diff --git a/angie/conf.dist/core-preserve-env.conf.j2 b/angie/conf.dist/core-preserve-env.conf.j2
index 2f31b0f..f4ff5e5 100644
--- a/angie/conf.dist/core-preserve-env.conf.j2
+++ b/angie/conf.dist/core-preserve-env.conf.j2
@@ -1,3 +1,34 @@
-{% for v in os.getenv('NGX_CORE_ENV', '').split(sep=' ') -%}
+{#- prologue -#}
+{%- set penv = [] -%}
+{%- if cfg.preserve_env -%}
+  {%- set penv = cfg.preserve_env -%}
+  {%- if penv is string -%}
+    {%- set penv = [penv] -%}
+  {%- elif penv is iterable -%}
+    {#- {%- set penv = penv -%} -#}
+  {%- else -%}
+    {%- set penv = [penv|string()] -%}
+  {%- endif -%}
+{%- endif -%}
+{%- set have = namespace() -%}
+{%- set have.tz = false -%}
+{%- set have.malloc_arena = false -%}
+{#- scan -#}
+{%- for v in penv -%}
+  {%- set have.tz = have.tz or re.match('TZ(=|$)', v|string()) -%}
+  {%- set have.malloc_arena = have.malloc_arena or re.match('MALLOC_ARENA_MAX(=|$)', v|string()) -%}
+{%- endfor -%}
+{#- main part -#}
+{%- if not have.tz -%}
+env TZ;
+{% endif %}
+{%- if not have.malloc_arena -%}
+env MALLOC_ARENA_MAX;
+{% endif %}
+{%- for v in penv -%}
+  {%- if re.search("(\"|'|\\s)", v|string()) %}
+env {{ (v|string()).__repr__() }};
+  {%- else %}
 env {{ v }};
-{% endfor -%}
+  {%- endif %}
+{%- endfor -%}
diff --git a/image-entry.d/01-defaults.envsh b/image-entry.d/01-defaults.envsh
index cabece1..900a129 100755
--- a/image-entry.d/01-defaults.envsh
+++ b/image-entry.d/01-defaults.envsh
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ NGX_CORE_MODULES="${NGX_CORE_MODULES:-}"
 NGX_CORE_EVENTS_SNIPPETS="${NGX_CORE_EVENTS_SNIPPETS:-}"
 NGX_CORE_SNIPPETS="${NGX_CORE_SNIPPETS:-}"
 
-NGX_CORE_ENV="${NGX_CORE_ENV:-}"
-
 NGX_PROCESS_STATIC=$(gobool_to_int "${NGX_PROCESS_STATIC:-0}" 0)
 
 set +a
diff --git a/image-entry.d/12-core-env.envsh b/image-entry.d/12-core-env.envsh
deleted file mode 100755
index 3fa283f..0000000
--- a/image-entry.d/12-core-env.envsh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-
-if [ -z "${NGX_CORE_ENV:-}" ] ; then
-	NGX_CORE_ENV='TZ MALLOC_ARENA_MAX'
-else
-	unset __set_f
-	__set_f=
-	case "${-}" in
-	*f* ) __set_f=1 ;;
-	esac
-	[ -n "${__set_f}" ] || set -f
-
-	unset __env __have_tz __have_malloc
-	for __env in ${NGX_CORE_ENV} ; do
-		case "${__env}" in
-		TZ | TZ=* )
-			__have_tz=1
-			;;
-		MALLOC_ARENA_MAX | MALLOC_ARENA_MAX=* )
-			__have_malloc=1
-		;;
-		esac
-	done
-	unset __env
-
-	[ -n "${__have_malloc}" ] || NGX_CORE_ENV="MALLOC_ARENA_MAX ${NGX_CORE_ENV}"
-	[ -n "${__have_tz}" ]     || NGX_CORE_ENV="TZ ${NGX_CORE_ENV}"
-	unset __have_tz __have_malloc
-
-	[ -n "${__set_f}" ] || set +f
-	unset __set_f
-fi
-
-export NGX_CORE_ENV
diff --git a/image-entry.d/13-core-worker-defaults.envsh b/image-entry.d/12-core-worker-defaults.envsh
similarity index 100%
rename from image-entry.d/13-core-worker-defaults.envsh
rename to image-entry.d/12-core-worker-defaults.envsh