diff --git a/sched/init/nx_bringup.c b/sched/init/nx_bringup.c
index 3aa08fa453d..639ad91b5cb 100644
--- a/sched/init/nx_bringup.c
+++ b/sched/init/nx_bringup.c
@@ -43,8 +43,10 @@
 #ifdef CONFIG_PAGING
 # include "paging/paging.h"
 #endif
-# include "wqueue/wqueue.h"
-# include "init/init.h"
+
+#include "sched/sched.h"
+#include "wqueue/wqueue.h"
+#include "init/init.h"
 
 /****************************************************************************
  * Pre-processor Definitions
@@ -229,20 +231,6 @@ static inline void nx_start_application(void)
   {
 #  ifdef CONFIG_INIT_ARGS
     CONFIG_INIT_ARGS,
-#  endif
-    NULL,
-  };
-
-  FAR char * const envp[] =
-  {
-#  ifdef CONFIG_LIBC_HOMEDIR
-    "PWD=" CONFIG_LIBC_HOMEDIR,
-#  endif
-#  ifdef CONFIG_PATH_INITIAL
-    "PATH=" CONFIG_PATH_INITIAL,
-#  endif
-#  ifdef CONFIG_LDPATH_INITIAL
-    "LD_LIBRARY_PATH=" CONFIG_LDPATH_INITIAL,
 #  endif
     NULL,
   };
@@ -275,11 +263,11 @@ static inline void nx_start_application(void)
   DEBUGASSERT(USERSPACE->us_entrypoint != NULL);
   ret = nxtask_create(CONFIG_INIT_ENTRYNAME, CONFIG_INIT_PRIORITY,
                       CONFIG_INIT_STACKSIZE,
-                      USERSPACE->us_entrypoint, argv, envp);
+                      USERSPACE->us_entrypoint, argv, NULL);
 #  else
   ret = nxtask_create(CONFIG_INIT_ENTRYNAME, CONFIG_INIT_PRIORITY,
                       CONFIG_INIT_STACKSIZE,
-                      CONFIG_INIT_ENTRYPOINT, argv, envp);
+                      CONFIG_INIT_ENTRYPOINT, argv, NULL);
 #  endif
   DEBUGASSERT(ret > 0);
 
@@ -307,7 +295,7 @@ static inline void nx_start_application(void)
 #  ifndef CONFIG_BUILD_KERNEL
   attr.stacksize = CONFIG_INIT_STACKSIZE;
 #  endif
-  ret = exec_spawn(CONFIG_INIT_FILEPATH, argv, envp,
+  ret = exec_spawn(CONFIG_INIT_FILEPATH, argv, NULL,
                    CONFIG_INIT_SYMTAB, CONFIG_INIT_NEXPORTS, &attr);
   DEBUGASSERT(ret >= 0);
 #endif
@@ -367,9 +355,10 @@ static inline void nx_create_initthread(void)
    * execution.
    */
 
-  pid = kthread_create("AppBringUp", CONFIG_BOARD_INITTHREAD_PRIORITY,
-                       CONFIG_BOARD_INITTHREAD_STACKSIZE,
-                       nx_start_task, NULL);
+  pid = nxthread_create("AppBringUp", TCB_FLAG_TTYPE_KERNEL,
+                        CONFIG_BOARD_INITTHREAD_PRIORITY,
+                        NULL, CONFIG_BOARD_INITTHREAD_STACKSIZE,
+                        nx_start_task, NULL, environ);
   DEBUGASSERT(pid > 0);
   UNUSED(pid);
 #else
@@ -419,6 +408,27 @@ static inline void nx_create_initthread(void)
 
 int nx_bringup(void)
 {
+#ifndef CONFIG_DISABLE_ENVIRON
+  /* Setup up the initial environment for the idle task.  At present, this
+   * may consist of only the initial PATH variable and/or and init library
+   * path variable.  These path variables are not used by the IDLE task.
+   * However, the environment containing the PATH variable will be inherited
+   * by all of the threads created by the IDLE task.
+   */
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_LIBC_HOMEDIR
+  setenv("PWD", CONFIG_LIBC_HOMEDIR, 1);
+#endif
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_PATH_INITIAL
+  setenv("PATH", CONFIG_PATH_INITIAL, 1);
+#endif
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_LDPATH_INITIAL
+  setenv("LD_LIBRARY_PATH", CONFIG_LDPATH_INITIAL, 1);
+#endif
+#endif
+
   /* Start the page fill worker kernel thread that will resolve page faults.
    * This should always be the first thread started because it may have to
    * resolve page faults in other threads
@@ -438,5 +448,13 @@ int nx_bringup(void)
    */
 
   nx_create_initthread();
+
+#if !defined(CONFIG_DISABLE_ENVIRON) && (defined(CONFIG_PATH_INITIAL) || \
+     defined(CONFIG_LDPATH_INITIAL))
+  /* We an save a few bytes by discarding the IDLE thread's environment. */
+
+  clearenv();
+#endif
+
   return OK;
 }