diff --git a/lib/nerves/env.ex b/lib/nerves/env.ex
index bdedd936..93008e66 100644
--- a/lib/nerves/env.ex
+++ b/lib/nerves/env.ex
@@ -78,10 +78,9 @@ defmodule Nerves.Env do
   """
   @spec data_dir() :: path :: String.t()
   def data_dir do
-    case {System.get_env("NERVES_DATA_DIR"), System.get_env("XDG_DATA_HOME")} do
-      {directory, _} when is_binary(directory) -> directory
-      {nil, directory} when is_binary(directory) -> :filename.basedir(:user_data, "nerves")
-      {nil, nil} -> Path.expand("~/.nerves")
+    case System.get_env("XDG_DATA_HOME") do
+      directory when is_binary(directory) -> :filename.basedir(:user_data, "nerves")
+      nil -> Path.expand("~/.nerves")
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/test/nerves/env_test.exs b/test/nerves/env_test.exs
index bcfeb637..2755eda9 100644
--- a/test/nerves/env_test.exs
+++ b/test/nerves/env_test.exs
@@ -61,20 +61,12 @@ defmodule Nerves.EnvTest do
   end
 
   describe "data_dir/0" do
-    test "prefers NERVES_DATA_DIR over XDG_DATA_HOME" do
-      System.put_env("NERVES_DATA_DIR", "nerves_data_dir")
+    test "XDG_DATA_HOME" do
       System.put_env("XDG_DATA_HOME", "xdg_data_home")
-      assert "nerves_data_dir" = Nerves.Env.data_dir()
-    end
-
-    test "falls back to XDG_DATA_HOME/nerves" do
-      System.delete_env("NERVES_DATA_DIR")
-      System.put_env("XDG_DATA_HOME", "xdg_data_home")
-      assert :filename.basedir(:user_data, "nerves") == Nerves.Env.data_dir()
+      assert "xdg_data_home/nerves" = Nerves.Env.data_dir()
     end
 
     test "falls back to $HOME/.nerves" do
-      System.delete_env("NERVES_DATA_DIR")
       System.delete_env("XDG_DATA_HOME")
       assert Path.expand("~/.nerves") == Nerves.Env.data_dir()
     end
diff --git a/test/support/test_case.ex b/test/support/test_case.ex
index 09022774..dc6069fc 100644
--- a/test/support/test_case.ex
+++ b/test/support/test_case.ex
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ defmodule NervesTest.Case do
 
     fixture_to_tmp(which, dest)
 
-    System.put_env("NERVES_DATA_DIR", tmp_path(tmp))
+    System.put_env("XDG_DATA_HOME", tmp_path(tmp))
 
     try do
       File.cd!(dest, function)