diff --git a/src/config_files.rs b/src/config_files.rs
index 847ecfa020..18a2586fd7 100644
--- a/src/config_files.rs
+++ b/src/config_files.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use log::info;
 use nu_cli::{eval_config_contents, eval_source, report_error};
 use nu_parser::ParseError;
 use nu_path::canonicalize_with;
-use nu_protocol::engine::{EngineState, Stack, StateWorkingSet};
+use nu_protocol::engine::{EngineState, Stack, StateDelta, StateWorkingSet};
 use nu_protocol::{PipelineData, Span, Spanned};
 use std::fs::File;
 use std::io::Write;
@@ -121,3 +121,37 @@ pub(crate) fn read_loginshell_file(
         info!("read_loginshell_file {}:{}:{}", file!(), line!(), column!());
     }
 }
+
+pub(crate) fn read_default_env_file(
+    engine_state: &mut EngineState,
+    stack: &mut Stack,
+    is_perf_true: bool,
+) {
+    let config_file = include_str!("../docs/sample_config/default_env.nu");
+    eval_source(
+        engine_state,
+        stack,
+        config_file.as_bytes(),
+        "default_env.nu",
+        PipelineData::new(Span::new(0, 0)),
+    );
+
+    if is_perf_true {
+        info!("read_config_file {}:{}:{}", file!(), line!(), column!());
+    }
+    // Merge the delta in case env vars changed in the config
+    match nu_engine::env::current_dir(engine_state, stack) {
+        Ok(cwd) => {
+            if let Err(e) =
+                engine_state.merge_delta(StateDelta::new(engine_state), Some(stack), cwd)
+            {
+                let working_set = StateWorkingSet::new(engine_state);
+                report_error(&working_set, &e);
+            }
+        }
+        Err(e) => {
+            let working_set = StateWorkingSet::new(engine_state);
+            report_error(&working_set, &e);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 0733ff14a9..ece58ae0e8 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -215,6 +215,12 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
                         is_perf_true(),
                         true,
                     );
+                } else {
+                    config_files::read_default_env_file(
+                        &mut engine_state,
+                        &mut stack,
+                        is_perf_true(),
+                    )
                 }
 
                 if binary_args.config_file.is_some() {
@@ -262,6 +268,12 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
                         is_perf_true(),
                         true,
                     );
+                } else {
+                    config_files::read_default_env_file(
+                        &mut engine_state,
+                        &mut stack,
+                        is_perf_true(),
+                    )
                 }
 
                 if binary_args.config_file.is_some() {