diff --git a/cgit.c b/cgit.c
index e3ec533..29e075d 100644
--- a/cgit.c
+++ b/cgit.c
@@ -471,8 +471,6 @@ static char *guess_defbranch(void)
 
 static int prepare_repo_cmd(struct cgit_context *ctx)
 {
-	char *user_home;
-	char *xdg_home;
 	unsigned char sha1[20];
 	int nongit = 0;
 	int rc;
@@ -483,11 +481,6 @@ static int prepare_repo_cmd(struct cgit_context *ctx)
 	/* Do not look in /etc/ for gitconfig and gitattributes. */
 	setenv("GIT_CONFIG_NOSYSTEM", "1", 1);
 	setenv("GIT_ATTR_NOSYSTEM", "1", 1);
-
-	/* We unset HOME and XDG_CONFIG_HOME before calling the git setup function
-	 * so that we don't make unneccessary filesystem accesses. */
-	user_home = getenv("HOME");
-	xdg_home = getenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME");
 	unsetenv("HOME");
 	unsetenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME");
 
@@ -497,12 +490,6 @@ static int prepare_repo_cmd(struct cgit_context *ctx)
 	setup_git_directory_gently(&nongit);
 	init_display_notes(NULL);
 
-	/* We restore the unset variables afterward. */
-	if (user_home)
-		setenv("HOME", user_home, 1);
-	if (xdg_home)
-		setenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME", xdg_home, 1);
-
 	if (nongit) {
 		const char *name = ctx->repo->name;
 		rc = errno;
diff --git a/ui-snapshot.c b/ui-snapshot.c
index 8a72080..42b7489 100644
--- a/ui-snapshot.c
+++ b/ui-snapshot.c
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ static int write_archive_type(const char *format, const char *hex, const char *p
 {
 	struct argv_array argv = ARGV_ARRAY_INIT;
 	const char **nargv;
-	char *user_home, *xdg_home;
 	int result;
 	argv_array_push(&argv, "snapshot");
 	argv_array_push(&argv, format);
@@ -39,15 +38,7 @@ static int write_archive_type(const char *format, const char *hex, const char *p
 	/* argv_array guarantees a trailing NULL entry. */
 	memcpy(nargv, argv.argv, sizeof(char *) * (argv.argc + 1));
 
-	user_home = getenv("HOME");
-	xdg_home = getenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME");
-	unsetenv("HOME");
-	unsetenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME");
 	result = write_archive(argv.argc, nargv, NULL, 1, NULL, 0);
-	if (user_home)
-		setenv("HOME", user_home, 1);
-	if (xdg_home)
-		setenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME", xdg_home, 1);
 	argv_array_clear(&argv);
 	free(nargv);
 	return result;