diff --git a/packages/plugin-eslint/README.md b/packages/plugin-eslint/README.md
index e0c14a80a..5a83efcd2 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-eslint/README.md
+++ b/packages/plugin-eslint/README.md
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ Detected ESLint rules are mapped to Code PushUp audits. Audit reports are calcul
 
 4. Add this plugin to the `plugins` array in your Code PushUp CLI config file (e.g. `code-pushup.config.js`).
 
-   Pass in the path to your ESLint config file, along with glob patterns for which files you wish to target (relative to `process.cwd()`).
+   Pass in the glob patterns for which files you wish to target (relative to `process.cwd()`).
 
    ```js
    import eslintPlugin from '@code-pushup/eslint-plugin';
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ Detected ESLint rules are mapped to Code PushUp audits. Audit reports are calcul
      // ...
      plugins: [
        // ...
-       await eslintPlugin({ eslintrc: '.eslintrc.js', patterns: ['src/**/*.js'] }),
+       await eslintPlugin(['src/**/*.js']),
      ],
    };
    ```
diff --git a/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/config.ts b/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/config.ts
index d2942662d..aa14ccb12 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/config.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/config.ts
@@ -2,21 +2,35 @@ import type { ESLint } from 'eslint';
 import { type ZodType, z } from 'zod';
 import { toArray } from '@code-pushup/utils';
 
-export const eslintTargetSchema = z.object({
-  eslintrc: z.union(
-    [
-      z.string({ description: 'Path to ESLint config file' }),
-      z.record(z.string(), z.unknown(), {
-        description: 'ESLint config object',
-      }) as ZodType<ESLint.ConfigData>,
-    ],
-    { description: 'ESLint config as file path or inline object' },
-  ),
-  patterns: z.union([z.string(), z.array(z.string()).min(1)], {
-    description:
-      'Lint target files. May contain file paths, directory paths or glob patterns',
-  }),
+const patternsSchema = z.union([z.string(), z.array(z.string()).min(1)], {
+  description:
+    'Lint target files. May contain file paths, directory paths or glob patterns',
 });
+
+const eslintrcSchema = z.union(
+  [
+    z.string({ description: 'Path to ESLint config file' }),
+    z.record(z.string(), z.unknown(), {
+      description: 'ESLint config object',
+    }) as ZodType<ESLint.ConfigData>,
+  ],
+  { description: 'ESLint config as file path or inline object' },
+);
+
+const eslintTargetObjectSchema = z.object({
+  eslintrc: eslintrcSchema.optional(),
+  patterns: patternsSchema,
+});
+type ESLintTargetObject = z.infer<typeof eslintTargetObjectSchema>;
+
+export const eslintTargetSchema = z
+  .union([patternsSchema, eslintTargetObjectSchema])
+  .transform(
+    (target): ESLintTargetObject =>
+      typeof target === 'string' || Array.isArray(target)
+        ? { patterns: target }
+        : target,
+  );
 export type ESLintTarget = z.infer<typeof eslintTargetSchema>;
 
 export const eslintPluginConfigSchema = z
diff --git a/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/nx.integration.test.ts b/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/nx.integration.test.ts
index 64a25f7cb..080b53a60 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/nx.integration.test.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/nx.integration.test.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ describe('Nx helpers', () => {
     it('should include eslintrc and patterns of each project', async () => {
       await expect(eslintConfigFromAllNxProjects()).resolves.toEqual([
         {
-          eslintrc: './packages/cli/.eslintrc.json',
           patterns: [
             'packages/cli/**/*.ts',
             'packages/cli/package.json',
@@ -53,7 +52,6 @@ describe('Nx helpers', () => {
           ],
         },
         {
-          eslintrc: './packages/core/.eslintrc.json',
           patterns: [
             'packages/core/**/*.ts',
             'packages/core/package.json',
@@ -64,7 +62,6 @@ describe('Nx helpers', () => {
           ],
         },
         {
-          eslintrc: './packages/nx-plugin/.eslintrc.json',
           patterns: [
             'packages/nx-plugin/**/*.ts',
             'packages/nx-plugin/package.json',
@@ -76,7 +73,6 @@ describe('Nx helpers', () => {
           ],
         },
         {
-          eslintrc: './packages/utils/.eslintrc.json',
           patterns: [
             'packages/utils/**/*.ts',
             'packages/utils/package.json',
@@ -118,7 +114,6 @@ describe('Nx helpers', () => {
         expect(targets).toEqual(
           expectedProjects.map(
             (p): ESLintTarget => ({
-              eslintrc: `./packages/${p}/.eslintrc.json`,
               patterns: expect.arrayContaining([`packages/${p}/**/*.ts`]),
             }),
           ),
@@ -148,7 +143,6 @@ describe('Nx helpers', () => {
         const targets = await eslintConfigFromNxProject(project);
 
         expect(targets).toEqual({
-          eslintrc: `./packages/${project}/.eslintrc.json`,
           patterns: expect.arrayContaining([`packages/${project}/**/*.ts`]),
         });
       },
diff --git a/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/nx/projects-to-config.unit.test.ts b/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/nx/projects-to-config.unit.test.ts
index b00bca913..782f7b90f 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/nx/projects-to-config.unit.test.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/nx/projects-to-config.unit.test.ts
@@ -68,15 +68,12 @@ describe('nxProjectsToConfig', () => {
 
