diff --git a/commands/nv.c b/commands/nv.c
index 01c25a1..3150193 100644
--- a/commands/nv.c
+++ b/commands/nv.c
@@ -50,6 +50,11 @@
 	}
 
 	if (do_save) {
+		if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ENV_HANDLING)) {
+			printf("Error: Current configuration does not support saving variables\n");
+			return COMMAND_ERROR;
+		}
+
 		return nvvar_save();
 	}
 
diff --git a/common/Kconfig b/common/Kconfig
index 60237d3..f9ef9bd 100644
--- a/common/Kconfig
+++ b/common/Kconfig
@@ -174,19 +174,19 @@
 
 config NVVAR
 	bool "Non volatile global environment variables support"
-	default y if !SHELL_NONE
+	default y if !SHELL_NONE && ENV_HANDLING
 	depends on GLOBALVAR
-	depends on ENV_HANDLING
 	select FNMATCH
 	help
 	  Non volatile environment variables begin with "nv.". They behave like
-	  global variables above, but their values are saved in the environment
-	  storage with 'saveenv' and thus are persistent over restarts. nv variables
-	  are coupled with global variables of the same name. Setting "nv.foo" results
-	  in "global.foo" changed also (but not the other way round: setting "global.foo"
-	  leaves "nv.foo" untouched). The idea is that nv variables can store defaults
-	  while global variables can be changed during runtime without changing the
-	  default.
+	  global variables above, but when CONFIG_ENV_HANDLING is enabled, they
+	  can be stored in the environment storage with 'saveenv' and thus
+	  persisted over restarts. nv variables are coupled with global
+	  variables of the same name. Setting "nv.foo" results in "global.foo"
+	  changed also (but not the other way round: setting "global.foo" leaves
+	  "nv.foo" untouched). The idea is that nv variables can store defaults
+	  while global variables can be changed during runtime without changing
+	  the default.
 
 menu "memory layout"
 
@@ -805,12 +805,12 @@
 
 config DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT
 	bool
-	default y
-	depends on ENV_HANDLING
+	default y if ENV_HANDLING
 	prompt "Compile in default environment"
 	help
 	  Enabling this option will give you a default environment when
-	  the environment found in the environment sector is invalid
+	  the environment found in the environment sector is invalid or when
+	  CONFIG_ENV_HANDLING is not enabled.
 
