diff --git a/lix/libcmd/common-eval-args.cc b/lix/libcmd/common-eval-args.cc
index 232f9a8e2..4cf6b43af 100644
--- a/lix/libcmd/common-eval-args.cc
+++ b/lix/libcmd/common-eval-args.cc
@@ -177,7 +177,9 @@ Bindings * MixEvalArgs::getAutoArgs(EvalState & state)
     for (auto & i : autoArgs) {
         auto v = state.mem.allocValue();
         if (i.second[0] == 'E')
-            state.mkThunk_(*v, state.parseExprFromString(i.second.substr(1), CanonPath::fromCwd()));
+            state.evalLazily(
+                state.parseExprFromString(i.second.substr(1), CanonPath::fromCwd()), *v
+            );
         else
             v->mkString(((std::string_view) i.second).substr(1));
         res.insert(state.symbols.create(i.first), v);
diff --git a/lix/libexpr/eval.cc b/lix/libexpr/eval.cc
index 5f795fc30..c989dd0fb 100644
--- a/lix/libexpr/eval.cc
+++ b/lix/libexpr/eval.cc
@@ -788,9 +788,9 @@ static inline void mkThunk(Value & v, Env & env, Expr & expr)
 }
 
 
-void EvalState::mkThunk_(Value & v, Expr & expr)
+void EvalState::evalLazily(Expr & e, Value & v)
 {
-    mkThunk(v, builtins.env, expr);
+    mkThunk(v, builtins.env, e);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/lix/libexpr/eval.hh b/lix/libexpr/eval.hh
index a5e776fa3..d42e3ff87 100644
--- a/lix/libexpr/eval.hh
+++ b/lix/libexpr/eval.hh
@@ -539,6 +539,11 @@ public:
      */
     void eval(Expr & e, Value & v);
 
+    /**
+     * Creates a thunk that will evaluate the given expression when forced.
+     */
+    void evalLazily(Expr & e, Value & v);
+
     /**
      * Evaluation the expression, then verify that it has the expected
      * type.
@@ -690,7 +695,6 @@ public:
         return mem.buildBindings(symbols, capacity);
     }
 
-    void mkThunk_(Value & v, Expr & expr);
     void mkPos(Value & v, PosIdx pos);
 
     /**