diff --git a/sbt/src/main/scala/sbt/Environment.scala b/sbt/src/main/scala/sbt/Environment.scala
index fb1f10773..1d96b329b 100644
--- a/sbt/src/main/scala/sbt/Environment.scala
+++ b/sbt/src/main/scala/sbt/Environment.scala
@@ -251,13 +251,7 @@ trait BasicEnvironment extends Environment
 			propertyMap(name) = property
 		propertyMap //.readOnly (not currently in 2.8)
 	}
-	private val initialValues: Map[String, String] =
-	{
-		val map = new scala.collection.mutable.HashMap[String, String]
-		for(errorMsg <- impl.MapUtilities.read(map, envBackingPath, log))
-			log.error("Error loading properties from " + environmentLabel + " : " + errorMsg)
-		map //.readOnly (not currently in 2.8)
-	}
+	private val initialValues: Map[String, String] = impl.MapUtilities.readStrings(environmentLabel, envBackingPath, log)
 
 	def propertyNames: Iterable[String] = propertyMap.keys.toList
 	def getPropertyNamed(name: String): Option[UserProperty[_]] = propertyMap.get(name)
diff --git a/sbt/src/main/scala/sbt/impl/MapUtilities.scala b/sbt/src/main/scala/sbt/impl/MapUtilities.scala
index dcfd1f0ae..cffd1f4ae 100644
--- a/sbt/src/main/scala/sbt/impl/MapUtilities.scala
+++ b/sbt/src/main/scala/sbt/impl/MapUtilities.scala
@@ -44,6 +44,13 @@ private[sbt] object MapUtilities
 			None
 		}
 	}
+	def readStrings(label: String, envBackingPath: Path, log: Logger): scala.collection.Map[String, String] =
+	{
+		val map = new HashMap[String, String]
+		for(errorMsg <- read(map, envBackingPath, log))
+			log.error("Error loading properties from " + label + " : " + errorMsg)
+		map.readOnly
+	}
 	def all[Key, Value](map: Map[Key, Set[Value]]): Iterable[Value] =
 		map.values.toList.flatMap(set => set.toList)