diff --git a/src/env_base.cpp b/src/env_base.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1cb8e00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/env_base.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+/* Copyright 2020, Michele Santullo
+ * This file is part of user-gcc.
+ *
+ * User-gcc is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * User-gcc is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with user-gcc.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#include "env_base.hpp"
+
+namespace duck {
+	bool EnvBase::empty() const noexcept {
+		return 0 == this->size();
+	}
+} //namespace duck
diff --git a/src/env_base.hpp b/src/env_base.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad68f52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/env_base.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/* Copyright 2020, Michele Santullo
+ * This file is part of user-gcc.
+ *
+ * User-gcc is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * User-gcc is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with user-gcc.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <string_view>
+#include <optional>
+#include <utility>
+
+namespace duck {
+	class EnvBase {
+	public:
+		typedef std::string_view mapped_type;
+		typedef std::string_view key_type;
+		typedef std::pair<const key_type, mapped_type> value_type;
+		typedef std::size_t size_type;
+		typedef std::ptrdiff_t difference_type;
+
+		EnvBase() = default;
+		virtual ~EnvBase() noexcept = default;
+
+		virtual std::string_view operator[] (std::string_view name) const noexcept = 0;
+		virtual std::optional<std::string_view> get (std::string_view name) const noexcept = 0;
+		virtual std::string_view get (std::string_view name, std::string_view def) const noexcept = 0;
+		virtual void set (std::string_view name, std::string_view value) = 0;
+		virtual void unset (std::string_view name) noexcept = 0;
+		virtual bool is_set (std::string_view name) const noexcept = 0;
+		virtual size_type size() const noexcept = 0;
+		virtual bool empty() const noexcept;
+		virtual void clear() noexcept = 0;
+	};
+} //namespace duck
diff --git a/src/env_real.cpp b/src/env_real.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd3903f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/env_real.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,266 @@
+/* Copyright 2020, Michele Santullo
+ * This file is part of user-gcc.
+ *
+ * User-gcc is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * User-gcc is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with user-gcc.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+//required for putenv()
+#define _XOPEN_SOURCE
+
+#include "env_real.hpp"
+#include "string_view_cat.hpp"
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <cstdlib>
+#include <mutex>
+#include <unordered_map>
+#include <memory>
+#include <cassert>
+#include <utility>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <cstring>
+
+#if defined(__GNU_LIBRARY__) && ((__GLIBC__ == 2 && __GLIBC_MINOR__ >= 17) || __GLIBC__ > 2)
+#	define HasSecureGetenv
+#endif
+
+namespace duck {
+
+namespace {
+	class PointerMap;
+
+	const constexpr std::size_t g_name_buff_len = 128;
+
+	PointerMap& pointer_map();
+
+	class PointerMap {
+		friend PointerMap& pointer_map();
+	public:
+		PointerMap (const PointerMap&) = delete;
+		PointerMap (PointerMap&&) = delete;
+
+		typedef std::unique_ptr<char[]> pointer;
+		~PointerMap() noexcept;
+		char* register_pointer (pointer&& ptr);
+		bool delete_if_known (const char* ptr) noexcept;
+		void clear() noexcept;
+		std::mutex& env_mutex() noexcept { return m_env_mutex; }
+	private:
+		PointerMap() = default;
+		std::mutex m_data_mutex;
+		std::mutex m_env_mutex;
+		std::unordered_map<const char*, pointer> m_ptrs;;
+	};
+
+	template <typename T> struct DefaultValOrVoid {
+		static T value() noexcept(noexcept(T())) {
+			return T{};
+		}
+	};
+	template <> struct DefaultValOrVoid<void> {
+		static void value() noexcept {}
+	};
+
+	void safe_print_error (std::string_view msg) noexcept {
+		try {
+			std::cerr << msg << std::endl;
+		}
+		catch (...) {
+		}
+	}
+
+	PointerMap& pointer_map() {
+		static PointerMap pm;
+		return pm;
+	}
+
+	PointerMap::~PointerMap() noexcept {
+		std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(m_data_mutex);
+		m_ptrs.clear();
+	}
+
+	char* PointerMap::register_pointer (pointer&& ptr) {
+		std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(m_data_mutex);
+		char* const raw_ptr = ptr.get();
+		assert(m_ptrs.count(raw_ptr) == 0);
+		m_ptrs.insert(std::make_pair(raw_ptr, std::move(ptr)));
+		return raw_ptr;
+	}
+
+	bool PointerMap::delete_if_known (const char* ptr) noexcept {
+		if (not ptr)
+			return false;
+
+		try {
+			std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(m_data_mutex);
+			auto it_found = m_ptrs.find(ptr);
+			const bool found = (m_ptrs.end() != it_found);
+			if (found)
+				m_ptrs.erase(it_found);
+			return found;
+		}
+		catch (...) {
+			safe_print_error("Exception thrown in PointerMap::delete_if_known()");
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
+
+	void PointerMap::clear() noexcept {
+		std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(m_data_mutex);
+		m_ptrs.clear();
+	}
+
+	const char* raw_fetch_env (const char* name) noexcept {
+		assert(name);
+		if (not name)
+			return nullptr;
+
+#if defined(HasSecureGetenv)
