diff --git a/piptools/scripts/options.py b/piptools/scripts/options.py
index ab456fce..cae5e2f8 100644
--- a/piptools/scripts/options.py
+++ b/piptools/scripts/options.py
@@ -245,6 +245,7 @@ def _get_default_option(option_name: str) -> Any:
 src_files = click.argument(
     "src_files",
     nargs=-1,
+    is_eager=True,
     type=click.Path(exists=True, allow_dash=True),
 )
 
diff --git a/piptools/utils.py b/piptools/utils.py
index 3b2061f7..ddbff322 100644
--- a/piptools/utils.py
+++ b/piptools/utils.py
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ def select_config_file(src_files: tuple[str, ...]) -> Path | None:
     # NOTE: input.
     working_directory = Path.cwd()
     src_files_as_paths = (
-        (working_directory / src_file).resolve() for src_file in src_files or (".",)
+        (working_directory / src_file).resolve() for src_file in src_files + (".",)
     )
     candidate_dirs = (src if src.is_dir() else src.parent for src in src_files_as_paths)
     config_file_path = next(
diff --git a/tests/test_cli_compile.py b/tests/test_cli_compile.py
index f6c5be66..c816de4d 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli_compile.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli_compile.py
@@ -3635,3 +3635,13 @@ def test_stdout_should_not_be_read_when_stdin_is_not_a_plain_file(
     out = runner.invoke(cli, [req_in.as_posix(), "--output-file", fifo.as_posix()])
 
     assert out.exit_code == 0, out
+
+
+def test_config_option_not_unnecessarily_added_in_output_header(runner, tmpdir_cwd):
+    req_in = tmpdir_cwd / "requirements.in"
+    req_in.touch()
+
+    out = runner.invoke(cli)
+
+    assert out.exit_code == 0, out
+    assert "--config" not in out.stderr
diff --git a/tests/test_utils.py b/tests/test_utils.py
index edf012aa..37743534 100644
--- a/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -808,3 +808,16 @@ def test_select_config_file_prefers_pip_tools_toml_over_pyproject_toml(tmpdir_cw
     )
 
     assert select_config_file(()) == pip_tools_file
+
+
+def test_select_config_file_with_config_file_in_different_directory(
+    tmpdir_cwd, make_config_file
+):
+    config_file = make_config_file("dry-run", True, ".pip-tools.toml")
+
+    (tmpdir_cwd / "subdir").mkdir()
+
+    requirement_file = Path("subdir/requirements.in")
+    requirement_file.touch()
+
+    assert select_config_file((requirement_file.as_posix(),)) == config_file