diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/environment/environment.py b/lib/spack/spack/environment/environment.py
index 7bf32d8f40c..a2670df27a9 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/environment/environment.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/environment/environment.py
@@ -77,13 +77,12 @@
 #: Name of the directory where environments store repos, logs, views
 env_subdir_name = ".spack-env"
 
+
 def env_root_path():
     """Override default root path if the user specified it"""
-    config_path = spack.config.get("config:environments_root", default = None)
-    if config_path:
-        return config_path
-    else:
-        return env_path
+    return spack.util.path.canonicalize_path(
+        spack.config.get("config:environments_root", default=env_path), allow_env=False
+    )
 
 
 def default_manifest_yaml():
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/config.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/config.py
index e457be3b688..75ed622a9cf 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/config.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/config.py
@@ -1444,9 +1444,9 @@ def test_environment_created_in_users_location(mutable_config, tmpdir):
     assert tmpdir.strpath in env_dir
     assert not os.path.isdir(env_dir)
     os.makedirs(env_dir)
-    env('create', 'test')
-    out = env('list')
-    assert 'test' in out
+    env("create", "test")
+    out = env("list")
+    assert "test" in out
 
-    assert env_dir in ev.root('test')
-    assert os.path.isdir(os.path.join(env_dir, 'test'))
+    assert env_dir in ev.root("test")
+    assert os.path.isdir(os.path.join(env_dir, "test"))
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/util/path.py b/lib/spack/spack/util/path.py
index 48b647d02e7..b2e12c18a4e 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/util/path.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/util/path.py
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ def repl(match):
     return re.sub(r"(\$\w+\b|\$\{\w+\})", repl, path)
 
 
-def substitute_path_variables(path, allow_env = True):
+def substitute_path_variables(path, allow_env=True):
     """Substitute config vars, expand environment vars, expand user home."""
     path = substitute_config_variables(path, allow_env)
     path = os.path.expandvars(path)
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ def add_padding(path, length):
     return os.path.join(path, padding)
 
 
-def canonicalize_path(path, allow_env = True):
+def canonicalize_path(path, allow_env=True):
     """Same as substitute_path_variables, but also take absolute path.
 
     Arguments: