diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d17ca47..e24ae45 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1299,18 +1299,3 @@
 # information in a variable se we can use it in if_changed and friends.
 .PHONY: $(PHONY)
 
-#
-# sanity checks for check default environemnt
-#
-ifdef CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT
-
-ifeq ($(CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_PATH),"")
-$(error default environment path empty))
-endif
-
-saved-env_path := $(CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_PATH)
-CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_PATH := $(shell cd $(if $(filter /%,$(CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_PATH)),,$(srctree)/)$(CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_PATH) && /bin/pwd)
-$(if $(CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_PATH),, \
-	$(error default environment path $(saved-env_path) does not exist))
-
-endif # ifdef CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT
diff --git a/common/Kconfig b/common/Kconfig
index f514759..a58f242 100644
--- a/common/Kconfig
+++ b/common/Kconfig
@@ -339,8 +339,8 @@
 	depends on DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT
 	prompt "Default environment path"
 	help
-	  The path the default environment will be taken from. Relative
-	  pathes will be relative to the barebox Toplevel dir, but absolute
+	  Space separated list of pathes the default environment will be taken from.
+	  Relative pathes will be relative to the barebox Toplevel dir, but absolute
 	  pathes are fine aswell.
 
 endmenu
diff --git a/common/Makefile b/common/Makefile
index 0c075a9..8b8686d 100644
--- a/common/Makefile
+++ b/common/Makefile
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@
 $(obj)/startup.o: include/barebox_default_env.h
 $(obj)/env.o: include/barebox_default_env.h
 
-ENV_FILES := $(shell find $(srctree)/$(CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_PATH))
+ENV_FILES := $(shell cd $(srctree); for i in $(CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_PATH); do find $${i} -type f -exec readlink -f {} \;; done)
+
 endif # ifdef CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT
 
 include/barebox_default_env.h: $(ENV_FILES)
-	$(Q)scripts/bareboxenv -s $(srctree)/$(CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_PATH) barebox_default_env
+	$(Q)scripts/genenv $(srctree) $(CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_PATH)
 	$(Q)cat barebox_default_env | scripts/bin2c default_environment > $@
diff --git a/scripts/genenv b/scripts/genenv
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..6a833b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/genenv
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Generate the default environment file from a list of directories
+# usage: genenv <basedir> <dir>...
+# where <basedir> is the base directory for relative pathes in <dir>
+cd $1 || exit 1
+shift
+
+tempdir=$(mktemp -d)
+
+for i in $*; do
+	cp -r $i/* $tempdir
+done
+scripts/bareboxenv -s $tempdir barebox_default_env
+
+rm -r $tempdir
+