diff --git a/libs/full/init_runtime/include/hpx/hpx_init_impl.hpp b/libs/full/init_runtime/include/hpx/hpx_init_impl.hpp
index cc3570264c4..5fc0817d44d 100644
--- a/libs/full/init_runtime/include/hpx/hpx_init_impl.hpp
+++ b/libs/full/init_runtime/include/hpx/hpx_init_impl.hpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //  Copyright (c)      2018 Mikael Simberg
-//  Copyright (c) 2007-2022 Hartmut Kaiser
+//  Copyright (c) 2007-2023 Hartmut Kaiser
 //  Copyright (c)      2011 Bryce Lelbach
 //
 //  SPDX-License-Identifier: BSL-1.0
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <hpx/assert.hpp>
+#include <hpx/debugging/environ.hpp>
 #include <hpx/functional/bind_back.hpp>
 #include <hpx/functional/function.hpp>
 #include <hpx/hpx_init.hpp>
@@ -26,8 +27,7 @@
 #include <utility>
 
 #if defined(__FreeBSD__)
-extern HPX_EXPORT char** freebsd_environ;
-extern char** environ;
+extern char** environ;    // available in executables only
 #endif
 
 #if defined(HPX_WINDOWS) && defined(HPX_HAVE_APEX)
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ namespace hpx {
     inline int init(std::function<int(hpx::program_options::variables_map&)> f,
         int argc, char** argv, init_params const& params)
     {
-        return detail::init_impl(HPX_MOVE(f), argc, argv, params, HPX_PREFIX);
+        return detail::init_impl(
+            HPX_MOVE(f), argc, argv, params, HPX_PREFIX, environ);
     }
 
     /// \brief Main entry point for launching the HPX runtime system.
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ namespace hpx {
         std::function<int(hpx::program_options::variables_map&)> main_f =
             hpx::bind_back(detail::init_helper, HPX_MOVE(f));
         return detail::init_impl(
-            HPX_MOVE(main_f), argc, argv, params, HPX_PREFIX);
+            HPX_MOVE(main_f), argc, argv, params, HPX_PREFIX, environ);
     }
 
     /// \brief Main entry point for launching the HPX runtime system.
@@ -82,8 +83,8 @@ namespace hpx {
     /// function given by \p f as a HPX thread.
     inline int init(int argc, char** argv, init_params const& params)
     {
-        return detail::init_impl(
-            hpx_startup::get_main_func(), argc, argv, params, HPX_PREFIX);
+        return detail::init_impl(hpx_startup::get_main_func(), argc, argv,
+            params, HPX_PREFIX, environ);
     }
 
     /// \brief Main entry point for launching the HPX runtime system.
@@ -97,7 +98,7 @@ namespace hpx {
     {
         hpx::function<int(hpx::program_options::variables_map&)> main_f;
         return detail::init_impl(
-            HPX_MOVE(main_f), argc, argv, params, HPX_PREFIX);
+            HPX_MOVE(main_f), argc, argv, params, HPX_PREFIX, environ);
     }
 
     /// \brief Main entry point for launching the HPX runtime system.
@@ -109,6 +110,6 @@ namespace hpx {
     {
         return detail::init_impl(hpx_startup::get_main_func(),
             hpx::local::detail::dummy_argc, hpx::local::detail::dummy_argv,
-            params, HPX_PREFIX);
+            params, HPX_PREFIX, environ);
     }
 }    // namespace hpx
diff --git a/libs/full/init_runtime/include/hpx/hpx_start_impl.hpp b/libs/full/init_runtime/include/hpx/hpx_start_impl.hpp
index baebdab1b64..c89de39cf65 100644
--- a/libs/full/init_runtime/include/hpx/hpx_start_impl.hpp
+++ b/libs/full/init_runtime/include/hpx/hpx_start_impl.hpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //  Copyright (c)      2018 Mikael Simberg
-//  Copyright (c) 2007-2022 Hartmut Kaiser
+//  Copyright (c) 2007-2023 Hartmut Kaiser
 //
 //  SPDX-License-Identifier: BSL-1.0
 //  Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <hpx/assert.hpp>
+#include <hpx/debugging/environ.hpp>
 #include <hpx/functional/bind_back.hpp>
 #include <hpx/functional/function.hpp>
 #include <hpx/hpx_start.hpp>
@@ -24,8 +25,7 @@
 #include <utility>
 
 #if defined(__FreeBSD__)
-extern HPX_EXPORT char** freebsd_environ;
-extern char** environ;
+extern char** environ;    // available in executables only
 #endif
 
 #if defined(HPX_WINDOWS) && defined(HPX_HAVE_APEX)
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ namespace hpx {
         std::function<int(hpx::program_options::variables_map&)> f, int argc,
         char** argv, init_params const& params)
     {
-        return detail::start_impl(HPX_MOVE(f), argc, argv, params, HPX_PREFIX);
+        return detail::start_impl(
+            HPX_MOVE(f), argc, argv, params, HPX_PREFIX, environ);
     }
 
