diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/env.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/env.py
index 14deacd14e0..b1b042de2ed 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/env.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/env.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
     'activate',
     'deactivate',
     'create',
-    'destroy',
+    ['remove', 'rm'],
     ['list', 'ls'],
     ['status', 'st'],
     'loads',
@@ -210,33 +210,36 @@ def _env_create(name_or_path, init_file=None, dir=False):
 #
 # env remove
 #
-def env_destroy_setup_parser(subparser):
-    """destroy an existing environment"""
+def env_remove_setup_parser(subparser):
+    """remove an existing environment"""
     subparser.add_argument(
-        'env', nargs='+', help='environment(s) to destroy')
+        'env', nargs='+', help='environment(s) to remove')
     arguments.add_common_arguments(subparser, ['yes_to_all'])
 
 
-def env_destroy(args):
-    if not args.yes_to_all:
-        answer = tty.get_yes_or_no(
-            'Really destroy %s %s?' % (
-                string.plural(len(args.env), 'environment', show_n=False),
-                string.comma_and(args.env)),
-            default=False)
-        if not answer:
-            tty.die("Will not destroy any environments")
-
+def env_remove(args):
     for env_name in args.env:
         env = ev.disambiguate(env_name)
         if not env:
             tty.die('no such environment: %s' % env_name)
 
+    if not args.yes_to_all:
+        answer = tty.get_yes_or_no(
+            'Really remove %s %s?' % (
+                string.plural(len(args.env), 'environment', show_n=False),
+                string.comma_and(args.env)),
+            default=False)
+        if not answer:
+            tty.die("Will not remove any environments")
+
+    for env_name in args.env:
+        env = ev.disambiguate(env_name)
+
         if ev.active and ev.active.path == env.path:
-            tty.die("Environment %s can't be destroyed while activated.")
+            tty.die("Environment %s can't be removed while activated.")
 
         env.destroy()
-        tty.msg("Successfully destroyed environment '%s'" % env)
+        tty.msg("Successfully removed environment '%s'" % env)
 
 
 #
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/env.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/env.py
index c3f01883b91..2712c4e59d9 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/env.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/env.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ def test_env_list():
     assert 'baz' in out
 
 
-def test_env_destroy(capfd):
+def test_env_remove(capfd):
     env('create', 'foo')
     env('create', 'bar')
 
@@ -58,21 +58,21 @@ def test_env_destroy(capfd):
     with foo:
         with pytest.raises(spack.main.SpackCommandError):
             with capfd.disabled():
-                env('destroy', '-y', 'foo')
+                env('remove', '-y', 'foo')
         assert 'foo' in env('list')
 
-    env('destroy', '-y', 'foo')
+    env('remove', '-y', 'foo')
     out = env('list')
     assert 'foo' not in out
     assert 'bar' in out
 
-    env('destroy', '-y', 'bar')
+    env('remove', '-y', 'bar')
     out = env('list')
     assert 'foo' not in out
     assert 'bar' not in out
 
 
-def test_destroy_env_dir(capfd):
+def test_remove_env_dir(capfd):
     env('create', '-d', 'foo')
     assert os.path.isdir('foo')
 
@@ -80,9 +80,9 @@ def test_destroy_env_dir(capfd):
     with foo:
         with pytest.raises(spack.main.SpackCommandError):
             with capfd.disabled():
-                env('destroy', '-y', 'foo')
+                env('remove', '-y', 'foo')
 
-    env('destroy', '-y', './foo')
+    env('remove', '-y', './foo')
     assert not os.path.isdir('foo')
 
 
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ def test_init_with_file_and_remove(tmpdir):
     out = env('status', 'test')
     assert 'mpileaks' in out
 
-    env('destroy', '-y', 'test')
+    env('remove', '-y', 'test')
 
     out = env('list')
     assert 'test' not in out
@@ -535,7 +535,7 @@ def test_env_commands_die_with_no_env_arg():
     with pytest.raises(SystemExit):
         env('create')
     with pytest.raises(SystemExit):
-        env('destroy')
+        env('remove')
 
     # these have an optional env arg and raise errors via tty.die
     with pytest.raises(spack.main.SpackCommandError):