diff --git a/mesonbuild/build.py b/mesonbuild/build.py
index 5d1163bb4..175066102 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/build.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/build.py
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ class EnvironmentVariables:
         return value
 
     def get_env(self, full_env):
-        env = {}
+        env = full_env.copy()
         for method, name, values, kwargs in self.envvars:
             env[name] = method(full_env, name, values, kwargs)
         return env
diff --git a/test cases/unit/2 testsetups/envcheck.py b/test cases/unit/2 testsetups/envcheck.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..af39c4e23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/unit/2 testsetups/envcheck.py	
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import os
+
+assert('PATH' in os.environ)
diff --git a/test cases/unit/2 testsetups/meson.build b/test cases/unit/2 testsetups/meson.build
index 58b099dde..83438569a 100644
--- a/test cases/unit/2 testsetups/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/unit/2 testsetups/meson.build	
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ add_test_setup('valgrind',
 buggy = executable('buggy', 'buggy.c', 'impl.c')
 test('Test buggy', buggy)
 
+envcheck = find_program('envcheck.py')
+test('test-env', envcheck)
+
 add_test_setup('empty')
 add_test_setup('onlyenv', env : env)
 add_test_setup('onlyenv2', env : 'TEST_ENV=1')