diff --git a/libs/ardour/control_protocol_search_path.cc b/libs/ardour/control_protocol_search_path.cc
index c7c9b635a3..345989277b 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/control_protocol_search_path.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/control_protocol_search_path.cc
@@ -34,18 +34,18 @@ namespace ARDOUR {
 SearchPath
 control_protocol_search_path ()
 {
-	bool surfaces_path_defined = false;
-	SearchPath spath_env (Glib::getenv(surfaces_env_variable_name, surfaces_path_defined));
-
-	if (surfaces_path_defined) {
-		return spath_env;
-	}
-
 	SearchPath spath (user_config_directory ());
 
 	spath += ardour_module_directory ();
 	spath.add_subdirectory_to_paths (surfaces_dir_name);
 
+	bool surfaces_path_defined = false;
+	SearchPath spath_env (Glib::getenv(surfaces_env_variable_name, surfaces_path_defined));
+	
+	if (surfaces_path_defined) {
+		spath += spath_env;
+	}
+
 	return spath;
 }
 
diff --git a/libs/ardour/export_formats_search_path.cc b/libs/ardour/export_formats_search_path.cc
index b35d3098f0..39ccb0de13 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/export_formats_search_path.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/export_formats_search_path.cc
@@ -35,17 +35,16 @@ namespace ARDOUR {
 SearchPath
 export_formats_search_path ()
 {
-	bool export_path_defined = false;
 	SearchPath spath;
 
 	spath = user_config_directory ();
 	spath.add_subdirectory_to_paths (export_formats_dir_name);
 
-	std::string env_var = Glib::getenv (export_env_variable_name, export_path_defined);	
+	bool export_path_defined = false;
+	SearchPath spath_env = Glib::getenv (export_env_variable_name, export_path_defined);	
 
 	if (export_path_defined) {
-		sys::path p = env_var;
-		spath += p;
+		spath += spath_env;
 	}
 
 	return spath;
diff --git a/libs/ardour/panner_search_path.cc b/libs/ardour/panner_search_path.cc
index cbb62bbf3c..257f9d0c78 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/panner_search_path.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/panner_search_path.cc
@@ -34,18 +34,18 @@ namespace ARDOUR {
 SearchPath
 panner_search_path ()
 {
-	bool panner_path_defined = false;
-	SearchPath spath_env (Glib::getenv(panner_env_variable_name, panner_path_defined));
-
-	if (panner_path_defined) {
-		return spath_env;
-	}
-
 	SearchPath spath (user_config_directory ());
 
 	spath += ardour_module_directory ();
 	spath.add_subdirectory_to_paths(panner_dir_name);
 
+	bool panner_path_defined = false;
+	SearchPath spath_env (Glib::getenv(panner_env_variable_name, panner_path_defined));
+
+	if (panner_path_defined) {
+		spath += spath_env;
+	}
+
 	return spath;
 }