diff --git a/engine/common/filesystem_engine.c b/engine/common/filesystem_engine.c
index cad1e6b5..909eedb3 100644
--- a/engine/common/filesystem_engine.c
+++ b/engine/common/filesystem_engine.c
@@ -221,7 +221,13 @@ void FS_Init( const char *basedir )
 	COM_StripDirectorySlash( rodir );
 
 	if( !Sys_GetParmFromCmdLine( "-game", gamedir ))
-		Q_strncpy( gamedir, basedir, sizeof( gamedir )); // gamedir == basedir
+	{
+		char *env = getenv( "XASH3D_GAME" );
+		if( env )
+			Q_strncpy( gamedir, env, sizeof( gamedir ));
+		else
+			Q_strncpy( gamedir, basedir, sizeof( gamedir )); // gamedir == basedir
+	}
 
 	FS_LoadProgs();
 
diff --git a/engine/common/launcher.c b/engine/common/launcher.c
index 691f80b4..3b50ba9e 100644
--- a/engine/common/launcher.c
+++ b/engine/common/launcher.c
@@ -23,9 +23,8 @@ GNU General Public License for more details.
 #include "build.h"
 #include "common.h"
 
-#define E_GAME	"XASH3D_GAME" // default env dir to start from
 #ifndef XASH_GAMEDIR
-#define XASH_GAMEDIR	"valve"
+#define XASH_GAMEDIR "valve" // !!! Replace with your default (base) game directory !!!
 #endif
 
 #if XASH_WIN32
@@ -47,12 +46,7 @@ static void Sys_ChangeGame( const char *progname )
 
 static int Sys_Start( void )
 {
-	const char *game = getenv( E_GAME );
-
-	if( !game )
-		game = XASH_GAMEDIR;
-
-	Q_strncpy( szGameDir, game, sizeof( szGameDir ));
+	Q_strncpy( szGameDir, XASH_GAMEDIR, sizeof( szGameDir ));
 
 #if XASH_EMSCRIPTEN
 #ifdef EMSCRIPTEN_LIB_FS
@@ -73,7 +67,7 @@ static int Sys_Start( void )
 	IOS_LaunchDialog();
 #endif
 
-	return Host_Main( szArgc, szArgv, game, 0, Sys_ChangeGame );
+	return Host_Main( szArgc, szArgv, szGameDir, 0, Sys_ChangeGame );
 }
 
 int main( int argc, char **argv )
diff --git a/game_launch/game.cpp b/game_launch/game.cpp
index 42d00af2..6b295721 100644
--- a/game_launch/game.cpp
+++ b/game_launch/game.cpp
@@ -44,9 +44,8 @@ __declspec(dllexport) int AmdPowerXpressRequestHighPerformance = 1;
 #error // port me!
 #endif
 
-#define E_GAME	"XASH3D_GAME" // default env dir to start from
 #ifndef XASH_GAMEDIR
-#define XASH_GAMEDIR	"valve"
+#define XASH_GAMEDIR "valve" // !!! Replace with your default (base) game directory !!!
 #endif
 
 typedef void (*pfnChangeGame)( const char *progname );
@@ -151,7 +150,6 @@ _inline int Sys_Start( void )
 {
 	int ret;
 	pfnChangeGame changeGame = NULL;
-	const char *game = getenv( E_GAME );
 
 #if XASH_SAILFISH
 	const char *home = getenv( "HOME" );
@@ -166,10 +164,7 @@ _inline int Sys_Start( void )
 #endif // XASH_AURORAOS
 #endif // XASH_SAILFISH
 
-	if( !game )
-		game = XASH_GAMEDIR;
-
-	strncpy( szGameDir, game, sizeof( szGameDir ) - 1 );
+	strncpy( szGameDir, XASH_GAMEDIR, sizeof( szGameDir ) - 1 );
 
 	Sys_LoadEngine();
 
diff --git a/wscript b/wscript
index afc5058b..acd9f943 100644
--- a/wscript
+++ b/wscript
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ def options(opt):
 		help = 'build Xash Dedicated Server [default: %(default)s]')
 
 	grp.add_option('--gamedir', action = 'store', dest = 'GAMEDIR', default = 'valve',
-		help = 'engine default game directory [default: %(default)s]')
+		help = 'engine default (base) game directory [default: %(default)s]')
 
 	grp.add_option('-8', '--64bits', action = 'store_true', dest = 'ALLOW64', default = False,
 		help = 'allow targetting 64-bit engine(Linux/Windows/OSX x86 only) [default: %(default)s]')