     expect(config).toEqual<ESLintPluginConfig>([
       {
-        eslintrc: './apps/client/.eslintrc.json',
         patterns: expect.arrayContaining(['apps/client/**/*.ts']),
       },
       {
-        eslintrc: './apps/server/.eslintrc.json',
         patterns: expect.arrayContaining(['apps/server/**/*.ts']),
       },
       {
-        eslintrc: './libs/models/.eslintrc.json',
         patterns: expect.arrayContaining(['libs/models/**/*.ts']),
       },
     ]);
@@ -108,7 +105,6 @@ describe('nxProjectsToConfig', () => {
 
     expect(config).toEqual<ESLintPluginConfig>([
       {
-        eslintrc: './libs/models/.eslintrc.json',
         patterns: expect.arrayContaining(['libs/models/**/*.ts']),
       },
     ]);
@@ -150,11 +146,9 @@ describe('nxProjectsToConfig', () => {
 
     expect(config).toEqual<ESLintPluginConfig>([
       {
-        eslintrc: './apps/client/.eslintrc.json',
         patterns: expect.arrayContaining(['apps/client/**/*.ts']),
       },
       {
-        eslintrc: './apps/server/.eslintrc.json',
         patterns: expect.arrayContaining(['apps/server/**/*.ts']),
       },
     ]);
@@ -222,11 +216,9 @@ describe('nxProjectsToConfig', () => {
           'apps/client/**/*.ts',
           'apps/client/**/*.html',
         ]),
-        eslintrc: './apps/client/.eslintrc.json',
       },
       {
         patterns: expect.arrayContaining(['apps/server/**/*.ts']),
-        eslintrc: './apps/server/.eslintrc.json',
       },
     ] satisfies ESLintPluginConfig);
   });
diff --git a/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/nx/utils.ts b/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/nx/utils.ts
index add141b82..2123fbdf5 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/nx/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/nx/utils.ts
@@ -29,9 +29,11 @@ export function getLintFilePatterns(project: ProjectConfiguration): string[] {
     : toArray(options.lintFilePatterns);
 }
 
-export function getEslintConfig(project: ProjectConfiguration): string {
+export function getEslintConfig(
+  project: ProjectConfiguration,
+): string | undefined {
   const options = project.targets?.['lint']?.options as
     | { eslintConfig?: string }
     | undefined;
-  return options?.eslintConfig ?? `./${project.root}/.eslintrc.json`;
+  return options?.eslintConfig;
 }
diff --git a/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/runner/lint.ts b/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/runner/lint.ts
index 09c6e9740..95960a743 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/runner/lint.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/runner/lint.ts
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ function executeLint({
       command: 'npx',
       args: [
         'eslint',
-        `--config=${configPath}`,
-        '--no-eslintrc',
+        ...(configPath ? [`--config=${configPath}`] : []),
+        ...(typeof eslintrc === 'object' ? ['--no-eslintrc'] : []),
         '--no-error-on-unmatched-pattern',
         '--format=json',
         ...toArray(patterns).map(pattern =>
@@ -77,9 +77,9 @@ function loadRuleOptionsPerFile(
 
 async function withConfig<T>(
   eslintrc: ESLintTarget['eslintrc'],
-  fn: (configPath: string) => Promise<T>,
+  fn: (configPath: string | undefined) => Promise<T>,
 ): Promise<T> {
-  if (typeof eslintrc === 'string') {
+  if (typeof eslintrc !== 'object') {
     return fn(eslintrc);
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/runner/lint.unit.test.ts b/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/runner/lint.unit.test.ts
index a15407dcc..6ef803c80 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/runner/lint.unit.test.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/runner/lint.unit.test.ts
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@ describe('lint', () => {
     await lint(config);
     expect(ESLint).toHaveBeenCalledWith<ConstructorParameters<typeof ESLint>>({
       overrideConfigFile: '.eslintrc.js',
-      useEslintrc: false,
       errorOnUnmatchedPattern: false,
     });
 
@@ -108,7 +107,6 @@ describe('lint', () => {
       args: [
         'eslint',
         '--config=.eslintrc.js',
-        '--no-eslintrc',
         '--no-error-on-unmatched-pattern',
         '--format=json',
         expect.stringContaining('**/*.js'), // wraps in quotes on Unix
diff --git a/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/setup.ts b/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/setup.ts
index bfd6dbd1e..bad15a4d9 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/setup.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-eslint/src/lib/setup.ts
@@ -3,10 +3,11 @@ import type { ESLintTarget } from './config';
 
 export function setupESLint(eslintrc: ESLintTarget['eslintrc']) {
   return new ESLint({
-    ...(typeof eslintrc === 'string'
-      ? { overrideConfigFile: eslintrc }
-      : { baseConfig: eslintrc }),
-    useEslintrc: false,
+    ...(typeof eslintrc === 'string' && { overrideConfigFile: eslintrc }),
+    ...(typeof eslintrc === 'object' && {
+      baseConfig: eslintrc,
+      useEslintrc: false,
+    }),
     errorOnUnmatchedPattern: false,
   });
 }