diff --git a/android/config.go b/android/config.go
index 8be16cfde..e349336e2 100644
--- a/android/config.go
+++ b/android/config.go
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ func (c *config) Getenv(key string) string {
 		if c.envFrozen {
 			panic("Cannot access new environment variables after envdeps are frozen")
 		}
-		val = os.Getenv(key)
+		val, _ = originalEnv[key]
 		c.envDeps[key] = val
 	}
 	return val
diff --git a/android/env.go b/android/env.go
index c7409e872..ec5794e36 100644
--- a/android/env.go
+++ b/android/env.go
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
 package android
 
 import (
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+
 	"android/soong/env"
 
 	"github.com/google/blueprint"
@@ -27,6 +30,19 @@ import (
 // compare the contents of the environment variables, rewriting the file if necessary to cause
 // a manifest regeneration.
 
+var originalEnv map[string]string
+
+func init() {
+	originalEnv = make(map[string]string)
+	for _, env := range os.Environ() {
+		idx := strings.IndexRune(env, '=')
+		if idx != -1 {
+			originalEnv[env[:idx]] = env[idx+1:]
+		}
+	}
+	os.Clearenv()
+}
+
 func EnvSingleton() blueprint.Singleton {
 	return &envSingleton{}
 }