 choice
 	prompt "default compression for in-barebox binaries"
diff --git a/common/Makefile b/common/Makefile
index 1096016..11c91dd 100644
--- a/common/Makefile
+++ b/common/Makefile
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@
 obj-$(CONFIG_CONSOLE_SIMPLE)	+= console_simple.o
 obj-y				+= console_countdown.o
 obj-pbl-$(CONFIG_DDR_SPD)	+= ddr_spd.o
-obj-$(CONFIG_ENV_HANDLING)	+= environment.o
+obj-$(CONFIG_ENV_HANDLING)	+= environment.o envfs-core.o
+obj-$(CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT) += envfs-core.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLES) += env.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_FILETYPE)		+= filetype.o
 CFLAGS_filetype.o = -I$(srctree)/arch/
diff --git a/common/envfs-core.c b/common/envfs-core.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1898c1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/envfs-core.c
@@ -0,0 +1,197 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2019 Albert Schwarzkopf <a.schwarzkopf@phytec.de>, PHYTEC Messtechnik GmbH
+ * Copyright (c) 2007 Sascha Hauer <s.hauer@pengutronix.de>, Pengutronix
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * @brief Environment handling support (host and target)
+ *
+ * Important: This file will also be used on the host to create
+ * the default environment when building the barebox binary. So
+ * do not add any new barebox related functions here!
+ */
+#ifdef __BAREBOX__
+#include <common.h>
+#include <fs.h>
+#include <crc.h>
+#include <envfs.h>
+#include <libbb.h>
+#include <libgen.h>
+#include <environment.h>
+#include <libfile.h>
+#else
+# define errno_str(x) ("void")
+#endif
+
+static int dir_remove_action(const char *filename, struct stat *statbuf,
+		void *userdata, int depth)
+{
+	if (!depth)
+		return 1;
+
+	rmdir(filename);
+
+	return 1;
+}
+
+int envfs_check_super(struct envfs_super *super, size_t *size)
+{
+	if (ENVFS_32(super->magic) != ENVFS_MAGIC) {
+		printf("envfs: no envfs (magic mismatch) - envfs never written?\n");
+		return -EIO;
+	}
+
+	if (crc32(0, super, sizeof(*super) - 4) != ENVFS_32(super->sb_crc)) {
+		printf("wrong crc on env superblock\n");
+		return -EIO;
+	}
+
+	if (super->major < ENVFS_MAJOR)
+		printf("envfs version %d.%d loaded into %d.%d\n",
+			super->major, super->minor,
+			ENVFS_MAJOR, ENVFS_MINOR);
+
+	*size = ENVFS_32(super->size);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int envfs_check_data(struct envfs_super *super, const void *buf, size_t size)
+{
+	uint32_t crc;
+
+	crc = crc32(0, buf, size);
+	if (crc != ENVFS_32(super->crc)) {
+		printf("wrong crc on env\n");
+		return -EIO;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int envfs_load_data(struct envfs_super *super, void *buf, size_t size,
+		const char *dir, unsigned flags)
+{
+	int fd, ret = 0;
+	char *str, *tmp;
+	int headerlen_full;
+	/* for envfs < 1.0 */
+	struct envfs_inode_end inode_end_dummy;
+	struct stat s;
+
+	inode_end_dummy.mode = ENVFS_32(S_IRWXU | S_IRWXG | S_IRWXO);
+	inode_end_dummy.magic = ENVFS_32(ENVFS_INODE_END_MAGIC);
+
+	while (size) {
+		struct envfs_inode *inode;
+		struct envfs_inode_end *inode_end;
+		uint32_t inode_size, inode_headerlen, namelen;
+
+		inode = buf;
+		buf += sizeof(struct envfs_inode);
+
+		if (ENVFS_32(inode->magic) != ENVFS_INODE_MAGIC) {
+			printf("envfs: wrong magic\n");
+			ret = -EIO;
+			goto out;
+		}
+		inode_size = ENVFS_32(inode->size);
+		inode_headerlen = ENVFS_32(inode->headerlen);
+		namelen = strlen(inode->data) + 1;
+		if (super->major < 1)
+			inode_end = &inode_end_dummy;
+		else
+			inode_end = buf + PAD4(namelen);
+
+		debug("loading %s size %d namelen %d headerlen %d\n", inode->data,
+			inode_size, namelen, inode_headerlen);
+
+		str = concat_path_file(dir, inode->data);
+
+		headerlen_full = PAD4(inode_headerlen);
+		buf += headerlen_full;
+
+		if (ENVFS_32(inode_end->magic) != ENVFS_INODE_END_MAGIC) {
+			printf("envfs: wrong inode_end_magic\n");
+			ret = -EIO;
+			goto out;
+		}
+
+		tmp = strdup(str);
+		make_directory(dirname(tmp));
+		free(tmp);
+
+		ret = stat(str, &s);
+		if (!ret && (flags & ENV_FLAG_NO_OVERWRITE)) {
+			printf("skip %s\n", str);
+			goto skip;
+		}
+
+		if (S_ISLNK(ENVFS_32(inode_end->mode))) {
+			debug("symlink: %s -> %s\n", str, (char*)buf);
+			if (!strcmp(buf, basename(str))) {
+				unlink(str);
+			} else {
+				if (!ret)
+					unlink(str);
+
+				ret = symlink(buf, str);
+				if (ret < 0)
+					printf("symlink: %s -> %s : %s\n",
+							str, (char*)buf, strerror(-errno));
+			}
+			free(str);
+		} else {
+			fd = open(str, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC, 0644);
+			free(str);
+			if (fd < 0) {
+				printf("Open %s\n", errno_str());
+				ret = fd;
+				goto out;
+			}
+
+			ret = write(fd, buf, inode_size);
+			if (ret < inode_size) {
+				perror("write");
+				ret = -errno;
+				close(fd);
+				goto out;
+			}
+			close(fd);
+		}
+skip:
+		buf += PAD4(inode_size);
+		size -= headerlen_full + PAD4(inode_size) +
+				sizeof(struct envfs_inode);
+	}
+
+	recursive_action(dir, ACTION_RECURSE | ACTION_DEPTHFIRST, NULL,
+			dir_remove_action, NULL, 0);
+
+	ret = 0;
+out:
+	return ret;
+}
+
+int envfs_load_from_buf(void *buf, int len, const char *dir, unsigned flags)
+{
+	int ret;
+	size_t size;
+	struct envfs_super *super = buf;
+
+	buf = super + 1;
+
+	ret = envfs_check_super(super, &size);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+
+	ret = envfs_check_data(super, buf, size);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+
+	ret = envfs_load_data(super, buf, size, dir, flags);
+
+	return ret;
+}
diff --git a/common/environment.c b/common/environment.c
index aba6dcd..005caf4 100644
--- a/common/environment.c
+++ b/common/environment.c
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@
 	void *writep;
 	struct envfs_entry *env;
 };
-#define PAD4(x) ((x + 3) & ~3)
 
