diff --git a/arch/arm/boards/gk802/board.c b/arch/arm/boards/gk802/board.c
index a4be03f..facb923 100644
--- a/arch/arm/boards/gk802/board.c
+++ b/arch/arm/boards/gk802/board.c
@@ -53,13 +53,13 @@
 		bootsource_name = "mmc2";
 		barebox_name = "mmc2.barebox";
 		default_environment_name = "mmc2.bareboxenv";
-		default_environment_path = "/dev/mmc2.bareboxenv";
+		default_environment_path_set("/dev/mmc2.bareboxenv");
 		break;
 	case 3:
 		bootsource_name = "mmc3";
 		barebox_name = "mmc3.barebox";
 		default_environment_name = "mmc3.bareboxenv";
-		default_environment_path = "/dev/mmc3.bareboxenv";
+		default_environment_path_set("/dev/mmc3.bareboxenv");
 		break;
 	default:
 		return 0;
diff --git a/arch/arm/boards/raspberry-pi/rpi.c b/arch/arm/boards/raspberry-pi/rpi.c
index d2f27a8..0997124 100644
--- a/arch/arm/boards/raspberry-pi/rpi.c
+++ b/arch/arm/boards/raspberry-pi/rpi.c
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	default_environment_path = "/boot/barebox.env";
+	default_environment_path_set("/boot/barebox.env");
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/arch/arm/boards/tqma6x/board.c b/arch/arm/boards/tqma6x/board.c
index a870bf2..30ebf34 100644
--- a/arch/arm/boards/tqma6x/board.c
+++ b/arch/arm/boards/tqma6x/board.c
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@
 
 	device_detect_by_name("mmc2");
 
-	default_environment_path = "/dev/mmc2.boot1";
+	default_environment_path_set("/dev/mmc2.boot1");
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-omap/omap_generic.c b/arch/arm/mach-omap/omap_generic.c
index 3d302f3..bedb4d8 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-omap/omap_generic.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-omap/omap_generic.c
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	default_environment_path = "/boot/barebox.env";
+	default_environment_path_set("/boot/barebox.env");
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-socfpga/generic.c b/arch/arm/mach-socfpga/generic.c
index c166369..0d958d2 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-socfpga/generic.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-socfpga/generic.c
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@
 		goto out_free;
 	}
 
-	default_environment_path = "/boot/barebox.env";
+	default_environment_path_set("/boot/barebox.env");
 
 out_free:
 	free(partname);
diff --git a/commands/loadenv.c b/commands/loadenv.c
index df0df27..bad8894 100644
--- a/commands/loadenv.c
+++ b/commands/loadenv.c
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 		dirname = argv[optind + 1];
 
 	if (argc - optind < 1)
-		filename = default_environment_path;
+		filename = default_environment_path_get();
 	else
 		filename = argv[optind];
 
diff --git a/commands/saveenv.c b/commands/saveenv.c
index 7f371a8..8ead98d 100644
--- a/commands/saveenv.c
+++ b/commands/saveenv.c
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 	else
 		dirname = argv[2];
 	if (argc < 2)
-		filename = default_environment_path;
+		filename = default_environment_path_get();
 	else
 		filename = argv[1];
 
diff --git a/common/environment.c b/common/environment.c
index 2448777..3f6f4b3 100644
--- a/common/environment.c
+++ b/common/environment.c
@@ -48,7 +48,19 @@
 };
 #define PAD4(x) ((x + 3) & ~3)
 
-char *default_environment_path = "/dev/env0";
+#ifdef __BAREBOX__
+static char *default_environment_path = "/dev/env0";
+
+void default_environment_path_set(char *path)
+{
+	default_environment_path = path;
+}
+
+char *default_environment_path_get(void)
+{
+	return default_environment_path;
+}
+#endif
 
 static int file_size_action(const char *filename, struct stat *statbuf,
 			    void *userdata, int depth)
diff --git a/common/startup.c b/common/startup.c
index 74c7735..e8b9ea0 100644
--- a/common/startup.c
+++ b/common/startup.c
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@
 
 	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ENV_HANDLING)) {
 		int ret;
+		char *default_environment_path = default_environment_path_get();
 
 		ret = envfs_load(default_environment_path, "/env", 0);
 
diff --git a/drivers/of/barebox.c b/drivers/of/barebox.c
index 8977158..44ec820 100644
--- a/drivers/of/barebox.c
+++ b/drivers/of/barebox.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
 
 	dev_info(dev, "setting default environment path to %s\n", path);
 
-	default_environment_path = path;
+	default_environment_path_set(path);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/include/envfs.h b/include/envfs.h
index e9372b3..e847e4c 100644
--- a/include/envfs.h
+++ b/include/envfs.h
@@ -94,7 +94,19 @@
 int envfs_save(char *filename, char *dirname);
 
 /* defaults to /dev/env0 */
-extern char *default_environment_path;
+#ifdef CONFIG_ENV_HANDLING
+void default_environment_path_set(char *path);
+char *default_environment_path_get(void);
+#else
+static inline void default_environment_path_set(char *path)
+{
+}
+
+static inline char *default_environment_path_get(void)
+{
+	return NULL;
+}
+#endif
 
 int envfs_register_partition(const char *devname, unsigned int partnr);