diff --git a/src/reader.cpp b/src/reader.cpp
index 6477f7a9e..b5bc3c3c1 100644
--- a/src/reader.cpp
+++ b/src/reader.cpp
@@ -1093,8 +1093,8 @@ void reader_data_t::paint_layout(const wchar_t *reason) {
 
     // Prepend the mode prompt to the left prompt.
     screen.write(mode_prompt_buff + left_prompt_buff, right_prompt_buff, full_line,
-                 cmd_line->size(), colors, indents, data.position, pager, current_page_rendering,
-                 data.focused_on_pager);
+                 cmd_line->size(), colors, indents, data.position, parser().vars(), pager,
+                 current_page_rendering, data.focused_on_pager);
 }
 
 /// Internal helper function for handling killing parts of text.
diff --git a/src/screen.cpp b/src/screen.cpp
index 77861e808..493a3c75d 100644
--- a/src/screen.cpp
+++ b/src/screen.cpp
@@ -717,10 +717,8 @@ bool screen_t::handle_soft_wrap(int x, int y) {
 }
 
 /// Update the screen to match the desired output.
-void screen_t::update(const wcstring &left_prompt, const wcstring &right_prompt) {
-    // TODO: this should be passed in.
-    const environment_t &vars = env_stack_t::principal();
-
+void screen_t::update(const wcstring &left_prompt, const wcstring &right_prompt,
+                      const environment_t &vars) {
     // Helper function to set a resolved color, using the caching resolver.
     highlight_color_resolver_t color_resolver{};
     auto set_color = [&](highlight_spec_t c) {
@@ -1145,8 +1143,8 @@ static screen_layout_t compute_layout(screen_t *s, size_t screen_width,
 void screen_t::write(const wcstring &left_prompt, const wcstring &right_prompt,
                      const wcstring &commandline, size_t explicit_len,
                      const std::vector<highlight_spec_t> &colors, const std::vector<int> &indent,
-                     size_t cursor_pos, pager_t &pager, page_rendering_t &page_rendering,
-                     bool cursor_is_within_pager) {
+                     size_t cursor_pos, const environment_t &vars, pager_t &pager,
+                     page_rendering_t &page_rendering, bool cursor_is_within_pager) {
     termsize_t curr_termsize = termsize_last();
     int screen_width = curr_termsize.width;
     static relaxed_atomic_t<uint32_t> s_repaints{0};
@@ -1236,7 +1234,7 @@ void screen_t::write(const wcstring &left_prompt, const wcstring &right_prompt,
     // Append pager_data (none if empty).
     this->desired.append_lines(page_rendering.screen_data);
 
-    this->update(layout.left_prompt, layout.right_prompt);
+    this->update(layout.left_prompt, layout.right_prompt, vars);
     this->save_status();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/screen.h b/src/screen.h
index 28278323c..6243b2d5b 100644
--- a/src/screen.h
+++ b/src/screen.h
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ class screen_t {
     void write(const wcstring &left_prompt, const wcstring &right_prompt,
                const wcstring &commandline, size_t explicit_len,
                const std::vector<highlight_spec_t> &colors, const std::vector<int> &indent,
-               size_t cursor_pos, pager_t &pager, page_rendering_t &page_rendering,
-               bool cursor_is_within_pager);
+               size_t cursor_pos, const environment_t &vars, pager_t &pager,
+               page_rendering_t &page_rendering, bool cursor_is_within_pager);
 
     /// Resets the screen buffer's internal knowledge about the contents of the screen,
     /// optionally repainting the prompt as well.
@@ -236,7 +236,8 @@ class screen_t {
     outputter_t &outp() { return outp_; }
 
     /// Update the screen to match the desired output.
-    void update(const wcstring &left_prompt, const wcstring &right_prompt);
+    void update(const wcstring &left_prompt, const wcstring &right_prompt,
+                const environment_t &vars);
 
     class scoped_buffer_t;
 };