diff --git a/src/libcmd/repl.cc b/src/libcmd/repl.cc
index 6859e5c07..b14f43ec4 100644
--- a/src/libcmd/repl.cc
+++ b/src/libcmd/repl.cc
@@ -901,8 +901,8 @@ void runRepl(
 
     repl->initEnv();
 
+    // add 'extra' vars.
     std::set<std::string> names;
-
     for (auto & [name, value] : extraEnv) {
         // names.insert(ANSI_BOLD + name + ANSI_NORMAL);
         names.insert(name);
@@ -951,6 +951,7 @@ struct CmdRepl : StoreCommand, MixEvalArgs
 
         auto repl = std::make_unique<NixRepl>(evalState);
         repl->autoArgs = getAutoArgs(*repl->state);
+        repl->initEnv();
         repl->mainLoop(files);
     }
 };
diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.cc b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
index 377e1b2f8..d99e73471 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
@@ -715,8 +715,9 @@ void mapStaticEnvBindings(const StaticEnv &se, const Env &env, valmap & vm)
 {
   // add bindings for the next level up first, so that the bindings for this level
   // override the higher levels.
+  // The top level bindings (builtins) are skipped since they are added for us by initEnv() 
   if (env.up && se.up) {
-      mapStaticEnvBindings( *se.up, *env.up,vm);
+      mapStaticEnvBindings(*se.up, *env.up,vm);
 
       // iterate through staticenv bindings and add them.
       auto map = valmap();
@@ -725,23 +726,6 @@ void mapStaticEnvBindings(const StaticEnv &se, const Env &env, valmap & vm)
         map[iter->first] = env.values[iter->second];
       }
 
-      vm.merge(map);
-  }
-  else
-  {
-      std::cout << " -------------------- " << std::endl; 
-      // iterate through staticenv bindings and add them, 
-      // except for the __* ones.
-      auto map = valmap();
-      for (auto iter = se.vars.begin(); iter != se.vars.end(); ++iter)
-      {
-          std::cout << iter->first << std::endl; 
-          std::string s = iter->first;
-          if (s.substr(0,2) != "__") {
-              map[iter->first] = env.values[iter->second];
-          }
-      }
-
       vm.merge(map);
   }
 }