+		const char* const val_ptr = secure_getenv(name);
+#else
+		const char* const val_ptr = getenv(name);
+#endif
+
+		return val_ptr;
+	}
+
+	template <typename F>
+	auto invoke_with_zstr (std::string_view name, char* name_buff, std::size_t buff_size, F func) noexcept {
+		assert(not name.empty());
+		if (name.empty())
+			return DefaultValOrVoid<decltype(func(name_buff, buff_size))>::value();
+
+		if (name.size() < buff_size) {
+			assert(name_buff);
+			std::strncpy(name_buff, name.data(), name.size());
+			name_buff[name.size()] = '\0';
+			return func(name_buff, name.size());
+		}
+		else {
+			try {
+				auto str = to_string(name);
+				return func(str.c_str(), name.size());
+			}
+			catch (...) {
+				safe_print_error("Failed to create string for env var name");
+				return DefaultValOrVoid<decltype(func(name_buff, buff_size))>::value();
+			}
+		}
+	}
+} //unnamed namespace
+
+EnvReal::EnvReal() :
+	m_name_buff(std::make_unique<char[]>(g_name_buff_len)),
+	m_name_buff_len(g_name_buff_len)
+{
+}
+
+std::string_view EnvReal::operator[] (std::string_view name) const noexcept {
+	return this->get(name, "");
+}
+
+std::optional<std::string_view> EnvReal::get (std::string_view name) const noexcept {
+	const char* const ret = this->raw_fetch_env(name);
+	if (ret)
+		return to_string_view(ret);
+	else
+		return {};
+}
+
+std::string_view EnvReal::get (std::string_view name, std::string_view def) const noexcept {
+	const char* const ret = this->raw_fetch_env(name);
+	if (ret)
+		return to_string_view(ret);
+	else
+		return def;
+}
+
+void EnvReal::set (std::string_view name, std::string_view value) {
+	assert(not name.empty());
+	if (name.empty())
+		return;
+	this->unset(name);
+
+	const std::size_t new_var_size = name.size() + value.size() + 1 /* '=' */;
+	std::unique_ptr<char[]> new_var(std::make_unique<char[]>(new_var_size + 1));
+	std::strncpy(new_var.get(), name.data(), name.size());
+	new_var[name.size()] = '=';
+	std::strncpy(new_var.get() + name.size() + 1, value.data(), value.size());
+	new_var[new_var_size] = '\0';
+	assert(std::strlen(new_var.get()) == new_var_size);
+
+	{
+		auto& pm = pointer_map();
+		std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(pm.env_mutex());
+		putenv(pm.register_pointer(std::move(new_var)));
+	}
+}
+
+void EnvReal::unset (std::string_view name) noexcept {
+	auto& pm = pointer_map();
+	std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(pm.env_mutex());
+
+	duck::invoke_with_zstr(
+		name,
+		m_name_buff.get(),
+		m_name_buff_len,
+		[&pm](const char* name, std::size_t) -> void {
+			const char* ptr = duck::raw_fetch_env(name);
+			pm.delete_if_known(ptr);
+			unsetenv(name);
+		}
+	);
+}
+
+bool EnvReal::is_set (std::string_view name) const noexcept {
+}
+
+auto EnvReal::size() const noexcept -> size_type {
+	auto& pm = pointer_map();
+	std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(pm.env_mutex());
+
+	assert(environ);
+	size_type z = 0;
+	while (environ[z]) {
+		++z;
+	}
+	return z;
+}
+
+void EnvReal::clear() noexcept {
+	auto& pm = pointer_map();
+	std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(pm.env_mutex());
+	const int r = clearenv();
+	if (not r) {
+		pm.clear();
+	}
+	else {
+		safe_print_error("clearenv() failed with return code " + std::to_string(r));
+	}
+}
+
+const char* EnvReal::raw_fetch_env (std::string_view name) const noexcept {
+	auto& pm = pointer_map();
+	std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(pm.env_mutex());
+
+	return duck::invoke_with_zstr(
+		name,
+		m_name_buff.get(),
+		m_name_buff_len,
+		[](const char* name, std::size_t) {
+			return duck::raw_fetch_env(name);
+		}
+	);
+}
+
+} //namespace duck
diff --git a/src/env_real.hpp b/src/env_real.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ab90e79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/env_real.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/* Copyright 2020, Michele Santullo
+ * This file is part of user-gcc.
+ *
+ * User-gcc is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * User-gcc is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with user-gcc.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include "env_base.hpp"
+#include <memory>
+
+namespace duck {
+	class EnvReal : public EnvBase {
+	public:
+		EnvReal();
+		virtual ~EnvReal() noexcept = default;
+
+		virtual std::string_view operator[] (std::string_view name) const noexcept override;
+		virtual std::optional<std::string_view> get (std::string_view name) const noexcept override;
+		virtual std::string_view get (std::string_view name, std::string_view def) const noexcept override;
+		virtual void set (std::string_view name, std::string_view value) override;
+		virtual void unset (std::string_view name) noexcept override;
+		virtual bool is_set (std::string_view name) const noexcept override;
+		virtual size_type size() const noexcept override;
+		virtual void clear() noexcept override;
+
+	private:
+		const char* raw_fetch_env (std::string_view name) const noexcept;
+
+		std::unique_ptr<char[]> m_name_buff;
+		std::size_t m_name_buff_len;
+	};
+} //namespace duck
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index 9a01898..20eb946 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ executable(meson.project_name(),
 	'to_var_map.cpp',
 	'load_file.cpp',
 	'var_map.cpp',
+	'env_base.cpp',
+	'env_real.cpp',
 	install: true,
 	dependencies: [fslib_dep],
 	include_directories: [cxxopts_incl],