diff --git a/commands/Kconfig b/commands/Kconfig
index 49a56ca..1c15294 100644
--- a/commands/Kconfig
+++ b/commands/Kconfig
@@ -113,6 +113,13 @@
 	help
 	  This command executes a command on the Linux host.
 
+config CMD_GLOBAL
+	select GLOBALVAR
+	tristate
+	prompt "global"
+	help
+	  The global command allows to create global variables
+
 endmenu
 
 menu "file commands                 "
diff --git a/commands/Makefile b/commands/Makefile
index f02b5ca..4c8a0a9 100644
--- a/commands/Makefile
+++ b/commands/Makefile
@@ -65,3 +65,4 @@
 obj-$(CONFIG_CMD_IOMEM)		+= iomem.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_CMD_LINUX_EXEC)	+= linux_exec.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_CMD_AUTOMOUNT)	+= automount.o
+obj-$(CONFIG_CMD_GLOBAL)	+= global.o
diff --git a/commands/global.c b/commands/global.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de6b13e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/commands/global.c
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+/*
+ * global.c - global shell variables
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2012 Sascha Hauer <s.hauer@pengutronix.de>, Pengutronix
+ *
+ * See file CREDITS for list of people who contributed to this
+ * project.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+ */
+#include <common.h>
+#include <malloc.h>
+#include <command.h>
+#include <globalvar.h>
+#include <environment.h>
+
+static int do_global(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+	int ret;
+	char *value;
+
+	if (argc != 2)
+		return COMMAND_ERROR_USAGE;
+
+	value = strchr(argv[1], '=');
+	if (value) {
+		*value = 0;
+		value++;
+	}
+
+	ret = globalvar_add_simple(argv[1]);
+
+	if (value) {
+		char *name = asprintf("global.%s", argv[1]);
+		ret = setenv(name, value);
+		free(name);
+	}
+
+	return ret ? 1 : 0;
+}
+
+BAREBOX_CMD_HELP_START(global)
+BAREBOX_CMD_HELP_USAGE("global <var>[=<value]\n")
+BAREBOX_CMD_HELP_SHORT("add a new global variable named <var>, optionally set to <value>\n")
+BAREBOX_CMD_HELP_END
+
+BAREBOX_CMD_START(global)
+	.cmd		= do_global,
+	.usage		= "create global variables",
+	BAREBOX_CMD_HELP(cmd_global_help)
+BAREBOX_CMD_END
diff --git a/common/Kconfig b/common/Kconfig
index 73d620a..81e3acb 100644
--- a/common/Kconfig
+++ b/common/Kconfig
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@
 	bool
 	select FILETYPE
 
+config GLOBALVAR
+	bool
+
 menu "General Settings              "
 
 config LOCALVERSION
@@ -493,6 +496,7 @@
 	select HUSH_GETOPT
 	select CMD_CRC
 	select CMD_CRC_CMP
+	select CMD_AUTOMOUNT if HAVE_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_NEW
 	prompt "Default environment generic"
 	help
 	  With this option barebox will use the generic default
@@ -502,6 +506,9 @@
 	  at least contain a /env/config file.
 	  This will be able to overwrite the files from defaultenv.
 
+config HAVE_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_NEW
+	bool
+
 config DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT_PATH
 	string
 	depends on DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT
diff --git a/common/Makefile b/common/Makefile
index a58aef9..d842a2e 100644
--- a/common/Makefile
+++ b/common/Makefile
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 obj-y += startup.o
 obj-y += misc.o
 obj-y += memsize.o
+obj-$(CONFIG_GLOBALVAR) += globalvar.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_FILETYPE) += filetype.o
 obj-y += resource.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_MENU) += menu.o
diff --git a/common/globalvar.c b/common/globalvar.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..71296ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/globalvar.c
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+#include <common.h>
+#include <malloc.h>
+#include <globalvar.h>
+#include <init.h>
+
+static struct device_d global_device = {
+	.name = "global",
+	.id = DEVICE_ID_SINGLE,
+};
+
+int globalvar_add(const char *name,
+		int (*set)(struct device_d *dev, struct param_d *p, const char *val),
+		const char *(*get)(struct device_d *, struct param_d *p),
+		unsigned long flags)
+{
+	return dev_add_param(&global_device, name, set, get, flags);
+}
+
+/*
+ * globalvar_get_match
+ *
+ * get a concatenated string of all globalvars beginning with 'match'.
+ * This adds whitespaces between the different globalvars
+ */
+char *globalvar_get_match(const char *match, const char *seperator)
+{
+	char *val = NULL;
+	struct param_d *param;
+
+	list_for_each_entry(param, &global_device.parameters, list) {
+		if (!strncmp(match, param->name, strlen(match))) {
+			const char *p = dev_get_param(&global_device, param->name);
+			if (val) {
+				char *new = asprintf("%s%s%s", val, seperator, p);
+				free(val);
+				val = new;
+			} else {
+				val = xstrdup(p);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (!val)
+		val = xstrdup("");
+
+	return val;
+}
+
+/*
+ * globalvar_add_simple
+ *
+ * add a new globalvar named 'name'
+ */
+int globalvar_add_simple(const char *name)
+{
+	return globalvar_add(name, NULL, NULL, 0);
+}
+
+static int globalvar_init(void)
+{
+	register_device(&global_device);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+postconsole_initcall(globalvar_init);
diff --git a/include/globalvar.h b/include/globalvar.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7cc3976
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/globalvar.h
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#ifndef __GLOBALVAR_H
+#define __GLOBALVAR_H
+
+int globalvar_add_simple(const char *name);
+
+int globalvar_add(const char *name,
+		int (*set)(struct device_d *dev, struct param_d *p, const char *val),
+		const char *(*get)(struct device_d *, struct param_d *p),
+		unsigned long flags);
+char *globalvar_get_match(const char *match, const char *seperator);
+
+#endif /* __GLOBALVAR_H */