 #ifdef __BAREBOX__
 
@@ -228,17 +227,6 @@
 }
 #endif
 
-static int dir_remove_action(const char *filename, struct stat *statbuf,
-		void *userdata, int depth)
-{
-	if (!depth)
-		return 1;
-
-	rmdir(filename);
-
-	return 1;
-}
-
 /**
  * Make the current environment persistent
  * @param[in] filename where to store
@@ -382,166 +370,6 @@
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(envfs_save);
 
-static int envfs_check_super(struct envfs_super *super, size_t *size)
-{
-	if (ENVFS_32(super->magic) != ENVFS_MAGIC) {
-		printf("envfs: no envfs (magic mismatch) - envfs never written?\n");
-		return -EIO;
-	}
-
-	if (crc32(0, super, sizeof(*super) - 4) != ENVFS_32(super->sb_crc)) {
-		printf("wrong crc on env superblock\n");
-		return -EIO;
-	}
-
-	if (super->major < ENVFS_MAJOR)
-		printf("envfs version %d.%d loaded into %d.%d\n",
-			super->major, super->minor,
-			ENVFS_MAJOR, ENVFS_MINOR);
-
-	*size = ENVFS_32(super->size);
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
-static int envfs_check_data(struct envfs_super *super, const void *buf, size_t size)
-{
-	uint32_t crc;
-
-	crc = crc32(0, buf, size);
-	if (crc != ENVFS_32(super->crc)) {
-		printf("wrong crc on env\n");
-		return -EIO;
-	}
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
-static int envfs_load_data(struct envfs_super *super, void *buf, size_t size,
-		const char *dir, unsigned flags)
-{
-	int fd, ret = 0;
-	char *str, *tmp;
-	int headerlen_full;
-	/* for envfs < 1.0 */
-	struct envfs_inode_end inode_end_dummy;
-	struct stat s;
-
-	inode_end_dummy.mode = ENVFS_32(S_IRWXU | S_IRWXG | S_IRWXO);
-	inode_end_dummy.magic = ENVFS_32(ENVFS_INODE_END_MAGIC);
-
-	while (size) {
-		struct envfs_inode *inode;
-		struct envfs_inode_end *inode_end;
-		uint32_t inode_size, inode_headerlen, namelen;
-
-		inode = buf;
-		buf += sizeof(struct envfs_inode);
-
-		if (ENVFS_32(inode->magic) != ENVFS_INODE_MAGIC) {
-			printf("envfs: wrong magic\n");
-			ret = -EIO;
-			goto out;
-		}
-		inode_size = ENVFS_32(inode->size);
-		inode_headerlen = ENVFS_32(inode->headerlen);
-		namelen = strlen(inode->data) + 1;
-		if (super->major < 1)
-			inode_end = &inode_end_dummy;
-		else
-			inode_end = buf + PAD4(namelen);
-
-		debug("loading %s size %d namelen %d headerlen %d\n", inode->data,
-			inode_size, namelen, inode_headerlen);
-
-		str = concat_path_file(dir, inode->data);
-
-		headerlen_full = PAD4(inode_headerlen);
-		buf += headerlen_full;
-
-		if (ENVFS_32(inode_end->magic) != ENVFS_INODE_END_MAGIC) {
-			printf("envfs: wrong inode_end_magic\n");
-			ret = -EIO;
-			goto out;
-		}
-
-		tmp = strdup(str);
-		make_directory(dirname(tmp));
-		free(tmp);
-
-		ret = stat(str, &s);
-		if (!ret && (flags & ENV_FLAG_NO_OVERWRITE)) {
-			printf("skip %s\n", str);
-			goto skip;
-		}
-
-		if (S_ISLNK(ENVFS_32(inode_end->mode))) {
-			debug("symlink: %s -> %s\n", str, (char*)buf);
-			if (!strcmp(buf, basename(str))) {
-				unlink(str);
-			} else {
-				if (!ret)
-					unlink(str);
-
-				ret = symlink(buf, str);
-				if (ret < 0)
-					printf("symlink: %s -> %s : %s\n",
-							str, (char*)buf, strerror(-errno));
-			}
-			free(str);
-		} else {
-			fd = open(str, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC, 0644);
-			free(str);
-			if (fd < 0) {
-				printf("Open %s\n", errno_str());
-				ret = fd;
-				goto out;
-			}
-
-			ret = write(fd, buf, inode_size);
-			if (ret < inode_size) {
-				perror("write");
-				ret = -errno;
-				close(fd);
-				goto out;
-			}
-			close(fd);
-		}
-skip:
-		buf += PAD4(inode_size);
-		size -= headerlen_full + PAD4(inode_size) +
-				sizeof(struct envfs_inode);
-	}
-
-	recursive_action(dir, ACTION_RECURSE | ACTION_DEPTHFIRST, NULL,
-			dir_remove_action, NULL, 0);
-
-	ret = 0;
-out:
-	return ret;
-}
-
-int envfs_load_from_buf(void *buf, int len, const char *dir, unsigned flags)
-{
-	int ret;
-	size_t size;
-	struct envfs_super *super = buf;
-
-	buf = super + 1;
-
-	ret = envfs_check_super(super, &size);
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
-
-	ret = envfs_check_data(super, buf, size);
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
-
-	ret = envfs_load_data(super, buf, size, dir, flags);
-
-	return ret;
-}
-
 /**
  * Restore the last environment into the current one
  * @param[in] filename from where to restore
diff --git a/common/globalvar.c b/common/globalvar.c
index 1bea742..a826e1b 100644
--- a/common/globalvar.c
+++ b/common/globalvar.c
@@ -75,13 +75,19 @@
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
-	if (once) {
-		pr_info("nv variable modified, will save nv variables on shutdown\n");
-		once = 0;
+	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ENV_HANDLING)) {
+		if (once) {
+			pr_info("nv variable modified, will save nv variables on shutdown\n");
+			once = 0;
+		}
+		nv_dirty = 1;
+	} else {
+		if (once) {
+			pr_info("nv variable modified, but won't be saved in this configuration\n");
+			once = 0;
+		}
 	}
 
