diff --git a/hash.c b/hash.c
index 7eab8560..2e8ad668 100644
--- a/hash.c
+++ b/hash.c
@@ -229,11 +229,6 @@ extern void initenv(char **envp) {
 		}
 }
 
-static char *neverexport[] = {
-	"apid", "apids", "bqstatus", "cdpath", "home",
-	"ifs", "path", "pid", "ppid", "status", "*"
-};
-
 /* for a few variables that have default values, we export them only
 if they've been explicitly set; maybeexport[n].flag is TRUE if this
 has occurred. */
@@ -255,12 +250,13 @@ void set_exportable(char *s, bool b) {
 
 static bool var_exportable(char *s) {
 	int i;
-	for (i = 0; i < arraysize(neverexport); i++)
-		if (streq(s, neverexport[i]))
-			return FALSE;
+	List *noex;
 	for (i = 0; i < arraysize(maybeexport); i++)
 		if (maybeexport[i].flag == FALSE && streq(s, maybeexport[i].name))
 			return FALSE;
+	for (noex = varlookup("noexport"); noex != NULL; noex = noex->n)
+		if (streq(s, noex->w))
+			return FALSE;
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 471b55ed..bca22a8a 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -101,6 +101,9 @@ extern int main(int argc, char *argv[], char *envp[]) {
 		VERSION,
 		"$Release: @(#)" PACKAGE " " VERSION " " DESCRIPTION " $",
 		(void *)0 );
+	assigndefault("noexport",
+		"noexport", "apid", "apids", "bqstatus", "cdpath", "home",
+		"ifs", "path", "pid", "ppid", "status", "*", (void *)0);
 	initenv(envp);
 	initinput();
 	null[0] = NULL;