diff --git a/nixos/modules/config/i18n.nix b/nixos/modules/config/i18n.nix
index 7a7d713ef687..d3f24e280c74 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/config/i18n.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/config/i18n.nix
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ in
 
     environment.systemPackages = [ glibcLocales ];
 
-    environment.systemVariables =
+    environment.sessionVariables =
       { LANG = config.i18n.defaultLocale;
         LOCALE_ARCHIVE = "/run/current-system/sw/lib/locale/locale-archive";
       };
diff --git a/nixos/modules/config/system-environment.nix b/nixos/modules/config/system-environment.nix
index b30c4e064750..3ab32f00fd1d 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/config/system-environment.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/config/system-environment.nix
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ in
 
   options = {
 
-    environment.systemVariables = mkOption {
+    environment.sessionVariables = mkOption {
       default = {};
       description = ''
         A set of environment variables used in the global environment.
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ in
        ''
          ${concatStringsSep "\n" (
            (mapAttrsToList (n: v: ''${n}="${concatStringsSep ":" v}"'')
-             (zipAttrsWith (const concatLists) ([ (mapAttrs (n: v: [ v ]) cfg.systemVariables) ]))))}
+             (zipAttrsWith (const concatLists) ([ (mapAttrs (n: v: [ v ]) cfg.sessionVariables) ]))))}
        '';
 
   };
diff --git a/nixos/modules/config/timezone.nix b/nixos/modules/config/timezone.nix
index 4f7fc9ab262b..c85922840770 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/config/timezone.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/config/timezone.nix
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ in
 
   config = {
 
-    environment.systemVariables.TZDIR = "/etc/zoneinfo";
+    environment.sessionVariables.TZDIR = "/etc/zoneinfo";
 
     systemd.globalEnvironment.TZDIR = tzdir;
 
diff --git a/nixos/modules/programs/environment.nix b/nixos/modules/programs/environment.nix
index c26c962b20a6..2ff1db48757d 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/programs/environment.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/programs/environment.nix
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ in
         EDITOR = "nano";
       };
 
-    environment.systemVariables =
+    environment.sessionVariables =
       { NIX_PATH =
           [ "/nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/root/channels/nixos"
             "nixpkgs=/etc/nixos/nixpkgs"
diff --git a/nixos/modules/security/ca.nix b/nixos/modules/security/ca.nix
index 57764dc870f3..dd4b0c529e5d 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/security/ca.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/security/ca.nix
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ with lib;
         }
       ];
 
-    environment.systemVariables =
+    environment.sessionVariables =
       { OPENSSL_X509_CERT_FILE = "/etc/ssl/certs/ca-bundle.crt";
         CURL_CA_BUNDLE         = "/etc/ssl/certs/ca-bundle.crt";
         GIT_SSL_CAINFO         = "/etc/ssl/certs/ca-bundle.crt";
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/misc/nix-daemon.nix b/nixos/modules/services/misc/nix-daemon.nix
index f373657b7918..1ebd3c3643df 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/misc/nix-daemon.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/misc/nix-daemon.nix
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ in
       };
 
     # Set up the environment variables for running Nix.
-    environment.systemVariables = cfg.envVars;
+    environment.sessionVariables = cfg.envVars;
 
     environment.extraInit =
       ''