-	nv_dirty = 1;
-
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/common/startup.c b/common/startup.c
index c6e1199..c417a4d 100644
--- a/common/startup.c
+++ b/common/startup.c
@@ -122,29 +122,39 @@
 
 	return -EINVAL;
 }
+#else
+static int check_overlap(const char *path)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+#endif
 
 static int load_environment(void)
 {
 	const char *default_environment_path;
-	int ret;
+	int __maybe_unused ret = 0;
 
 	default_environment_path = default_environment_path_get();
 
 	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT))
 		defaultenv_load("/env", 0);
 
-	ret = check_overlap(default_environment_path);
-	if (ret)
-		default_environment_path_set(NULL);
-	else
-		envfs_load(default_environment_path, "/env", 0);
+	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ENV_HANDLING)) {
+		ret = check_overlap(default_environment_path);
+		if (ret)
+			default_environment_path_set(NULL);
+		else
+			envfs_load(default_environment_path, "/env", 0);
+	} else {
+		if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT))
+			pr_notice("No support for persistent environment. Using default environment");
+	}
 
 	nvvar_load();
 
 	return 0;
 }
 environment_initcall(load_environment);
-#endif
 
 static int global_autoboot_abort_key;
 static const char * const global_autoboot_abort_keys[] = {
diff --git a/include/envfs.h b/include/envfs.h
index 27c4b42..c8fc375 100644
--- a/include/envfs.h
+++ b/include/envfs.h
@@ -93,8 +93,13 @@
 #endif
 
 #define ENV_FLAG_NO_OVERWRITE	(1 << 0)
+#define PAD4(x) ((x + 3) & ~3)
 int envfs_load(const char *filename, const char *dirname, unsigned flags);
 int envfs_save(const char *filename, const char *dirname, unsigned flags);
+int envfs_check_super(struct envfs_super *super, size_t *size);
+int envfs_check_data(struct envfs_super *super, const void *buf, size_t size);
+int envfs_load_data(struct envfs_super *super, void *buf, size_t size,
+		const char *dir, unsigned flags);
 int envfs_load_from_buf(void *buf, int len, const char *dir, unsigned flags);
 
 /* defaults to /dev/env0 */
diff --git a/scripts/bareboxenv.c b/scripts/bareboxenv.c
index c512a10..d1cf33a 100644
--- a/scripts/bareboxenv.c
+++ b/scripts/bareboxenv.c
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@
 #include "../include/envfs.h"
 #include "../crypto/crc32.c"
 #include "../lib/make_directory.c"
+#include "../common/envfs-core.c"
 #include "../common/environment.c"
 
 static void usage(char *prgname)