diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/export_formats_search_path.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/export_formats_search_path.h
index 244af7aa75..7b6fcea09b 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/export_formats_search_path.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/export_formats_search_path.h
@@ -26,11 +26,6 @@ namespace ARDOUR {
 	/**
 	 * return a SearchPath containing directories in which to look for
 	 * export_formats.
-	 *
-	 * If ARDOUR_EXPORT_FORMATS_PATH is defined then the SearchPath returned
-	 * will contain only those directories specified in it, otherwise it will
-	 * contain the user and system directories which may contain export
-	 * formats.
 	 */
 	PBD::SearchPath export_formats_search_path ();
 
diff --git a/libs/ardour/export_formats_search_path.cc b/libs/ardour/export_formats_search_path.cc
index 53516be933..fa93e0a55a 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/export_formats_search_path.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/export_formats_search_path.cc
@@ -35,15 +35,9 @@ SearchPath
 export_formats_search_path ()
 {
 	bool export_path_defined = false;
-	SearchPath spath_env (Glib::getenv(export_env_variable_name, export_path_defined));
+	SearchPath spath (Glib::getenv (export_env_variable_name, export_path_defined));
 
-	if (export_path_defined) {
-		return spath_env;
-	}
-
-	SearchPath spath (user_config_directory ());
-
-	spath += ardour_module_directory ();
+	spath += user_config_directory ();
 	spath.add_subdirectory_to_paths (export_formats_dir_name);
 
 	return spath;