diff --git a/ls-tree.c b/ls-tree.c
index 339ac36a4c..7f8f8644af 100644
--- a/ls-tree.c
+++ b/ls-tree.c
@@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		usage(ls_tree_usage);
 	if (get_sha1(argv[1], sha1) < 0)
 		usage(ls_tree_usage);
-	sha1_file_directory = getenv(DB_ENVIRONMENT);
-	if (!sha1_file_directory)
-		sha1_file_directory = DEFAULT_DB_ENVIRONMENT;
 	if (list(sha1) < 0)
 		die("list failed");
 	return 0;
diff --git a/read-cache.c b/read-cache.c
index 6a04cf194c..a6fbf08982 100644
--- a/read-cache.c
+++ b/read-cache.c
@@ -196,11 +196,6 @@ int read_cache(void)
 	if (active_cache)
 		return error("more than one cachefile");
 	errno = ENOENT;
-	sha1_file_directory = getenv(DB_ENVIRONMENT);
-	if (!sha1_file_directory)
-		sha1_file_directory = DEFAULT_DB_ENVIRONMENT;
-	if (access(sha1_file_directory, X_OK) < 0)
-		return error("no access to SHA1 file directory");
 	fd = open(get_index_file(), O_RDONLY);
 	if (fd < 0)
 		return (errno == ENOENT) ? 0 : error("open failed");
diff --git a/tar-tree.c b/tar-tree.c
index a09cb41659..9d9bd7be98 100644
--- a/tar-tree.c
+++ b/tar-tree.c
@@ -418,10 +418,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		usage(tar_tree_usage);
 	}
 
-	sha1_file_directory = getenv(DB_ENVIRONMENT);
-	if (!sha1_file_directory)
-		sha1_file_directory = DEFAULT_DB_ENVIRONMENT;
-
 	buffer = read_object_with_reference(sha1, "commit", &size, commit_sha1);
 	if (buffer) {
 		write_global_extended_header(commit_sha1);