diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/env/directory_specific_environment.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/env/directory_specific_environment.rs
index 16a5dd605a..d2f6295bd2 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/env/directory_specific_environment.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/env/directory_specific_environment.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 use indexmap::IndexMap;
 use nu_protocol::{Primitive, UntaggedValue, Value};
-use std::io::Write;
-use std::{ffi::OsString, fmt::Debug, fs::OpenOptions, path::PathBuf};
+use std::{ffi::OsString, fmt::Debug, path::PathBuf};
 
 #[derive(Debug, Default)]
 pub struct DirectorySpecificEnvironment {
diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/env/environment.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/env/environment.rs
index e5c88e4572..99e6f998be 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/env/environment.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/env/environment.rs
@@ -71,17 +71,6 @@ impl Environment {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    fn remove_env(&mut self, key: &str) {
-        if let Some(Value {
-            value: UntaggedValue::Row(ref mut envs),
-            tag: _,
-        }) = self.environment_vars
-        {
-            envs.entries.remove(key);
-            std::env::remove_var(key);
-        };
-    }
-
     pub fn morph<T: Conf>(&mut self, configuration: &T) {
         self.environment_vars = configuration.env();
         self.path_vars = configuration.path();
diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/env/environment_syncer.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/env/environment_syncer.rs
index c4bf9bc525..177f32fb8e 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/env/environment_syncer.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/env/environment_syncer.rs
@@ -44,11 +44,6 @@ impl EnvironmentSyncer {
     pub fn sync_env_vars(&mut self, ctx: &mut Context) {
         let mut environment = self.env.lock();
 
-        // match environment.maintain_directory_environment() {
-        //     Ok(_) => {}
-        //     Err(e) => {panic!(e)}
-        // }
-
         if environment.env().is_some() {
             for (name, value) in ctx.with_host(|host| host.vars()) {
                 if name != "path" && name != "PATH" {
@@ -57,22 +52,8 @@ impl EnvironmentSyncer {
                     environment.add_env(&name, &value, false);
 
                     environment
-                        .direnv
-                        .env_vars_to_add()
-                        .unwrap()
-                        .iter()
-                        .for_each(|(k, v)| {
-                            environment.add_env(&k, &v, true);
-                        });
-
-                    environment
-                        .direnv
-                        .overwritten_values_to_restore()
-                        .unwrap()
-                        .iter()
-                        .for_each(|(k, v)| {
-                            environment.add_env(&k, &v, true);
-                        });
+                        .maintain_directory_environment()
+                        .expect("Could not set directory-based environment variables");
 
                     // clear the env var from the session
                     // we are about to replace them