diff --git a/drivers/serial/serial.c b/drivers/serial/serial.c
index 61d7674c32..de3ed611f0 100644
--- a/drivers/serial/serial.c
+++ b/drivers/serial/serial.c
@@ -1604,8 +1604,8 @@ static void uart_launch_worker(void *arg)
       nxtask_create(CONFIG_TTY_LAUNCH_ENTRYNAME,
                     CONFIG_TTY_LAUNCH_PRIORITY,
                     CONFIG_TTY_LAUNCH_STACKSIZE,
-                    (main_t)CONFIG_TTY_LAUNCH_ENTRYPOINT,
-                    argv);
+                    CONFIG_TTY_LAUNCH_ENTRYPOINT,
+                    argv, NULL);
 #else
       posix_spawnattr_t attr;
 
diff --git a/include/nuttx/sched.h b/include/nuttx/sched.h
index 2bd184adda..88680f71ae 100644
--- a/include/nuttx/sched.h
+++ b/include/nuttx/sched.h
@@ -944,6 +944,8 @@ void nxtask_uninit(FAR struct task_tcb_s *tcb);
  *   arg        - A pointer to an array of input parameters.  The array
  *                should be terminated with a NULL argv[] value. If no
  *                parameters are required, argv may be NULL.
+ *   envp       - A pointer to an array of environment strings. Terminated
+ *                with a NULL entry.
  *
  * Returned Value:
  *   Returns the positive, non-zero process ID of the new task or a negated
@@ -952,8 +954,9 @@ void nxtask_uninit(FAR struct task_tcb_s *tcb);
  *
  ****************************************************************************/
 
-int nxtask_create(FAR const char *name, int priority,
-                  int stack_size, main_t entry, FAR char * const argv[]);
+int nxtask_create(FAR const char *name,
+                  int priority, int stack_size, main_t entry,
+                  FAR char * const argv[], FAR char * const envp[]);
 
 /****************************************************************************
  * Name: nxtask_delete
diff --git a/sched/init/nx_bringup.c b/sched/init/nx_bringup.c
index 94353210e0..3aa08fa453 100644
--- a/sched/init/nx_bringup.c
+++ b/sched/init/nx_bringup.c
@@ -224,19 +224,34 @@ static inline void nx_workqueues(void)
 
 static inline void nx_start_application(void)
 {
-#ifdef CONFIG_INIT_ARGS
-  FAR char *const argv[] =
+#ifndef CONFIG_INIT_NONE
+  FAR char * const argv[] =
   {
+#  ifdef CONFIG_INIT_ARGS
     CONFIG_INIT_ARGS,
+#  endif
+    NULL,
+  };
+
+  FAR char * const envp[] =
+  {
+#  ifdef CONFIG_LIBC_HOMEDIR
+    "PWD=" CONFIG_LIBC_HOMEDIR,
+#  endif
+#  ifdef CONFIG_PATH_INITIAL
+    "PATH=" CONFIG_PATH_INITIAL,
+#  endif
+#  ifdef CONFIG_LDPATH_INITIAL
+    "LD_LIBRARY_PATH=" CONFIG_LDPATH_INITIAL,
+#  endif
     NULL,
   };
-#else
-  FAR char *const *argv = NULL;
 #endif
-  int ret;
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_INIT_FILE
   posix_spawnattr_t attr;
 #endif
+  int ret;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_BOARD_LATE_INITIALIZE
   /* Perform any last-minute, board-specific initialization, if so
@@ -256,28 +271,28 @@ static inline void nx_start_application(void)
 
   sinfo("Starting init thread\n");
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_BUILD_PROTECTED
+#  ifdef CONFIG_BUILD_PROTECTED
   DEBUGASSERT(USERSPACE->us_entrypoint != NULL);
   ret = nxtask_create(CONFIG_INIT_ENTRYNAME, CONFIG_INIT_PRIORITY,
                       CONFIG_INIT_STACKSIZE,
-                      USERSPACE->us_entrypoint, argv);
-#else
+                      USERSPACE->us_entrypoint, argv, envp);
+#  else
   ret = nxtask_create(CONFIG_INIT_ENTRYNAME, CONFIG_INIT_PRIORITY,
                       CONFIG_INIT_STACKSIZE,
-                      (main_t)CONFIG_INIT_ENTRYPOINT, argv);
-#endif
+                      CONFIG_INIT_ENTRYPOINT, argv, envp);
+#  endif
   DEBUGASSERT(ret > 0);
 
