diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/environment/environment.py b/lib/spack/spack/environment/environment.py
index f423cbd7e4d..dbf79417a55 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/environment/environment.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/environment/environment.py
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
 
 
 #: default path where environments are stored in the spack tree
-env_path = os.path.join(spack.paths.var_path, "environments")
+default_env_path = os.path.join(spack.paths.var_path, "environments")
 
 
 #: Name of the input yaml file for an environment
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
 def env_root_path():
     """Override default root path if the user specified it"""
     return spack.util.path.canonicalize_path(
-        spack.config.get("config:environments_root", default=env_path), allow_env=False
+        spack.config.get("config:environments_root", default=default_env_path), allow_env=False
     )
 
 
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/conftest.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/conftest.py
index 97a6b9de7b7..e8c10d1deaf 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/conftest.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/conftest.py
@@ -1493,11 +1493,11 @@ def get_rev():
 @pytest.fixture()
 def mutable_mock_env_path(tmpdir_factory):
     """Fixture for mocking the internal spack environments directory."""
-    saved_path = ev.environment.env_path
+    saved_path = ev.environment.default_env_path
     mock_path = tmpdir_factory.mktemp("mock-env-path")
-    ev.environment.env_path = str(mock_path)
+    ev.environment.default_env_path = str(mock_path)
     yield mock_path
-    ev.environment.env_path = saved_path
+    ev.environment.default_env_path = saved_path
 
 
 @pytest.fixture()