diff --git a/openbox/action.c b/openbox/action.c
index 796f259a..9022333a 100644
--- a/openbox/action.c
+++ b/openbox/action.c
@@ -1103,17 +1103,18 @@ void action_execute(union ActionData *data)
                           cmd, e->message);
                 g_error_free(e);
             } else if (data->execute.startupnotify) {
-                gchar **env, *program;
+                gchar *program;
                 
                 program = g_path_get_basename(argv[0]);
-                env = sn_get_spawn_environment(program,
-                                               data->execute.name,
-                                               data->execute.icon_name,
-                                               /* launch it on the current
-                                                  desktop */
-                                               screen_desktop,
-                                               data->execute.any.time);
-                if (!g_spawn_async(NULL, argv, env, G_SPAWN_SEARCH_PATH |
+                /* sets up the environment */
+                sn_setup_spawn_environment(program,
+                                           data->execute.name,
+                                           data->execute.icon_name,
+                                           /* launch it on the current
+                                              desktop */
+                                           screen_desktop,
+                                           data->execute.any.time);
+                if (!g_spawn_async(NULL, argv, NULL, G_SPAWN_SEARCH_PATH |
                                    G_SPAWN_DO_NOT_REAP_CHILD,
                                    NULL, NULL, NULL, &e)) {
                     g_warning("failed to execute '%s': %s",
@@ -1121,7 +1122,6 @@ void action_execute(union ActionData *data)
                     g_error_free(e);
                     sn_spawn_cancel();
                 }
-                g_strfreev(env);
                 g_free(program);
                 g_strfreev(argv);
             } else {
diff --git a/openbox/startupnotify.c b/openbox/startupnotify.c
index b9bbab72..4c2672c1 100644
--- a/openbox/startupnotify.c
+++ b/openbox/startupnotify.c
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 #include "startupnotify.h"
 #include "gettext.h"
 
-extern gchar **environ;
+#include <stdlib.h>
 
 #ifndef USE_LIBSN
 
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ Time sn_app_started(const gchar *id, const gchar *wmclass)
     return CurrentTime;
 }
 gboolean sn_get_desktop(gchar *id, guint *desktop) { return FALSE; }
-gchar **sn_get_spawn_environment(char *program, char *name,
-                                 char *icon_name, gint desktop, Time time)
+void sn_setup_spawn_environment(gchar *program, gchar *name,
+                                gchar *icon_name, gint desktop, Time time)
 {
     return g_strdupv(environ);
 }
@@ -226,12 +226,11 @@ static gboolean sn_launch_wait_timeout(gpointer data)
     return FALSE; /* don't repeat */
 }
 
-gchar **sn_get_spawn_environment(char *program, char *name,
-                                 char *icon_name, gint desktop,
-                                 Time time)
+void sn_setup_spawn_environment(gchar *program, gchar *name,
+                                gchar *icon_name, gint desktop,
+                                Time time)
 {
-    gchar **env, *desc;
-    guint len;
+    gchar *desc;
     const char *id;
 
     desc = g_strdup_printf(_("Running %s\n"), program);
@@ -256,15 +255,9 @@ gchar **sn_get_spawn_environment(char *program, char *name,
                              sn_launch_wait_timeout, sn_launcher,
                              (GDestroyNotify)sn_launcher_context_unref);
 
-    env = g_strdupv(environ);
-    len = g_strv_length(env); /* includes last null */
-    env = g_renew(gchar*, env, ++len); /* add one spot */
-    env[len-2] = g_strdup_printf("DESKTOP_STARTUP_ID=%s", id);
-    env[len-1] = NULL;
+    setenv("DESKTOP_STARTUP_ID", id, TRUE);
 
     g_free(desc);
-
-    return env;
 }
 
 void sn_spawn_cancel()
diff --git a/openbox/startupnotify.h b/openbox/startupnotify.h
index 87b17f90..746b786e 100644
--- a/openbox/startupnotify.h
+++ b/openbox/startupnotify.h
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ Time sn_app_started(const gchar *id, const gchar *wmclass);
 gboolean sn_get_desktop(gchar *id, guint *desktop);
 
 /* Get the environment to run the program in, with startup notification */
-gchar **sn_get_spawn_environment(char *program, char *name,
-                                 char *icon_name, gint desktop,
-                                 Time time);
+void sn_setup_spawn_environment(gchar *program, gchar *name,
+                                gchar *icon_name, gint desktop,
+                                Time time);
 
 /* Tell startup notification we're not actually running the program we
    told it we were