diff --git a/winpr/include/winpr/environment.h b/winpr/include/winpr/environment.h
index 21c9c8f0f..f530d59c9 100644
--- a/winpr/include/winpr/environment.h
+++ b/winpr/include/winpr/environment.h
@@ -134,6 +134,9 @@ extern "C"
 
 	WINPR_API char** EnvironmentBlockToEnvpA(LPCH lpszEnvironmentBlock);
 
+	WINPR_API DWORD GetEnvironmentVariableX(const char* lpName, char* lpBuffer, DWORD nSize);
+	WINPR_API char* GetEnvAlloc(LPCSTR lpName);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/winpr/libwinpr/environment/environment.c b/winpr/libwinpr/environment/environment.c
index f99df5ae7..0b07931e4 100644
--- a/winpr/libwinpr/environment/environment.c
+++ b/winpr/libwinpr/environment/environment.c
@@ -643,3 +643,77 @@ char** EnvironmentBlockToEnvpA(LPCH lpszEnvironmentBlock)
 
 	return envp;
 }
+
+#ifdef _WIN32
+
+// https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20100203-00/?p=15083
+#define WINPR_MAX_ENVIRONMENT_LENGTH 2048
+
+DWORD GetEnvironmentVariableX(const char* lpName, char* lpBuffer, DWORD nSize)
+{
+	int status;
+	DWORD result = 0;
+	DWORD nSizeW = 0;
+	LPWSTR lpNameW = NULL;
+	LPWSTR lpBufferW = NULL;
+	LPSTR lpBufferA = lpBuffer;
+
+	if (ConvertToUnicode(CP_UTF8, 0, lpName, -1, &lpNameW, 0) < 1)
+		goto cleanup;
+
+	if (!lpBuffer)
+	{
+		char lpBufferMaxA[WINPR_MAX_ENVIRONMENT_LENGTH];
+		WCHAR lpBufferMaxW[WINPR_MAX_ENVIRONMENT_LENGTH];
+
+		// calling GetEnvironmentVariableX with a NULL buffer should return the expected size
+		// TODO: dynamically allocate the buffer, or use the theoretical limit of 32,768 characters
+
+		lpBufferA = lpBufferMaxA;
+		lpBufferW = lpBufferMaxW;
+		nSizeW = sizeof(lpBufferMaxW) / 2;
+
+		result = GetEnvironmentVariableW(lpNameW, lpBufferW, nSizeW);
+
+		status = ConvertFromUnicode(CP_UTF8, 0, lpBufferW, -1, &lpBufferA, sizeof(lpBufferMaxA),
+		                            NULL, NULL);
+
+		if (status > 0)
+			result = (DWORD)status;
+
+		return result;
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		nSizeW = nSize + 1;
+		lpBufferW = calloc(nSizeW, 2);
+
+		if (!lpBufferW)
+			goto cleanup;
+
+		result = GetEnvironmentVariableW(lpNameW, lpBufferW, nSizeW);
+
+		if (result == 0)
+			goto cleanup;
+
+		status = ConvertFromUnicode(CP_UTF8, 0, lpBufferW, -1, &lpBufferA, nSize, NULL, NULL);
+
+		if (status > 0)
+			result = (DWORD)(status - 1);
+	}
+
+cleanup:
+	free(lpBufferW);
+	free(lpNameW);
+
+	return result;
+}
+
+#else
+
+DWORD GetEnvironmentVariableX(const char* lpName, char* lpBuffer, DWORD nSize)
+{
+	return GetEnvironmentVariableA(lpName, lpBuffer, nSize);
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/winpr/libwinpr/path/shell.c b/winpr/libwinpr/path/shell.c
index 23f670649..b49b9fb57 100644
--- a/winpr/libwinpr/path/shell.c
+++ b/winpr/libwinpr/path/shell.c
@@ -59,20 +59,24 @@ static char* GetPath_XDG_RUNTIME_DIR(void);
  * http://standards.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html
  */
 
-static char* GetEnvAlloc(LPCSTR lpName)
+char* GetEnvAlloc(LPCSTR lpName)
 {
-	DWORD length;
+	DWORD nSize;
+	DWORD nStatus;
 	char* env = NULL;
-	length = GetEnvironmentVariableA(lpName, NULL, 0);
 
-	if (length > 0)
+	nSize = GetEnvironmentVariableX(lpName, NULL, 0);
+
+	if (nSize > 0)
 	{
-		env = malloc(length);
+		env = malloc(nSize);
 
 		if (!env)
 			return NULL;
 
-		if (GetEnvironmentVariableA(lpName, env, length) != length - 1)
+		nStatus = GetEnvironmentVariableX(lpName, env, nSize);
+
+		if (nStatus != (nSize - 1))
 		{
 			free(env);
 			return NULL;
@@ -376,7 +380,8 @@ char* GetEnvironmentPath(char* name)
 {
 	char* env = NULL;
 	DWORD nSize;
-	nSize = GetEnvironmentVariableA(name, NULL, 0);
+	DWORD nStatus;
+	nSize = GetEnvironmentVariableX(name, NULL, 0);
 
 	if (nSize)
 	{
@@ -385,7 +390,9 @@ char* GetEnvironmentPath(char* name)
 		if (!env)
 			return NULL;
 
-		if (GetEnvironmentVariableA(name, env, nSize) != nSize - 1)
+		nStatus = GetEnvironmentVariableX(name, env, nSize);
+
+		if (nStatus != (nSize - 1))
 		{
 			free(env);
 			return NULL;