diff --git a/mesonbuild/interpreter.py b/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
index 23f590747..2bcf198a2 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
@@ -2335,6 +2335,7 @@ class Interpreter(InterpreterBase):
         else:
             if not isinstance(envlist, list):
                 envlist = [envlist]
+            # Convert from array to environment object
             env = EnvironmentVariablesHolder()
             for e in envlist:
                 if '=' not in e:
@@ -2344,7 +2345,7 @@ class Interpreter(InterpreterBase):
                 val = val.strip()
                 if ' ' in k:
                     raise InterpreterException('Env var key must not have spaces in it.')
-                env.add_var(env.held_object.set, [k, val], kwargs)
+                env.set_method([k, val], {})
             env = env.held_object
         return env
 
diff --git a/test cases/common/48 test args/copyfile.py b/test cases/common/48 test args/copyfile.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ff42ac359
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/48 test args/copyfile.py	
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import sys
+import shutil
+
+shutil.copyfile(sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2])
diff --git a/test cases/common/48 test args/meson.build b/test cases/common/48 test args/meson.build
index f599bf7e2..81d34915a 100644
--- a/test cases/common/48 test args/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/common/48 test args/meson.build	
@@ -18,4 +18,18 @@ env2.set('first', 'something-else')
 test('command line arguments', e1, args : ['first', 'second'])
 test('environment variables', e2, env : env)
 test('environment variables 2', e3, env : env2)
-test('file arg', find_program('tester.py'), args : files('testfile.txt'))
+
+# https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/2211#issuecomment-327741571
+env_array = ['MESONTESTING=picklerror']
+testfile = files('testfile.txt')
+testerpy = find_program('tester.py')
+test('file arg', testerpy, args : testfile, env : env_array)
+
+copy = find_program('copyfile.py')
+tester = executable('tester', 'tester.c')
+testfilect = custom_target('testfile',
+                           input : testfile,
+                           output : 'outfile.txt',
+                           build_by_default : true,
+                           command : [copy, '@INPUT@', '@OUTPUT@'])
+test('custom target arg', tester, args : testfilect, env : env_array)
diff --git a/test cases/common/48 test args/tester.c b/test cases/common/48 test args/tester.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..28aa0dbfb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/48 test args/tester.c	
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+
+#ifndef _MSC_VER
+#include <unistd.h>
+#endif
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv) {
+    char data[10];
+    int fd, size;
+
+    if (argc != 2) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Incorrect number of arguments, got %i\n", argc);
+        return 1;
+    }
+    fd = open(argv[1], O_RDONLY);
+    if (fd < 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "First argument is wrong.\n");
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    size = read(fd, data, 10);
+    if (size < 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Failed to read: %s\n", strerror(errno));
+        return 1;
+    }
+    if (strcmp(data, "contents\n") != 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Contents don't match, got %s\n", data);
+        return 1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}