diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index b69ef4dd4e..e314af4d60 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -3497,17 +3497,12 @@ static int error_failed_squash(struct repository *r,
 
 static int do_exec(struct repository *r, const char *command_line)
 {
-	struct strvec child_env = STRVEC_INIT;
 	const char *child_argv[] = { NULL, NULL };
 	int dirty, status;
 
 	fprintf(stderr, _("Executing: %s\n"), command_line);
 	child_argv[0] = command_line;
-	strvec_pushf(&child_env, "GIT_DIR=%s", absolute_path(get_git_dir()));
-	strvec_pushf(&child_env, "GIT_WORK_TREE=%s",
-		     absolute_path(get_git_work_tree()));
-	status = run_command_v_opt_cd_env(child_argv, RUN_USING_SHELL, NULL,
-					  child_env.v);
+	status = run_command_v_opt(child_argv, RUN_USING_SHELL);
 
 	/* force re-reading of the cache */
 	if (discard_index(r->index) < 0 || repo_read_index(r) < 0)
@@ -3537,8 +3532,6 @@ static int do_exec(struct repository *r, const char *command_line)
 		status = 1;
 	}
 
-	strvec_clear(&child_env);
-
 	return status;
 }
 
diff --git a/t/t3409-rebase-environ.sh b/t/t3409-rebase-environ.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..83ffb39d9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t3409-rebase-environ.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='git rebase interactive environment'
+
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+test_expect_success 'setup' '
+	test_commit one &&
+	test_commit two &&
+	test_commit three
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'rebase --exec does not muck with GIT_DIR' '
+	git rebase --exec "printf %s \$GIT_DIR >environ" HEAD~1 &&
+	test_must_be_empty environ
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'rebase --exec does not muck with GIT_WORK_TREE' '
+	git rebase --exec "printf %s \$GIT_WORK_TREE >environ" HEAD~1 &&
+	test_must_be_empty environ
+'
+
+test_done