diff --git a/Pmodules/csh b/Pmodules/csh
index 854152a..5fb9926 100644
--- a/Pmodules/csh
+++ b/Pmodules/csh
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ unset prefix
 unset postfix
 
 setenv MODULEPATH
-foreach group ( ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS} )
+foreach group ( ${DefaultGroups} )
 	if ( "${MODULEPATH}" == "" ) then
 		setenv MODULEPATH "${PMODULES_ROOT}/${group}/${PMODULES_MODULEFILES_DIR}"
 	else
diff --git a/Pmodules/modulecmd.bash.in b/Pmodules/modulecmd.bash.in
index 37dc83e..8ab7be5 100644
--- a/Pmodules/modulecmd.bash.in
+++ b/Pmodules/modulecmd.bash.in
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ declare g_env_must_be_saved='no'
 save_env() {
         [[ $1 == 'no' ]] && return 0
         local vars=( Version GroupDepths UsedReleases UseFlags UsedGroups )
-        vars+=( PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS ReleaseStages )
+        vars+=( DefaultGroups ReleaseStages )
         vars+=( DefaultUsedReleaseStages )
 
 	local s=$(typeset -p ${vars[@]})
@@ -1363,7 +1363,7 @@ reset_modulepath() {
 reset_used_groups() {
 	UsedGroups=''
         local group
-        for group in ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS}; do
+        for group in ${DefaultGroups}; do
                 std::append_path UsedGroups "${group}"
         done
         g_env_must_be_saved='yes'
diff --git a/Pmodules/profile.bash.in b/Pmodules/profile.bash.in
index 851d5b8..959c245 100644
--- a/Pmodules/profile.bash.in
+++ b/Pmodules/profile.bash.in
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 # in a system wide profile or in a user's profile.
 
 # set groups which should be available after initialization
-: ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS:='Tools Programming'}
+: ${DefaultGroups:='Tools Programming'}
 
 # set releases which should be available after initialization
 : ${DefaultUsedReleaseStages:='stable'}
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 #	  ${PMODULES_ROOT}/Tools/Pmodules/${PMODULES_VERSION}
 #
 
-export	PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS
+export	DefaultGroups
 export	DefaultUsedReleaseStages
 export	PMODULES_VERSION
 
diff --git a/Pmodules/profile.csh.in b/Pmodules/profile.csh.in
index 5baa5c4..79f20e7 100755
--- a/Pmodules/profile.csh.in
+++ b/Pmodules/profile.csh.in
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/tcsh
 
-setenv PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS 'Tools Programming'
+setenv DefaultGroups 'Tools Programming'
 setenv DefaultUsedReleaseStages 'stable'
 if ( ! $?PMODULES_VERSION ) then
 	setenv PMODULES_VERSION "@PMODULES_VERSION@"
diff --git a/Pmodules/profile.zsh.in b/Pmodules/profile.zsh.in
index b8bb938..4d36775 100644
--- a/Pmodules/profile.zsh.in
+++ b/Pmodules/profile.zsh.in
@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@
 #	  ${PMODULES_ROOT}/Tools/Pmodules/${PMODULES_VERSION}
 #
 
-declare -xa PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS
+declare -xa DefaultGroups
 declare -xa DefaultUsedReleaseStages
 declare -x  PMODULES_VERSION
 
-: ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS:=(Tools Programming)}
+: ${DefaultGroups:=(Tools Programming)}
 : ${DefaultUsedReleaseStages:=(stable)}
 : ${PMODULES_VERSION:=@PMODULES_VERSION@}
 
diff --git a/Pmodules/zsh b/Pmodules/zsh
index 2fda058..e59c6f8 100644
--- a/Pmodules/zsh
+++ b/Pmodules/zsh
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ declare -x _LMFILES_=''
 # build initial MODULEPATH
 declare -x MODULEPATH=''
 typeset -T MODULEPATH modulepath
-for group in ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS[@]}; do
+for group in ${DefaultGroups[@]}; do
 	dir="${PMODULES_ROOT}/${group}/${PMODULES_MODULEFILES_DIR}"
 	modulepath=( "${dir}" ${(m)modulepath:#${dir}} )
 done
@@ -82,11 +82,11 @@ for r in ${DefaultUsedReleaseStages[@]}; do
 	usedreleases=( "${r}" ${(m)usedreleases:#${r}} )
 done
 
-eval $(save_env UsedReleases DefaultUsedReleaseStages PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS ReleaseStages)
+eval $(save_env UsedReleases DefaultUsedReleaseStages DefaultGroups ReleaseStages)
 
 unset UsedReleases
 unset DefaultUsedReleaseStages
-unset PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS
+unset DefaultGroups
 unset ReleaseStages
 
 # initialize MANPATH with output of `man --path` if not set
diff --git a/config/modbuild.conf.in b/config/modbuild.conf.in
index 5c28cd9..bbf1032 100644
--- a/config/modbuild.conf.in
+++ b/config/modbuild.conf.in
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ declare -x PMODULES_MODULEFILES_DIR='modulefiles'
 
 declare -x PMODULES_HOME="${PMODULES_ROOT}/Tools/Pmodules/${PMODULES_VERSION}"
 
-declare -x PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS='Tools Programming'
+declare -x DefaultGroups='Tools Programming'
 declare    ReleaseStages=':unstable:stable:deprecated:'
 declare    DefaultUsedReleaseStages='stable'