diff --git a/src/bin/fish.rs b/src/bin/fish.rs
index e919f3ed6..228d6f72e 100644
--- a/src/bin/fish.rs
+++ b/src/bin/fish.rs
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@
 use std::fs::File;
 use std::os::unix::prelude::*;
 use std::path::Path;
-use std::rc::Rc;
 use std::sync::atomic::Ordering;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::{env, ops::ControlFlow};
@@ -520,7 +519,7 @@ fn throwing_main() -> i32 {
     reader_init(true);
 
     // Construct the root parser!
-    let env = Rc::new(EnvStack::globals().create_child(true /* dispatches_var_changes */));
+    let env = EnvStack::globals().create_child(true /* dispatches_var_changes */);
     let parser = &Parser::new(env, CancelBehavior::Clear);
     parser.set_syncs_uvars(!opts.no_config);
 
diff --git a/src/input.rs b/src/input.rs
index acdcd1716..bf87aa6f7 100644
--- a/src/input.rs
+++ b/src/input.rs
@@ -829,11 +829,11 @@ pub fn read_char(&mut self) -> CharEvent {
     }
 
     fn mapping_execute_matching_or_generic(&mut self) {
-        let vars = self.parser.vars_ref();
+        let vars = self.parser.vars();
         let mut peeker = EventQueuePeeker::new(self);
         // Check for ordinary mappings.
         let ip = input_mappings();
-        if let Some(mapping) = peeker.find_mapping(&*vars, &ip) {
+        if let Some(mapping) = peeker.find_mapping(vars, &ip) {
             FLOG!(
                 reader,
                 format!("Found mapping {:?} from {:?}", &mapping, &peeker.peeked)
diff --git a/src/operation_context.rs b/src/operation_context.rs
index f1b7ffb1d..e7b3bf0e1 100644
--- a/src/operation_context.rs
+++ b/src/operation_context.rs
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ pub struct OperationContext<'a> {
 impl<'a> OperationContext<'a> {
     pub fn vars(&self) -> &dyn Environment {
         match &self.vars {
-            Vars::Parser(parser) => &*parser.variables,
+            Vars::Parser(parser) => &parser.variables,
             Vars::Vars(vars) => *vars,
             Vars::TestOnly(_, vars) => *vars,
         }
diff --git a/src/parser.rs b/src/parser.rs
index a58cefb46..27d9cfeae 100644
--- a/src/parser.rs
+++ b/src/parser.rs
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ pub struct Parser {
     block_list: RefCell<Vec<Block>>,
 
     /// Set of variables for the parser.
-    pub variables: Rc<EnvStack>,
+    pub variables: EnvStack,
 
     /// Data managed in a scoped fashion.
     scoped_data: ScopedCell<ScopedData>,
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ pub struct Parser {
 
 impl Parser {
     /// Create a parser.
-    pub fn new(variables: Rc<EnvStack>, cancel_behavior: CancelBehavior) -> Parser {
+    pub fn new(variables: EnvStack, cancel_behavior: CancelBehavior) -> Parser {
         let result = Self {
             line_counter: ScopedRefCell::new(LineCounter::empty()),
             job_list: RefCell::default(),
@@ -886,11 +886,6 @@ pub fn vars(&self) -> &EnvStack {
         &self.variables
     }
 
-    /// Get the variables as an Rc.
-    pub fn vars_ref(&self) -> Rc<EnvStack> {
-        Rc::clone(&self.variables)
-    }
-
     /// Get a copy of the scoped data.
     #[inline(always)]
     pub fn scope(&self) -> ScopedData {
diff --git a/src/reader.rs b/src/reader.rs
index 2b062fae0..0ee538aa3 100644
--- a/src/reader.rs
+++ b/src/reader.rs
@@ -5902,7 +5902,7 @@ fn try_expand_wildcard(
     const TAB_COMPLETE_WILDCARD_MAX_EXPANSION: usize = 256;
 
     let ctx = OperationContext::background_with_cancel_checker(
-        &*parser.variables,
+        &parser.variables,
         Box::new(|| signal_check_cancel() != 0),
         TAB_COMPLETE_WILDCARD_MAX_EXPANSION,
     );
diff --git a/src/tests/input.rs b/src/tests/input.rs
index 89b55cd6b..952a3e087 100644
--- a/src/tests/input.rs
+++ b/src/tests/input.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 use crate::key::Key;
 use crate::wchar::prelude::*;
 use std::cell::{RefCell, RefMut};
-use std::rc::Rc;
 
 struct TestInputEventQueuer {
     input_data: InputData,
@@ -25,7 +24,7 @@ fn blocking_query(&self) -> RefMut<'_, Option<TerminalQuery>> {
 
 #[test]
 fn test_input() {
-    let vars = Rc::new(EnvStack::new());
+    let vars = EnvStack::new();
     let mut input = TestInputEventQueuer {
         input_data: InputData::new(i32::MAX), // value doesn't matter since we don't read from it
         blocking_query: RefCell::new(None),
@@ -65,7 +64,7 @@ fn test_input() {
     }
 
     let mut peeker = EventQueuePeeker::new(&mut input);
-    let mapping = peeker.find_mapping(&*vars, &input_mappings);
+    let mapping = peeker.find_mapping(&vars, &input_mappings);
     assert!(mapping.is_some());
     assert!(mapping.unwrap().commands == ["down-line"]);
     peeker.restart();
diff --git a/src/tests/mod.rs b/src/tests/mod.rs
index 61bd1945f..2df7fc245 100644
--- a/src/tests/mod.rs
+++ b/src/tests/mod.rs
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ pub mod prelude {
     use std::cell::RefCell;
     use std::env::set_current_dir;
     use std::ffi::CString;
-    use std::rc::Rc;
 
     /// A wrapper around a Parser with some test helpers.
     pub struct TestParser {
@@ -53,7 +52,7 @@ pub struct TestParser {
     impl TestParser {
         pub fn new() -> TestParser {
             TestParser {
-                parser: Parser::new(Rc::new(EnvStack::new()), CancelBehavior::default()),
+                parser: Parser::new(EnvStack::new(), CancelBehavior::default()),
                 pushed_dirs: RefCell::new(Vec::new()),
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/tests/parser.rs b/src/tests/parser.rs
index 1f45653ca..468f1496f 100644
--- a/src/tests/parser.rs
+++ b/src/tests/parser.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 use crate::wchar::prelude::*;
 use crate::wcstringutil::join_strings;
 use libc::SIGINT;
-use std::rc::Rc;
 use std::time::Duration;
 
 #[test]
@@ -729,7 +728,7 @@ fn test_1_cancellation(parser: &Parser, src: &wstr) {
 #[serial]
 fn test_cancellation() {
     let _cleanup = test_init();
-    let parser = Parser::new(Rc::new(EnvStack::new()), CancelBehavior::Clear);
+    let parser = Parser::new(EnvStack::new(), CancelBehavior::Clear);
     reader_push(&parser, L!(""), ReaderConfig::default());
     let _pop = ScopeGuard::new((), |()| reader_pop());