 #elif defined(CONFIG_INIT_FILE)
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_INIT_MOUNT
+#  ifdef CONFIG_INIT_MOUNT
   /* Mount the file system containing the init program. */
 
   ret = nx_mount(CONFIG_INIT_MOUNT_SOURCE, CONFIG_INIT_MOUNT_TARGET,
                  CONFIG_INIT_MOUNT_FSTYPE, CONFIG_INIT_MOUNT_FLAGS,
                  CONFIG_INIT_MOUNT_DATA);
   DEBUGASSERT(ret >= 0);
-#endif
+#  endif
 
   /* Start the application initialization program from a program in a
    * mounted file system.  Presumably the file system was mounted as part
@@ -289,10 +304,10 @@ static inline void nx_start_application(void)
   posix_spawnattr_init(&attr);
 
   attr.priority  = CONFIG_INIT_PRIORITY;
-#ifndef CONFIG_ARCH_ADDRENV
+#  ifndef CONFIG_BUILD_KERNEL
   attr.stacksize = CONFIG_INIT_STACKSIZE;
-#endif
-  ret = exec_spawn(CONFIG_INIT_FILEPATH, argv, NULL,
+#  endif
+  ret = exec_spawn(CONFIG_INIT_FILEPATH, argv, envp,
                    CONFIG_INIT_SYMTAB, CONFIG_INIT_NEXPORTS, &attr);
   DEBUGASSERT(ret >= 0);
 #endif
@@ -404,27 +419,6 @@ static inline void nx_create_initthread(void)
 
 int nx_bringup(void)
 {
-#ifndef CONFIG_DISABLE_ENVIRON
-  /* Setup up the initial environment for the idle task.  At present, this
-   * may consist of only the initial PATH variable and/or and init library
-   * path variable.  These path variables are not used by the IDLE task.
-   * However, the environment containing the PATH variable will be inherited
-   * by all of the threads created by the IDLE task.
-   */
-
-#ifdef CONFIG_LIBC_HOMEDIR
-  setenv("PWD", CONFIG_LIBC_HOMEDIR, 1);
-#endif
-
-#ifdef CONFIG_PATH_INITIAL
-  setenv("PATH", CONFIG_PATH_INITIAL, 1);
-#endif
-
-#ifdef CONFIG_LDPATH_INITIAL
-  setenv("LD_LIBRARY_PATH", CONFIG_LDPATH_INITIAL, 1);
-#endif
-#endif
-
   /* Start the page fill worker kernel thread that will resolve page faults.
    * This should always be the first thread started because it may have to
    * resolve page faults in other threads
@@ -444,13 +438,5 @@ int nx_bringup(void)
    */
 
   nx_create_initthread();
-
-#if !defined(CONFIG_DISABLE_ENVIRON) && (defined(CONFIG_PATH_INITIAL) || \
-     defined(CONFIG_LDPATH_INITIAL))
-  /* We an save a few bytes by discarding the IDLE thread's environment. */
-
-  clearenv();
-#endif
-
   return OK;
 }
diff --git a/sched/task/task_create.c b/sched/task/task_create.c
index 380f5459c0..11692184b0 100644
--- a/sched/task/task_create.c
+++ b/sched/task/task_create.c
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@
  *   arg        - A pointer to an array of input parameters.  The array
  *                should be terminated with a NULL argv[] value. If no
  *                parameters are required, argv may be NULL.
+ *   envp       - A pointer to an array of environment strings. Terminated
+ *                with a NULL entry.
  *
  * Returned Value:
  *   Returns the positive, non-zero process ID of the new task or a negated
@@ -68,9 +70,9 @@
  *
  ****************************************************************************/
 
-static int nxthread_create(FAR const char *name, uint8_t ttype,
-                           int priority, FAR void *stack_ptr, int stack_size,
-                           main_t entry, FAR char * const argv[])
+static int nxthread_create(FAR const char *name, uint8_t ttype, int priority,
+                           FAR void *stack_ptr, int stack_size, main_t entry,
+                           FAR char * const argv[], FAR char * const envp[])
 {
   FAR struct task_tcb_s *tcb;
   pid_t pid;
@@ -91,8 +93,8 @@ static int nxthread_create(FAR const char *name, uint8_t ttype,
 
