diff --git a/src/builtin_cd.cpp b/src/builtin_cd.cpp
index b86981e5c..98a4da3fe 100644
--- a/src/builtin_cd.cpp
+++ b/src/builtin_cd.cpp
@@ -33,33 +33,31 @@ int builtin_cd(parser_t &parser, io_streams_t &streams, wchar_t **argv) {
         return STATUS_CMD_OK;
     }
 
-    env_var_t dir_in;
+    wcstring dir_in;
     wcstring dir;
 
     if (argv[optind]) {
-        dir_in = env_var_t(wcstring(argv[optind]), 0);  // unamed var
+        dir_in = argv[optind];
     } else {
         auto maybe_dir_in = env_get(L"HOME");
         if (maybe_dir_in.missing_or_empty()) {
             streams.err.append_format(_(L"%ls: Could not find home directory\n"), cmd);
             return STATUS_CMD_ERROR;
         }
-        dir_in = std::move(*maybe_dir_in);
+        dir_in = maybe_dir_in->as_string();
     }
 
     if (!path_get_cdpath(dir_in, &dir)) {
         if (errno == ENOTDIR) {
-            streams.err.append_format(_(L"%ls: '%ls' is not a directory\n"), cmd,
-                                      dir_in.as_string().c_str());
+            streams.err.append_format(_(L"%ls: '%ls' is not a directory\n"), cmd, dir_in.c_str());
         } else if (errno == ENOENT) {
             streams.err.append_format(_(L"%ls: The directory '%ls' does not exist\n"), cmd,
-                                      dir_in.as_string().c_str());
+                                      dir_in.c_str());
         } else if (errno == EROTTEN) {
-            streams.err.append_format(_(L"%ls: '%ls' is a rotten symlink\n"), cmd,
-                                      dir_in.as_string().c_str());
+            streams.err.append_format(_(L"%ls: '%ls' is a rotten symlink\n"), cmd, dir_in.c_str());
         } else {
             streams.err.append_format(_(L"%ls: Unknown error trying to locate directory '%ls'\n"),
-                                      cmd, dir_in.as_string().c_str());
+                                      cmd, dir_in.c_str());
         }
 
         if (!shell_is_interactive()) streams.err.append(parser.current_line());
diff --git a/src/highlight.cpp b/src/highlight.cpp
index 7d98b896e..b620f6d3d 100644
--- a/src/highlight.cpp
+++ b/src/highlight.cpp
@@ -350,8 +350,7 @@ bool autosuggest_validate_from_history(const history_item_t &item,
                 string_prefixes_string(cd_dir, L"--help") || string_prefixes_string(cd_dir, L"-h");
             if (!is_help) {
                 wcstring path;
-                env_var_t dir_var(cd_dir, 0);
-                bool can_cd = path_get_cdpath(dir_var, &path, working_directory.c_str(), vars);
+                bool can_cd = path_get_cdpath(cd_dir, &path, working_directory.c_str(), vars);
                 if (can_cd && !paths_are_same_file(working_directory, path)) {
                     suggestionOK = true;
                 }
diff --git a/src/path.cpp b/src/path.cpp
index a7d5bbe4a..e9ba42d44 100644
--- a/src/path.cpp
+++ b/src/path.cpp
@@ -157,11 +157,10 @@ wcstring_list_t path_get_paths(const wcstring &cmd) {
     return paths;
 }
 
-bool path_get_cdpath(const env_var_t &dir_var, wcstring *out, const wchar_t *wd,
+bool path_get_cdpath(const wcstring &dir, wcstring *out, const wchar_t *wd,
                      const env_vars_snapshot_t &env_vars) {
     int err = ENOENT;
-    if (dir_var.empty()) return false;
-    wcstring dir = dir_var.as_string();
+    if (dir.empty()) return false;
 
     if (wd) {
         size_t len = wcslen(wd);
@@ -229,10 +228,7 @@ bool path_can_be_implicit_cd(const wcstring &path, wcstring *out_path, const wch
     if (string_prefixes_string(L"/", exp_path) || string_prefixes_string(L"./", exp_path) ||
         string_prefixes_string(L"../", exp_path) || string_suffixes_string(L"/", exp_path) ||
         exp_path == L"..") {
-        // These paths can be implicit cd, so see if you cd to the path. Note that a single period
-        // cannot (that's used for sourcing files anyways).
-        env_var_t path_var(L"n/a", exp_path);
-        result = path_get_cdpath(path_var, out_path, wd, vars);
+        result = path_get_cdpath(exp_path, out_path, wd, vars);
     }
     return result;
 }
diff --git a/src/path.h b/src/path.h
index 2b62dfa03..371d0ef86 100644
--- a/src/path.h
+++ b/src/path.h
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ wcstring_list_t path_get_paths(const wcstring &cmd);
 /// \param vars The environment variable snapshot to use (for the CDPATH variable)
 /// \return 0 if the command can not be found, the path of the command otherwise. The path should be
 /// free'd with free().
-bool path_get_cdpath(const env_var_t &dir, wcstring *out_or_NULL, const wchar_t *wd = NULL,
+bool path_get_cdpath(const wcstring &dir, wcstring *out_or_NULL, const wchar_t *wd = NULL,
                      const env_vars_snapshot_t &vars = env_vars_snapshot_t::current());
 
 /// Returns whether the path can be used for an implicit cd command; if so, also returns the path by