diff --git a/env_universal_common.cpp b/env_universal_common.cpp
index fd188e8a3..6cfd0055e 100644
--- a/env_universal_common.cpp
+++ b/env_universal_common.cpp
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
 static wcstring fishd_get_config();
 static std::string get_variables_file_path(const std::string &dir, const std::string &identifier);
 
-static wcstring default_vars_path()
+static wcstring default_vars_path_uncached()
 {
     wcstring wdir = fishd_get_config();
     const std::string dir = wcs2string(wdir);
@@ -79,6 +79,12 @@ static wcstring default_vars_path()
     return str2wcstring(machine_id_path);
 }
 
+static const wcstring &default_vars_path()
+{
+    static wcstring cached_result = default_vars_path_uncached();
+    return cached_result;
+}
+
 /**
    Test if the message msg contains the command cmd
 */