   /* Initialize the task */
 
-  ret = nxtask_init(tcb, name, priority, stack_ptr, stack_size, entry, argv,
-                    NULL);
+  ret = nxtask_init(tcb, name, priority, stack_ptr, stack_size,
+                    entry, argv, envp);
   if (ret < OK)
     {
       kmm_free(tcb);
@@ -144,6 +146,8 @@ static int nxthread_create(FAR const char *name, uint8_t ttype,
  *   arg        - A pointer to an array of input parameters.  The array
  *                should be terminated with a NULL argv[] value. If no
  *                parameters are required, argv may be NULL.
+ *   envp       - A pointer to an array of environment strings. Terminated
+ *                with a NULL entry.
  *
  * Returned Value:
  *   Returns the positive, non-zero process ID of the new task or a negated
@@ -152,11 +156,12 @@ static int nxthread_create(FAR const char *name, uint8_t ttype,
  *
  ****************************************************************************/
 
-int nxtask_create(FAR const char *name, int priority,
-                  int stack_size, main_t entry, FAR char * const argv[])
+int nxtask_create(FAR const char *name,
+                  int priority, int stack_size, main_t entry,
+                  FAR char * const argv[], FAR char * const envp[])
 {
-  return nxthread_create(name, TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_TASK, priority,
-                         NULL, stack_size, entry, argv);
+  return nxthread_create(name, TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_TASK, priority, NULL,
+                         stack_size, entry, argv, envp ? envp : environ);
 }
 
 /****************************************************************************
@@ -195,7 +200,7 @@ int nxtask_create(FAR const char *name, int priority,
 int task_create(FAR const char *name, int priority,
                 int stack_size, main_t entry, FAR char * const argv[])
 {
-  int ret = nxtask_create(name, priority, stack_size, entry, argv);
+  int ret = nxtask_create(name, priority, stack_size, entry, argv, NULL);
   if (ret < 0)
     {
       set_errno(-ret);
@@ -236,7 +241,7 @@ int kthread_create_with_stack(FAR const char *name, int priority,
                               main_t entry, FAR char * const argv[])
 {
   return nxthread_create(name, TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_KERNEL, priority,
-                         stack_ptr, stack_size, entry, argv);
+                         stack_ptr, stack_size, entry, argv, NULL);
 }
 
 /****************************************************************************
diff --git a/sched/task/task_spawn.c b/sched/task/task_spawn.c
index e7c0e39b29..1dff3c758e 100644
--- a/sched/task/task_spawn.c
+++ b/sched/task/task_spawn.c
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@
  *     array of pointers to null-terminated strings. The list is terminated
  *     with a null pointer.
  *
+ *   envp - A pointer to an array of environment strings. Terminated with
+ *     a NULL entry.
+ *
  * Returned Value:
  *   This function will return zero on success. Otherwise, an error number
  *   will be returned as the function return value to indicate the error.
@@ -87,7 +90,7 @@
 
 static int nxtask_spawn_exec(FAR pid_t *pidp, FAR const char *name,
                              main_t entry, FAR const posix_spawnattr_t *attr,
-                             FAR char * const *argv)
+                             FAR char * const *argv, FAR char * const envp[])
 {
   size_t stacksize;
   int priority;
@@ -126,7 +129,7 @@ static int nxtask_spawn_exec(FAR pid_t *pidp, FAR const char *name,
 
   /* Start the task */
 
-  pid = nxtask_create(name, priority, stacksize, entry, argv);
+  pid = nxtask_create(name, priority, stacksize, entry, argv, envp);
   if (pid < 0)
     {
       ret = pid;
@@ -215,7 +218,7 @@ static int nxtask_spawn_proxy(int argc, FAR char *argv[])
 
       ret = nxtask_spawn_exec(g_spawn_parms.pid, g_spawn_parms.u.task.name,
                               g_spawn_parms.u.task.entry, g_spawn_parms.attr,
-                              g_spawn_parms.argv);
+                              g_spawn_parms.argv, g_spawn_parms.envp);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SCHED_HAVE_PARENT
       if (ret == OK)
@@ -334,7 +337,7 @@ int task_spawn(FAR const char *name, main_t entry,
   if ((file_actions == NULL || *file_actions == NULL) &&
       (attr == NULL || (attr->flags & POSIX_SPAWN_SETSIGMASK) == 0))
     {
-      ret = nxtask_spawn_exec(&pid, name, entry, attr, argv);
+      ret = nxtask_spawn_exec(&pid, name, entry, attr, argv, envp);
       if (ret < 0)
         {
           return ret;
@@ -403,8 +406,7 @@ int task_spawn(FAR const char *name, main_t entry,
 
   proxy = nxtask_create("nxtask_spawn_proxy", param.sched_priority,
                         CONFIG_POSIX_SPAWN_PROXY_STACKSIZE,
-                        (main_t)nxtask_spawn_proxy,
-                        (FAR char * const *)NULL);
+                        nxtask_spawn_proxy, NULL, NULL);
   if (proxy < 0)
     {
       ret = proxy;