diff --git a/bin/main.ml b/bin/main.ml
index 02d7d7c1..df1433f9 100644
--- a/bin/main.ml
+++ b/bin/main.ml
@@ -574,6 +574,7 @@ let installed_libraries =
          (Default { loc = Loc.of_pos __POS__
                   ; targets = [Native]
                   ; profile = Config.default_build_profile
+                  ; env     = None
                   })
          ~env
        >>= fun ctxs ->
diff --git a/src/context.ml b/src/context.ml
index 2d07634a..2a91fb4d 100644
--- a/src/context.ml
+++ b/src/context.ml
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ type t =
   ; for_host                : t option
   ; implicit                : bool
   ; build_dir               : Path.t
+  ; env_node                : Shared_stanza.Env.t option
   ; path                    : Path.t list
   ; toplevel_path           : Path.t option
   ; ocaml_bin               : Path.t
@@ -130,7 +131,8 @@ let ocamlpath_sep =
   else
     Bin.path_sep
 
-let create ~(kind : Kind.t) ~path ~env ~name ~merlin ~targets ~profile () =
+let create ~(kind : Kind.t) ~path ~env ~env_node ~name ~merlin ~targets
+      ~profile () =
   let opam_var_cache = Hashtbl.create 128 in
   (match kind with
    | Opam { root; _ } ->
@@ -332,6 +334,7 @@ let create ~(kind : Kind.t) ~path ~env ~name ~merlin ~targets ~profile () =
       ; kind
       ; profile
       ; merlin
+      ; env_node
       ; for_host = host
       ; build_dir
       ; path
@@ -407,10 +410,11 @@ let create ~(kind : Kind.t) ~path ~env ~name ~merlin ~targets ~profile () =
 
 let opam_config_var t var = opam_config_var ~env:t.env ~cache:t.opam_var_cache var
 
-let default ?(merlin=true) ~env ~targets () =
-  create ~kind:Default ~path:Bin.path ~env ~name:"default" ~merlin ~targets ()
+let default ?(merlin=true) ~env_node ~env ~targets () =
+  create ~kind:Default ~path:Bin.path ~env ~env_node ~name:"default"
+    ~merlin ~targets ()
 
-let create_for_opam ?root ~env ~targets ~profile ~switch ~name
+let create_for_opam ?root ~env ~env_node ~targets ~profile ~switch ~name
       ?(merlin=false) () =
   match Bin.opam with
   | None -> Utils.program_not_found "opam"
@@ -448,15 +452,16 @@ let create_for_opam ?root ~env ~targets ~profile ~switch ~name
       | Some s -> Bin.parse_path s
     in
     let env = Env.extend env ~vars in
-    create ~kind:(Opam { root; switch }) ~profile ~targets ~path ~env ~name
-      ~merlin ()
+    create ~kind:(Opam { root; switch }) ~profile ~targets ~path ~env ~env_node
+      ~name ~merlin ()
 
 let create ?merlin ~env def =
   match (def : Workspace.Context.t) with
-  | Default { targets; profile; _ } -> default ~env ~profile ~targets ?merlin ()
-  | Opam { base = { targets ; profile ; loc = _ }
+  | Default { targets; profile; env = env_node ; loc = _ } ->
+    default ~env ~env_node ~profile ~targets ?merlin ()
+  | Opam { base = { targets ; profile ; env = env_node ; loc = _ }
          ; name; switch; root; merlin = _ } ->
-    create_for_opam ?root ~env ~profile ~switch ~name ?merlin ~targets ()
+    create_for_opam ?root ~env_node ~env ~profile ~switch ~name ?merlin ~targets ()
 
 let which t s = which ~cache:t.which_cache ~path:t.path s
 
diff --git a/src/context.mli b/src/context.mli
index 733bd9d0..af23a195 100644
--- a/src/context.mli
+++ b/src/context.mli
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ type t =
   ; (** Directory where artifact are stored, for instance "_build/default" *)
     build_dir : Path.t
 
+  ; (** env node that this context was initialized with *)
+    env_node : Shared_stanza.Env.t option
+
   ; (** [PATH] *)
     path : Path.t list
 
diff --git a/src/jbuild.mli b/src/jbuild.mli
index 840d6ff9..902c3b6b 100644
--- a/src/jbuild.mli
+++ b/src/jbuild.mli
@@ -366,6 +366,8 @@ module Env : sig
     { loc   : Loc.t
     ; rules : (pattern * config) list
     }
+
+  val t : t Sexp.Of_sexp.t
 end
 
 module Tests : sig
diff --git a/src/workspace.ml b/src/workspace.ml
index 4a4c296d..339ac294 100644
--- a/src/workspace.ml
+++ b/src/workspace.ml
@@ -45,9 +45,11 @@ module Context = struct
       { loc     : Loc.t
       ; profile : string
       ; targets : Target.t list
+      ; env     : Jbuild.Env.t option
       }
 
     let t ~profile =
+      field_o "env" Jbuild.Env.t >>= fun env ->
       field "targets" (list Target.t) ~default:[Target.Native]
       >>= fun targets ->
       field "profile" string ~default:profile
@@ -57,6 +59,7 @@ module Context = struct
         { targets
         ; profile
         ; loc
+        ; env
         }
   end
 
@@ -138,6 +141,7 @@ module Context = struct
       ; targets = [Option.value x ~default:Target.Native]
       ; profile = Option.value profile
                     ~default:Config.default_build_profile
+      ; env = None
       }
 end
 
diff --git a/src/workspace.mli b/src/workspace.mli
index a73e7c6c..5062f5f8 100644
--- a/src/workspace.mli
+++ b/src/workspace.mli
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ module Context : sig
       { loc     : Loc.t
       ; profile : string
       ; targets : Target.t list
+      ; env     : Jbuild.Env.t option
       }
   end
   module Opam : sig