diff --git a/src/input.cpp b/src/input.cpp
index f96cf8c75c..3f3c7cb2e6 100644
--- a/src/input.cpp
+++ b/src/input.cpp
@@ -1250,9 +1250,9 @@ void Input::shell()
     for (int i = 1; i < narg; i++) {
       rv = 0;
 #ifdef _WIN32
-      if (arg[i]) rv = _putenv(arg[i]);
+      if (arg[i]) rv = _putenv(utils::strdup(arg[i]));
 #else
-      if (arg[i]) rv = putenv(arg[i]);
+      if (arg[i]) rv = putenv(utils::strdup(arg[i]));
 #endif
       rv = (rv < 0) ? errno : 0;
       MPI_Reduce(&rv,&err,1,MPI_INT,MPI_MAX,0,world);
diff --git a/src/variable.cpp b/src/variable.cpp
index 1a4feb3573..437efaf540 100644
--- a/src/variable.cpp
+++ b/src/variable.cpp
@@ -341,8 +341,7 @@ void Variable::set(int narg, char **arg)
     which[nvar] = 0;
     pad[nvar] = 0;
     data[nvar] = new char*[num[nvar]];
-    copy(1,&arg[2],data[nvar]);
-    data[nvar][1] = utils::strdup("(undefined)");
+    data[nvar][0] = utils::strdup(arg[2]);
 
   // SCALARFILE for strings or numbers
   // which = 1st value
diff --git a/unittest/commands/test_simple_commands.cpp b/unittest/commands/test_simple_commands.cpp
index 9bd6e74c9b..6ee783a8e1 100644
--- a/unittest/commands/test_simple_commands.cpp
+++ b/unittest/commands/test_simple_commands.cpp
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@
 #include "output.h"
 #include "update.h"
 #include "utils.h"
+#include "variable.h"
 
-#include "fmt/format.h"
 #include "gmock/gmock.h"
 #include "gtest/gtest.h"
 #include "../testing/core.h"
@@ -398,6 +398,7 @@ TEST_F(SimpleCommandsTest, Shell)
 {
     BEGIN_HIDE_OUTPUT();
     command("shell putenv TEST_VARIABLE=simpletest");
+    command("variable simple1 getenv TEST_VARIABLE");
     END_HIDE_OUTPUT();
 
     char *test_var = getenv("TEST_VARIABLE");
@@ -405,18 +406,22 @@ TEST_F(SimpleCommandsTest, Shell)
     ASSERT_THAT(test_var, StrEq("simpletest"));
 
     BEGIN_HIDE_OUTPUT();
-    command("shell putenv TEST_VARIABLE=simpletest");
-    command("shell putenv TEST_VARIABLE2=simpletest2 OTHER_VARIABLE=2");
+    command("shell putenv TEST_VARIABLE=simpletest2");
+    command("shell putenv TEST_VARIABLE2=simpletest OTHER_VARIABLE=2");
     END_HIDE_OUTPUT();
 
     char *test_var2 = getenv("TEST_VARIABLE2");
     char *other_var = getenv("OTHER_VARIABLE");
 
     ASSERT_NE(test_var2, nullptr);
-    ASSERT_THAT(test_var2, StrEq("simpletest2"));
+    ASSERT_THAT(test_var2, StrEq("simpletest"));
 
     ASSERT_NE(other_var, nullptr);
     ASSERT_THAT(other_var, StrEq("2"));
+
+    test_var = getenv("TEST_VARIABLE");
+    ASSERT_NE(test_var, nullptr);
+    ASSERT_THAT(test_var, StrEq("simpletest2"));
 }
 
 TEST_F(SimpleCommandsTest, CiteMe)
diff --git a/unittest/commands/test_variables.cpp b/unittest/commands/test_variables.cpp
index 97f874a856..f31959c3ff 100644
--- a/unittest/commands/test_variables.cpp
+++ b/unittest/commands/test_variables.cpp
@@ -122,6 +122,8 @@ TEST_F(VariableTest, CreateDelete)
     file_vars();
     ASSERT_EQ(variable->nvar, 1);
     BEGIN_HIDE_OUTPUT();
+    command("shell putenv TEST_VARIABLE=simpletest2");
+    command("shell putenv TEST_VARIABLE2=simpletest OTHER_VARIABLE=2");
     command("variable one    index     1 2 3 4");
     command("variable two    equal     1");
     command("variable two    equal     2");
@@ -133,8 +135,8 @@ TEST_F(VariableTest, CreateDelete)
     command("variable five2  loop      10 200 pad");
     command("variable six    world     one");
     command("variable seven  format    two \"%5.2f\"");
-    command("variable eight  getenv    PWD");
-    command("variable eight  getenv    XXXXX");
+    command("variable eight  getenv    TEST_VARIABLE2");
+    command("variable eight  getenv    XXX");
     command("variable nine   file      test_variable.file");
     command("variable ten    internal  1.0");
     command("variable ten    internal  10.0");
@@ -167,6 +169,14 @@ TEST_F(VariableTest, CreateDelete)
     unlink("MYFILE");
     ASSERT_THAT(variable->retrieve("file"), StrEq("0"));
 
+    BEGIN_HIDE_OUTPUT();
+    command("variable seven delete");
+    command("variable seven getenv TEST_VARIABLE");
+    command("variable eight getenv OTHER_VARIABLE");
+    END_HIDE_OUTPUT();
+    ASSERT_THAT(variable->retrieve("seven"), StrEq("simpletest2"));
+    ASSERT_THAT(variable->retrieve("eight"), StrEq("2"));
+
     ASSERT_EQ(variable->equalstyle(variable->find("one")), 0);
     ASSERT_EQ(variable->equalstyle(variable->find("two")), 1);
     ASSERT_EQ(variable->equalstyle(variable->find("ten")), 1);