLazy(func(c cache.CacheClient) error {
+		assert.NotNil(t, c)
+		return nil
+	})
+
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.NotNil(t, client.client)
+}
+
+func TestDoLazy_FallbackPath(t *testing.T) {
+	// Just in case
+	t.Setenv("ARGOCD_REDIS_SERVER", "")
+
+	client := &forwardCacheClient{
+		context: "invalid-context",
+	}
+
+	err := client.doLazy(func(_ cache.CacheClient) error {
+		return nil
+	})
+
+	// Verify failure in finding Kubernetes context, confirming the fallback logic attempted to use in cluster Redis discovery.
+	require.Error(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestDoLazy_CacheOperations(t *testing.T) {
+	mr, err := miniredis.Run()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer mr.Close()
+
+	t.Setenv("ARGOCD_REDIS_SERVER", mr.Addr())
+
+	client := &forwardCacheClient{}
+
+	err = client.doLazy(func(cacheClient cache.CacheClient) error {
+		testKey := "argocd-test"
+		testVal := "hello-argo"
+
+		// Verify basic cache operations with the external Redis client
+		err := cacheClient.Set(&cache.Item{Key: testKey, Object: testVal})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		var result string
+		err = cacheClient.Get(testKey, &result)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, testVal, result)
+
+		err = cacheClient.Delete(testKey)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		err = cacheClient.Get(testKey, &result)
+		require.Error(t, err)
+
+		return nil
+	})
+
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+}
diff --git a/docs/user-guide/environment-variables.md b/docs/user-guide/environment-variables.md
index ee3f40006fa19..ddd5b5756433b 100644
--- a/docs/user-guide/environment-variables.md
+++ b/docs/user-guide/environment-variables.md
@@ -12,5 +12,6 @@ The following environment variables can be used with `argocd` CLI:
 | `ARGOCD_REPO_SERVER_NAME`            | the Argo CD Repository Server name (default "argocd-repo-server")                                                                                                                                         |
 | `ARGOCD_APPLICATION_CONTROLLER_NAME` | the Argo CD Application Controller name (default "argocd-application-controller")                                                                                                                         |
 | `ARGOCD_REDIS_NAME`                  | the Argo CD Redis name (default "argocd-redis")                                                                                                                                                           |
+| `ARGOCD_REDIS_SERVER`                | the address of an external Redis server to use in --core mode. If set, the CLI bypasses in-cluster pod discovery and port-forwarding. <br> eg. `ARGOCD_REDIS_SERVER=localhost:6379`                      |
 | `ARGOCD_REDIS_HAPROXY_NAME`          | the Argo CD Redis HA Proxy name (default "argocd-redis-ha-haproxy")                                                                                                                                       |
 | `ARGOCD_GRPC_KEEP_ALIVE_MIN`         | defines the GRPCKeepAliveEnforcementMinimum, used in the grpc.KeepaliveEnforcementPolicy. Expects a "Duration" format (default `10s`).                                                                    |