diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/common/arguments.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/common/arguments.py
index 41a7024d285..a761d113696 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/common/arguments.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/common/arguments.py
@@ -504,11 +504,22 @@ class ConfigSetAction(argparse.Action):
     """
 
     def __init__(
-        self, option_strings, dest, const, default=None, required=False, help=None, metavar=None
+        self,
+        option_strings,
+        dest,
+        const,
+        default=None,
+        required=False,
+        help=None,
+        metavar=None,
+        require_environment=False,
     ):
         # save the config option we're supposed to set
         self.config_path = dest
 
+        # save whether the option requires an active env
+        self.require_environment = require_environment
+
         # destination is translated to a legal python identifier by
         # substituting '_' for ':'.
         dest = dest.replace(":", "_")
@@ -524,6 +535,11 @@ def __init__(
         )
 
     def __call__(self, parser, namespace, values, option_string):
+        if self.require_environment and not ev.active_environment():
+            raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError(
+                f"argument '{self.option_strings[-1]}' requires an environment"
+            )
+
         # Retrieve the name of the config option and set it to
         # the const from the constructor or a value from the CLI.
         # Note that this is only called if the argument is actually
@@ -545,6 +561,16 @@ def add_concretizer_args(subparser):
     Just substitute ``_`` for ``:``.
     """
     subgroup = subparser.add_argument_group("concretizer arguments")
+    subgroup.add_argument(
+        "-f",
+        "--force",
+        action=ConfigSetAction,
+        require_environment=True,
+        dest="concretizer:force",
+        const=True,
+        default=False,
+        help="allow changes to concretized specs in spack.lock (in an env)",
+    )
     subgroup.add_argument(
         "-U",
         "--fresh",
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/concretize.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/concretize.py
index 7376b25009b..c6025434268 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/concretize.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/concretize.py
@@ -15,9 +15,6 @@
 
 
 def setup_parser(subparser):
-    subparser.add_argument(
-        "-f", "--force", action="store_true", help="re-concretize even if already concretized"
-    )
     subparser.add_argument(
         "--test",
         default=None,
@@ -43,7 +40,7 @@ def concretize(parser, args):
         tests = False
 
     with env.write_transaction():
-        concretized_specs = env.concretize(force=args.force, tests=tests)
+        concretized_specs = env.concretize(tests=tests)
         if not args.quiet:
             if concretized_specs:
                 tty.msg(f"Concretized {plural(len(concretized_specs), 'spec')}:")
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/environment/environment.py b/lib/spack/spack/environment/environment.py
index 92bdc6871fe..a8291d3f679 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/environment/environment.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/environment/environment.py
@@ -1427,7 +1427,7 @@ def is_develop(self, spec):
         """Returns true when the spec is built from local sources"""
         return spec.name in self.dev_specs
 
-    def concretize(self, force=False, tests=False):
+    def concretize(self, tests=False):
         """Concretize user_specs in this environment.
 
         Only concretizes specs that haven't been concretized yet unless
@@ -1437,8 +1437,6 @@ def concretize(self, force=False, tests=False):
         write out a lockfile containing concretized specs.
 
         Arguments:
-            force (bool): re-concretize ALL specs, even those that were
-               already concretized
             tests (bool or list or set): False to run no tests, True to test
                 all packages, or a list of package names to run tests for some
 
@@ -1446,7 +1444,7 @@ def concretize(self, force=False, tests=False):
             List of specs that have been concretized. Each entry is a tuple of
             the user spec and the corresponding concretized spec.
         """
-        if force:
+        if spack.config.get("concretizer:force", False):
             # Clear previously concretized specs
             self.concretized_user_specs = []
             self.concretized_order = []
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/schema/concretizer.py b/lib/spack/spack/schema/concretizer.py
index 7a866dfbbd7..3428461d73c 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/schema/concretizer.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/schema/concretizer.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
         "type": "object",
         "additionalProperties": False,
         "properties": {
+            "force": {"type": "boolean", "default": False},
             "reuse": {
                 "oneOf": [
                     {"type": "boolean"},