diff --git a/src/osg/ApplicationUsage.cpp b/src/osg/ApplicationUsage.cpp
index ad2404089..26e4510ec 100644
--- a/src/osg/ApplicationUsage.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/ApplicationUsage.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <osg/ApplicationUsage>
 #include <osg/Object>
 #include <osg/Math>
+#include <osg/EnvVar>
 #include <osg/ref_ptr>
 
 #include <sstream>
@@ -317,10 +318,16 @@ void ApplicationUsage::writeEnvironmentSettings(std::ostream& output)
         std::string::size_type len = citr->first.find_first_of("\n\r\t ");
         if (len == std::string::npos) len = citr->first.size();
         line.replace(optionPos,len,citr->first.substr(0,len));
-        const char *cp = getenv(citr->first.substr(0, len).c_str());
-        if (!cp) cp = "[not set]";
-        else if (!*cp) cp = "[set]";
-        line += std::string(cp) + "\n";
+
+        std::string value;
+        if (getEnvVar(citr->first.substr(0, len).c_str(), value))
+        {
+            line += "[set]\n";
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            line += "[not set]\n";
+        }
 
         output << line;
     }
diff --git a/src/osg/CullSettings.cpp b/src/osg/CullSettings.cpp
index 370191787..78122bbb5 100644
--- a/src/osg/CullSettings.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/CullSettings.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include <osg/CullSettings>
 #include <osg/ArgumentParser>
 #include <osg/ApplicationUsage>
+#include <osg/EnvVar>
 
 #include <osg/Notify>
 
@@ -97,25 +98,21 @@ void CullSettings::readEnvironmentalVariables()
 {
     OSG_INFO<<"CullSettings::readEnvironmentalVariables()"<<std::endl;
 
-    char *ptr;
-
-    if ((ptr = getenv("OSG_COMPUTE_NEAR_FAR_MODE")) != 0)
+    std::string value;
+    if (getEnvVar("OSG_COMPUTE_NEAR_FAR_MODE", value))
     {
-        if (strcmp(ptr,"DO_NOT_COMPUTE_NEAR_FAR")==0) _computeNearFar = DO_NOT_COMPUTE_NEAR_FAR;
-        else if (strcmp(ptr,"COMPUTE_NEAR_FAR_USING_BOUNDING_VOLUMES")==0) _computeNearFar = COMPUTE_NEAR_FAR_USING_BOUNDING_VOLUMES;
-        else if (strcmp(ptr,"COMPUTE_NEAR_FAR_USING_PRIMITIVES")==0) _computeNearFar = COMPUTE_NEAR_FAR_USING_PRIMITIVES;
+        if (value=="DO_NOT_COMPUTE_NEAR_FAR") _computeNearFar = DO_NOT_COMPUTE_NEAR_FAR;
+        else if (value=="COMPUTE_NEAR_FAR_USING_BOUNDING_VOLUMES") _computeNearFar = COMPUTE_NEAR_FAR_USING_BOUNDING_VOLUMES;
+        else if (value=="COMPUTE_NEAR_FAR_USING_PRIMITIVES") _computeNearFar = COMPUTE_NEAR_FAR_USING_PRIMITIVES;
 
         OSG_INFO<<"Set compute near far mode to "<<_computeNearFar<<std::endl;
 
     }
 
-    if ((ptr = getenv("OSG_NEAR_FAR_RATIO")) != 0)
+    if (getEnvVar("OSG_NEAR_FAR_RATIO", _nearFarRatio))
     {
-        _nearFarRatio = osg::asciiToDouble(ptr);
-
         OSG_INFO<<"Set near/far ratio to "<<_nearFarRatio<<std::endl;
     }
-
 }
 
 void CullSettings::readCommandLine(ArgumentParser& arguments)
diff --git a/src/osg/DisplaySettings.cpp b/src/osg/DisplaySettings.cpp
index c63e66715..7add41792 100644
--- a/src/osg/DisplaySettings.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/DisplaySettings.cpp
@@ -583,23 +583,23 @@ void DisplaySettings::readEnvironmentalVariables()
 
         for( unsigned int n = 0; n < sizeof( variable ) / sizeof( variable[0] ); n++ )
         {
-            const char* env = getenv( variable[n] );
-            if ( !env ) continue;
-            std::string str(env);
+            std::string str;
+            if (getEnvVar(variable[n], str))
+            {
+                if(str.find("OFF")!=std::string::npos) *mask[n] = 0;
 
