diff --git a/mx_util.c b/mx_util.c
index 387ee79..2137b5c 100644
--- a/mx_util.c
+++ b/mx_util.c
@@ -403,3 +403,42 @@ int mx_dup2_close_both(int oldfd, int newfd)
 
     return newfd;
 }
+
+int mx_setenv_forever(const char *name, const char *value)
+{
+    assert(name);
+    assert(*name);
+
+    int res;
+
+    do {
+        res = setenv(name, value, 1);
+        if (!res)
+            return 0;
+        assert(errno != EINVAL);
+    } while (errno == ENOMEM);
+
+    assert(errno == ENOMEM);
+    return -errno;
+}
+
+int mx_setenvf_forever(const char *name, char *fmt, ...)
+{
+    assert(name);
+    assert(*name);
+    assert(fmt);
+
+    va_list ap;
+    char *value = NULL;
+    int res;
+
+    va_start(ap, fmt);
+    mx_vasprintf_forever(&value, fmt, ap);
+    va_end(ap);
+
+    res = mx_setenv_forever(name, value);
+
+    free(value);
+
+    return res;
+}
diff --git a/mx_util.h b/mx_util.h
index 0e431fa..3c0b656 100644
--- a/mx_util.h
+++ b/mx_util.h
@@ -32,4 +32,7 @@ char *mx_dirname_forever(char *path);
 int mx_dup2_close_new(int oldfd, int newfd);
 int mx_dup2_close_both(int oldfd, int newfd);
 
+int mx_setenv_forever(const char *name, const char *value);
+int mx_setenvf_forever(const char *name, char *fmt, ...) __attribute__ ((format(printf, 2, 3)));
+
 #endif
diff --git a/mxqd.c b/mxqd.c
index 86de579..19eeee9 100644
--- a/mxqd.c
+++ b/mxqd.c
@@ -545,26 +545,20 @@ static int init_child_process(struct mxq_group_list *group, struct mxq_job *j)
 
     assert(res == 0);
 
-    res += mxq_setenv("USER",     g->user_name);
-    res += mxq_setenv("USERNAME", g->user_name);
-    res += mxq_setenv("LOGNAME",  g->user_name);
-    res += mxq_setenv("PATH",     MXQ_INITIAL_PATH);
-    res += mxq_setenv("PWD",      j->job_workdir);
-    res += mxq_setenv("HOME",     passwd->pw_dir);
-    res += mxq_setenv("HOSTNAME", mxq_hostname());
-    res += mxq_setenvf("JOB_ID",      "%d",     j->job_id);
-    res += mxq_setenvf("MXQ_JOBID",   "%d",     j->job_id);
-    res += mxq_setenvf("MXQ_THREADS", "%d",     g->job_threads);
-    res += mxq_setenvf("MXQ_SLOTS",   "%d",     group->slots_per_job);
-    res += mxq_setenvf("MXQ_MEMORY",  "%d",     g->job_memory);
-    res += mxq_setenvf("MXQ_TIME",    "%d",     g->job_time);
-    res += mxq_setenvf("MXQ_HOSTID",  "%s::%s", s->hostname, s->server_id);
-
-    if (res < 14) {
-        MXQ_LOG_ERROR("job=%s(%d):%lu:%lu setenv(): failed. %m\n",
-            g->user_name, g->user_uid, g->group_id, j->job_id);
-        return 0;
-    }
+    mx_setenv_forever("USER",     g->user_name);
+    mx_setenv_forever("USERNAME", g->user_name);
+    mx_setenv_forever("LOGNAME",  g->user_name);
+    mx_setenv_forever("PATH",     MXQ_INITIAL_PATH);
+    mx_setenv_forever("PWD",      j->job_workdir);
+    mx_setenv_forever("HOME",     passwd->pw_dir);
+    mx_setenv_forever("HOSTNAME", mxq_hostname());
+    mx_setenvf_forever("JOB_ID",      "%lu",     j->job_id);
+    mx_setenvf_forever("MXQ_JOBID",   "%lu",     j->job_id);
+    mx_setenvf_forever("MXQ_THREADS", "%d",     g->job_threads);
+    mx_setenvf_forever("MXQ_SLOTS",   "%lu",     group->slots_per_job);
+    mx_setenvf_forever("MXQ_MEMORY",  "%lu",     g->job_memory);
+    mx_setenvf_forever("MXQ_TIME",    "%d",     g->job_time);
+    mx_setenvf_forever("MXQ_HOSTID",  "%s::%s", s->hostname, s->server_id);
 
     fh = open("/proc/self/loginuid", O_WRONLY|O_TRUNC);
     if (fh == -1) {