diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.cc b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
index 1828b8c2e..a48968656 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
@@ -519,6 +519,7 @@ EvalState::EvalState(
     static_assert(sizeof(Env) <= 16, "environment must be <= 16 bytes");
 
     /* Initialise the Nix expression search path. */
+    evalSettings.nixPath.setDefault(evalSettings.getDefaultNixPath());
     if (!evalSettings.pureEval) {
         for (auto & i : _searchPath) addToSearchPath(i);
         for (auto & i : evalSettings.nixPath.get()) addToSearchPath(i);
@@ -2472,30 +2473,35 @@ std::ostream & operator << (std::ostream & str, const ExternalValueBase & v) {
 
 EvalSettings::EvalSettings()
 {
-    auto var = getEnv("NIX_PATH");
-    if (var) nixPath = parseNixPath(*var);
 }
 
+/* impure => NIX_PATH or a default path
+ * restrict-eval => NIX_PATH
+ * pure-eval => empty
+ */
 Strings EvalSettings::getDefaultNixPath()
 {
-    Strings res;
-    auto add = [&](const Path & p, const std::string & s = std::string()) {
-        if (pathExists(p)) {
-            if (s.empty()) {
-                res.push_back(p);
-            } else {
-                res.push_back(s + "=" + p);
-            }
-        }
-    };
+    if (pureEval)
+        return {};
+
+    auto var = getEnv("NIX_PATH");
+    if (var) {
+        return parseNixPath(*var);
+    } else if (restrictEval) {
+        return {};
+    } else {
+        Strings res;
+        auto add = [&](const Path & p, const std::optional<std::string> & s = std::nullopt) {
+            if (pathExists(p))
+                res.push_back(s ? *s + "=" + p : p);
+        };
 
-    if (!evalSettings.restrictEval && !evalSettings.pureEval) {
         add(getHome() + "/.nix-defexpr/channels");
         add(settings.nixStateDir + "/profiles/per-user/root/channels/nixpkgs", "nixpkgs");
         add(settings.nixStateDir + "/profiles/per-user/root/channels");
-    }
 
-    return res;
+        return res;
+    }
 }
 
 bool EvalSettings::isPseudoUrl(std::string_view s)
diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.hh b/src/libexpr/eval.hh
index e4d5906bd..2340ef67b 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.hh
@@ -570,7 +570,7 @@ struct EvalSettings : Config
 {
     EvalSettings();
 
-    static Strings getDefaultNixPath();
+    Strings getDefaultNixPath();
 
     static bool isPseudoUrl(std::string_view s);
 
@@ -580,8 +580,15 @@ struct EvalSettings : Config
         "Whether builtin functions that allow executing native code should be enabled."};
 
     Setting<Strings> nixPath{
-        this, getDefaultNixPath(), "nix-path",
-        "List of directories to be searched for `<...>` file references."};
+        this, {}, "nix-path",
+        R"(
+          List of directories to be searched for `<...>` file references.
+
+          If [pure evaluation](#conf-pure-eval) is disabled,
+          this is initialised using the [`NIX_PATH`](@docroot@/command-ref/env-common.md#env-NIX_PATH)
+          environment variable, or, if it is unset and [restricted evaluation](#conf-restrict-eval)
+          is disabled, a default search path including the user's and `root`'s channels.
+        )"};
 
     Setting<bool> restrictEval{
         this, false, "restrict-eval",
diff --git a/tests/nix_path.sh b/tests/nix_path.sh
index 2b222b4a1..d16fb4bb2 100644
--- a/tests/nix_path.sh
+++ b/tests/nix_path.sh
@@ -12,3 +12,8 @@ nix-instantiate --eval -E '<by-relative-path/simple.nix>' --restrict-eval
 
 [[ $(nix-instantiate --find-file by-absolute-path/simple.nix) = $PWD/simple.nix ]]
 [[ $(nix-instantiate --find-file by-relative-path/simple.nix) = $PWD/simple.nix ]]
+
+unset NIX_PATH
+
+[[ $(nix-instantiate --option nix-path by-relative-path=. --find-file by-relative-path/simple.nix) = "$PWD/simple.nix" ]]
+[[ $(NIX_PATH= nix-instantiate --option nix-path by-relative-path=. --find-file by-relative-path/simple.nix) = "$PWD/simple.nix" ]]
diff --git a/tests/restricted.sh b/tests/restricted.sh
index 9bd16cf51..3b6ee2af1 100644
--- a/tests/restricted.sh
+++ b/tests/restricted.sh
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ nix-instantiate --restrict-eval --eval -E 'builtins.readDir ../src/nix-channel'
 (! nix-instantiate --restrict-eval --eval -E 'let __nixPath = [ { prefix = "foo"; path = ./.; } ]; in <foo>')
 nix-instantiate --restrict-eval --eval -E 'let __nixPath = [ { prefix = "foo"; path = ./.; } ]; in <foo>' -I src=.
 
+# no default NIX_PATH
+(unset NIX_PATH; ! nix-instantiate --restrict-eval --find-file .)
+
 p=$(nix eval --raw --expr "builtins.fetchurl file://$(pwd)/restricted.sh" --impure --restrict-eval --allowed-uris "file://$(pwd)")
 cmp $p restricted.sh