-            if(str.find("OFF")!=std::string::npos) *mask[n] = 0;
+                if(str.find("~DEFAULT")!=std::string::npos) *mask[n] ^= DEFAULT_IMPLICIT_BUFFER_ATTACHMENT;
+                else if(str.find("DEFAULT")!=std::string::npos) *mask[n] |= DEFAULT_IMPLICIT_BUFFER_ATTACHMENT;
 
-            if(str.find("~DEFAULT")!=std::string::npos) *mask[n] ^= DEFAULT_IMPLICIT_BUFFER_ATTACHMENT;
-            else if(str.find("DEFAULT")!=std::string::npos) *mask[n] |= DEFAULT_IMPLICIT_BUFFER_ATTACHMENT;
+                if(str.find("~COLOR")!=std::string::npos) *mask[n] ^= IMPLICIT_COLOR_BUFFER_ATTACHMENT;
+                else if(str.find("COLOR")!=std::string::npos) *mask[n] |= IMPLICIT_COLOR_BUFFER_ATTACHMENT;
 
-            if(str.find("~COLOR")!=std::string::npos) *mask[n] ^= IMPLICIT_COLOR_BUFFER_ATTACHMENT;
-            else if(str.find("COLOR")!=std::string::npos) *mask[n] |= IMPLICIT_COLOR_BUFFER_ATTACHMENT;
+                if(str.find("~DEPTH")!=std::string::npos) *mask[n] ^= IMPLICIT_DEPTH_BUFFER_ATTACHMENT;
+                else if(str.find("DEPTH")!=std::string::npos) *mask[n] |= (int)IMPLICIT_DEPTH_BUFFER_ATTACHMENT;
 
-            if(str.find("~DEPTH")!=std::string::npos) *mask[n] ^= IMPLICIT_DEPTH_BUFFER_ATTACHMENT;
-            else if(str.find("DEPTH")!=std::string::npos) *mask[n] |= (int)IMPLICIT_DEPTH_BUFFER_ATTACHMENT;
-
-            if(str.find("~STENCIL")!=std::string::npos) *mask[n] ^= (int)IMPLICIT_STENCIL_BUFFER_ATTACHMENT;
-            else if(str.find("STENCIL")!=std::string::npos) *mask[n] |= (int)IMPLICIT_STENCIL_BUFFER_ATTACHMENT;
+                if(str.find("~STENCIL")!=std::string::npos) *mask[n] ^= (int)IMPLICIT_STENCIL_BUFFER_ATTACHMENT;
+                else if(str.find("STENCIL")!=std::string::npos) *mask[n] |= (int)IMPLICIT_STENCIL_BUFFER_ATTACHMENT;
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -1110,7 +1110,7 @@ void DisplaySettings::setValue(const std::string& name, const std::string& value
     _valueMap[name] = value;
 }
 
-bool DisplaySettings::getValue(const std::string& name, std::string& value, bool use_getenv_fallback) const
+bool DisplaySettings::getValue(const std::string& name, std::string& value, bool use_env_fallback) const
 {
     OpenThreads::ScopedLock<OpenThreads::Mutex> lock(_valueMapMutex);
 
@@ -1122,12 +1122,12 @@ bool DisplaySettings::getValue(const std::string& name, std::string& value, bool
         return true;
     }
 
-    if (!use_getenv_fallback) return false;
+    if (!use_env_fallback) return false;
 
-    const char* str = getenv(name.c_str());
-    if (str)
+    std::string str;
+    if (getEnvVar(name.c_str(), str))
     {
-        OSG_INFO<<"DisplaySettings::getValue("<<name<<") found getenv value = ["<<value<<"]"<<std::endl;
+        OSG_INFO<<"DisplaySettings::getValue("<<name<<") found getEnvVar value = ["<<value<<"]"<<std::endl;
         _valueMap[name] = value = str;
         return true;