diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 11efc41804..9ec2e12a06 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2439,11 +2439,13 @@ endif
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -f $(srctree)/scripts/Makefile.modpost
 
 quiet_cmd_genenv = GENENV  $@
-cmd_genenv = $(OBJCOPY) --dump-section .rodata.default_environment=$@ env/common.o; \
-	sed --in-place -e 's/\x00/\x0A/g' $@; sed --in-place -e '/^\s*$$/d' $@; \
-	sort --field-separator== -k1,1 --stable $@ -o $@
+cmd_genenv = \
+	$(objtree)/tools/printinitialenv | \
+	sed -e '/^\s*$$/d' | \
+	sort --field-separator== -k1,1 --stable -o $@
 
-u-boot-initial-env: u-boot.bin
+u-boot-initial-env: $(env_h) FORCE
+	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=tools $(objtree)/tools/printinitialenv
 	$(call if_changed,genenv)
 
 # Consistency checks
diff --git a/tools/.gitignore b/tools/.gitignore
index d3a93ff294..28e8ce2a07 100644
--- a/tools/.gitignore
+++ b/tools/.gitignore
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 /mxsboot
 /ncb
 /prelink-riscv
+/printinitialenv
 /proftool
 /relocate-rela
 /spl_size_limit
diff --git a/tools/Makefile b/tools/Makefile
index 26be0a7ba2..80bc62befc 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile
+++ b/tools/Makefile
@@ -275,6 +275,10 @@ clean-dirs := lib common
 
 always := $(hostprogs-y)
 
+# Host tool to dump the currently configured default environment,
+# build it on demand, i.e. not add it to 'always'.
+hostprogs-y += printinitialenv
+
 # Generated LCD/video logo
 LOGO_H = $(objtree)/include/bmp_logo.h
 LOGO_DATA_H = $(objtree)/include/bmp_logo_data.h
diff --git a/tools/printinitialenv.c b/tools/printinitialenv.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c58b234d67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/printinitialenv.c
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0+
+/*
+ * (C) Copyright 2022
+ * Max Krummenacher, Toradex
+ *
+ * Snippets taken from tools/env/fw_env.c
+ *
+ * This prints the list of default environment variables as currently
+ * configured.
+ *
+ */
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+/* Pull in the current config to define the default environment */
+#include <linux/kconfig.h>
+
+#ifndef __ASSEMBLY__
+#define __ASSEMBLY__ /* get only #defines from config.h */
+#include <config.h>
+#undef	__ASSEMBLY__
+#else
+#include <config.h>
+#endif
+
+#define DEFAULT_ENV_INSTANCE_STATIC
+#include <generated/environment.h>
+#include <env_default.h>
+
+int main(void)
+{
+	char *env, *nxt;
+
+	for (env = default_environment; *env; env = nxt + 1) {
+		for (nxt = env; *nxt; ++nxt) {
+			if (nxt >= &default_environment[sizeof(default_environment)]) {
+				fprintf(stderr, "## Error: environment not terminated\n");
+				return -1;
+			}
+		}
+		printf("%s\n", env);
+	}
+	return 0;
+}