diff --git a/include/verilatedos.h b/include/verilatedos.h
index e4e2baab1..1d3b0c90e 100644
--- a/include/verilatedos.h
+++ b/include/verilatedos.h
@@ -614,8 +614,13 @@ static inline double VL_ROUND(double n) {
 //=========================================================================
 // Time and performance
 
+#include <string>
+
 namespace VlOs {
 
+/// Get environment variable
+extern std::string getenvStr(const std::string& envvar,
+                             const std::string& defaultValue) VL_MT_SAFE;
 extern uint64_t memUsageBytes() VL_MT_SAFE;  ///< Return memory usage in bytes, or 0 if unknown
 
 // Internal: Record CPU time, starting point on construction, and current delta from that
diff --git a/include/verilatedos_c.h b/include/verilatedos_c.h
index dc7778e34..a568e53fa 100644
--- a/include/verilatedos_c.h
+++ b/include/verilatedos_c.h
@@ -99,5 +99,31 @@ uint64_t memUsageBytes() VL_MT_SAFE {
 #endif
 }
 
+//=========================================================================
+// VlOs::getenvStr implementation
+
+std::string getenvStr(const std::string& envvar, const std::string& defaultValue) VL_MT_SAFE {
+    std::string ret;
+#if defined(_MSC_VER)
+    // Note: MinGW does not offer _dupenv_s
+    const char* envvalue = nullptr;
+    _dupenv_s((char**)&envvalue, nullptr, envvar.c_str());
+    if (envvalue != nullptr) {
+        const std::string result{envvalue};
+        free((void*)envvalue);
+        ret = result;
+    } else {
+        ret = defaultValue;
+    }
+#else
+    if (const char* const envvalue = getenv(envvar.c_str())) {
+        ret = envvalue;
+    } else {
+        ret = defaultValue;
+    }
+#endif
+    return ret;
+}
+
 //=========================================================================
 }  //namespace VlOs
diff --git a/src/V3Os.cpp b/src/V3Os.cpp
index 41508f43b..99661201d 100644
--- a/src/V3Os.cpp
+++ b/src/V3Os.cpp
@@ -86,26 +86,7 @@ VL_DEFINE_DEBUG_FUNCTIONS;
 // Environment
 
 string V3Os::getenvStr(const string& envvar, const string& defaultValue) {
-    string ret = "";
-#if defined(_MSC_VER)
-    // Note: MinGW does not offer _dupenv_s
-    const char* envvalue = nullptr;
-    _dupenv_s((char**)&envvalue, nullptr, envvar.c_str());
-    if (envvalue != nullptr) {
-        const std::string result{envvalue};
-        free((void*)envvalue);
-        ret = result;
-    } else {
-        ret = defaultValue;
-    }
-#else
-    if (const char* const envvalue = getenv(envvar.c_str())) {
-        ret = envvalue;
-    } else {
-        ret = defaultValue;
-    }
-#endif
-    return VString::escapeStringForPath(ret);
+    return VString::escapeStringForPath(VlOs::getenvStr(envvar, defaultValue));
 }
 
 void V3Os::setenvStr(const string& envvar, const string& value, const string& why) {
@@ -122,7 +103,7 @@ void V3Os::setenvStr(const string& envvar, const string& value, const string& wh
     // setenv() replaced by putenv() in Solaris environment. Prototype is different
     // putenv() requires NAME=VALUE format
     const string vareq = envvar + "=" + value;
-    putenv(const_cast<char*>(vareq.c_str()));
+    putenv(strdup(vareq.c_str()));  // will leak if setting the same variable again
 #endif
 }