diff --git a/opal/mca/base/help-mca-var.txt b/opal/mca/base/help-mca-var.txt
index 5afd659bfa..a730c57a01 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/help-mca-var.txt
+++ b/opal/mca/base/help-mca-var.txt
@@ -121,8 +121,3 @@ starting your job.
 
   Value:      %s
   Source:     %s
-#
-[incorrect-env-list-param]
-The format of mca_base_env_list parameter is incorrect. It should be 
-VAR1=VAL1 VAR2=VAL2 VAR3=VAL3 ...
-  Value:      %s
diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var.c b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var.c
index 324c342de4..077595cbc4 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var.c
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var.c
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ static char **mca_base_var_file_list = NULL;
 static char *mca_base_var_override_file = NULL;
 static char *mca_base_var_file_prefix = NULL;
 static char *mca_base_param_file_path = NULL;
-static char *mca_base_env_list = NULL;
 static bool mca_base_var_suppress_override_warning = false;
 static opal_list_t mca_base_var_file_values;
 static opal_list_t mca_base_var_override_values;
@@ -260,41 +259,6 @@ int mca_base_var_init(void)
     return OPAL_SUCCESS;
 }
 
-int mca_base_var_process_env_list(char ***context_env)
-{
-    int i, ret;
-    char** tokens;
-    char* ptr;
-    char* param, *value;
-    ret = mca_base_var_register ("opal", "mca", "base", "env_list",
-                                 "Set SHELL env variables",
-                                 MCA_BASE_VAR_TYPE_STRING, NULL, 0, 0, OPAL_INFO_LVL_3,
-                                 MCA_BASE_VAR_SCOPE_READONLY, &mca_base_env_list);
-    if ((0 > ret) || (NULL == mca_base_env_list)) {
-        return ret;
-    }
-    tokens = opal_argv_split(mca_base_env_list, ' ');
-    if (NULL != tokens) {
-        for (i = 0; NULL != tokens[i]; i++) {
-            if (NULL == (ptr = strchr(tokens[i], '='))) {
-                opal_show_help("help-mca-var.txt", "incorrect-env-list-param",
-                        true, mca_base_env_list);
-                opal_argv_free(tokens);
-                return OPAL_ERROR;
-            } else {
-                param = strdup(tokens[i]);
-                value = strchr(param, '=');
-                *value = '\0';
-                value++;
-                opal_setenv(param, value, false, context_env);
-                free(param);
-            }
-        }
-        opal_argv_free(tokens);
-    }
-    return OPAL_SUCCESS;
-}
-
 static int mca_base_var_cache_files(bool rel_path_search)
 {
     char *tmp;
diff --git a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var.h b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var.h
index 792a8a2b0d..a08b14287a 100644
--- a/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var.h
+++ b/opal/mca/base/mca_base_var.h
@@ -716,8 +716,6 @@ typedef enum {
  */
 OPAL_DECLSPEC int mca_base_var_dump(int vari, char ***out, mca_base_var_dump_type_t output_type);
 
-OPAL_DECLSPEC int mca_base_var_process_env_list(char ***context_env);
-
 END_C_DECLS
 
 #endif /* OPAL_MCA_BASE_VAR_H */
diff --git a/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c b/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
index ac37b3dd9a..f21d7f762a 100644
--- a/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
+++ b/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
@@ -1628,8 +1628,6 @@ static int create_app(int argc, char* argv[],
         goto cleanup;
     }
     mca_base_cmd_line_process_args(&cmd_line, app_env, &global_mca_env);
-    mca_base_var_process_env_list(app_env);
-
 
     /* Is there an appfile in here? */