     /// \brief Main non-blocking entry point for launching the HPX runtime system.
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ namespace hpx {
         hpx::function<int(hpx::program_options::variables_map&)> main_f =
             hpx::bind_back(detail::init_helper, HPX_MOVE(f));
         return detail::start_impl(
-            HPX_MOVE(main_f), argc, argv, params, HPX_PREFIX);
+            HPX_MOVE(main_f), argc, argv, params, HPX_PREFIX, environ);
     }
 
     /// \brief Main non-blocking entry point for launching the HPX runtime system.
@@ -87,8 +88,8 @@ namespace hpx {
     /// with the runtime system's execution.
     inline bool start(int argc, char** argv, init_params const& params)
     {
-        return detail::start_impl(
-            hpx_startup::get_main_func(), argc, argv, params, HPX_PREFIX);
+        return detail::start_impl(hpx_startup::get_main_func(), argc, argv,
+            params, HPX_PREFIX, environ);
     }
 
     /// \brief Main non-blocking entry point for launching the HPX runtime system.
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ namespace hpx {
     {
         hpx::function<int(hpx::program_options::variables_map&)> main_f;
         return detail::start_impl(
-            HPX_MOVE(main_f), argc, argv, params, HPX_PREFIX);
+            HPX_MOVE(main_f), argc, argv, params, HPX_PREFIX, environ);
     }
 
     /// \brief Main non-blocking entry point for launching the HPX runtime system.
@@ -119,6 +120,6 @@ namespace hpx {
     {
         return detail::start_impl(hpx_startup::get_main_func(),
             hpx::local::detail::dummy_argc, hpx::local::detail::dummy_argv,
-            params, HPX_PREFIX);
+            params, HPX_PREFIX, environ);
     }
 }    // namespace hpx
diff --git a/libs/full/init_runtime/include/hpx/init_runtime/detail/run_or_start.hpp b/libs/full/init_runtime/include/hpx/init_runtime/detail/run_or_start.hpp
index 14279896ff1..431d161331b 100644
--- a/libs/full/init_runtime/include/hpx/init_runtime/detail/run_or_start.hpp
+++ b/libs/full/init_runtime/include/hpx/init_runtime/detail/run_or_start.hpp
@@ -22,12 +22,12 @@ namespace hpx {
         HPX_EXPORT int init_impl(
             hpx::function<int(hpx::program_options::variables_map&)> const& f,
             int argc, char** argv, init_params const& params,
-            char const* hpx_prefix);
+            char const* hpx_prefix, char** env);
 
         HPX_EXPORT bool start_impl(
             hpx::function<int(hpx::program_options::variables_map&)> const& f,
             int argc, char** argv, init_params const& params,
-            char const* hpx_prefix);
+            char const* hpx_prefix, char** env);
     }    // namespace detail
     /// \endcond
 }    // namespace hpx
diff --git a/libs/full/init_runtime/src/hpx_init.cpp b/libs/full/init_runtime/src/hpx_init.cpp
index 67222404d61..ef823d5e0a5 100644
--- a/libs/full/init_runtime/src/hpx_init.cpp
+++ b/libs/full/init_runtime/src/hpx_init.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-//  Copyright (c) 2007-2022 Hartmut Kaiser
+//  Copyright (c) 2007-2023 Hartmut Kaiser
 //  Copyright (c)      2017 Shoshana Jakobovits
 //  Copyright (c) 2010-2011 Phillip LeBlanc, Dylan Stark
 //  Copyright (c)      2011 Bryce Lelbach
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ namespace hpx::detail {
     int init_impl(
         hpx::function<int(hpx::program_options::variables_map&)> const& f,
         int argc, char** argv, init_params const& params,
-        char const* hpx_prefix)
+        char const* hpx_prefix, [[maybe_unused]] char** env)
     {
         if (argc == 0 || argv == nullptr)
         {
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ namespace hpx::detail {
 #endif
         util::set_hpx_prefix(hpx_prefix);
 #if defined(__FreeBSD__)
-        freebsd_environ = environ;
+        freebsd_environ = env;
 #endif
         // set a handler for std::abort, std::at_quick_exit, and std::atexit
         std::signal(SIGABRT, detail::on_abort);
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ namespace hpx::detail {
     bool start_impl(
         hpx::function<int(hpx::program_options::variables_map&)> const& f,
         int argc, char** argv, init_params const& params,
-        char const* hpx_prefix)
+        char const* hpx_prefix, [[maybe_unused]] char** env)
     {
         if (argc == 0 || argv == nullptr)
         {
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ namespace hpx::detail {
 #endif
         util::set_hpx_prefix(hpx_prefix);
 #if defined(__FreeBSD__)
-        freebsd_environ = environ;
+        freebsd_environ = env;
 #endif
         // set a handler for std::abort, std::at_quick_exit, and std::atexit
         std::signal(SIGABRT, detail::on_abort);