diff --git a/Pmodules/bash b/Pmodules/bash
index 976cd75..893730f 100644
--- a/Pmodules/bash
+++ b/Pmodules/bash
@@ -8,8 +8,34 @@ if [ ${BASH_VERSINFO:-0} -lt 3 ]; then
 	return 1
 fi
 
+############################################################################
+# some sanity checks
+#
+if [[ ! -d ${PMODULES_ROOT} ]]; then
+        echo "Oops: ${PMODULES_ROOT}: Set as Pmodules root, but this is not a directory." 1>&2
+        return 1
+fi
+if [[ ! -d ${PMODULES_HOME} ]]; then
+        echo "Oops: ${PMODULES_HOME}: Set as Pmodules home, but this is not a directory." 1>&2
+        return 1
+fi
+
 #############################################################################
-# implement module comand as function
+# initialize bash completion
+#
+if [[ -r "${PMODULES_HOME}/init/bash_completion" ]]; then
+	source "${PMODULES_HOME}/init/bash_completion"
+fi
+
+#############################################################################
+# legacy...
+#
+unset MODULE_VERSION
+unset MODULE_VERSION_STACK
+unset MODULESHOME
+
+#############################################################################
+# implement module comand as shell function
 #
 module() {
 	unset BASH_ENV
@@ -56,122 +82,6 @@ module() {
 }
 export -f module
 
-#############################################################################
-# helper functions
-#
-std::append_path () {
-	local -r P="$1"
-	local -r d="$2"
-
-        if ! echo ${!P} | egrep -q "(^|:)${d}($|:)" ; then
-		if [[ -z ${!P} ]]; then
-			eval $P=\"${d}\"
-		else
-			eval $P=\"${!P}:${d}\"
-        	fi
-	fi
-}
-
-#
-# Replace or remove a directory in a path variable.
-#
-# To remove a dir:
-#	std::replace_path PATH <pattern>
-#
-# To replace a dir:
-#	std::replace_path PATH <pattern> /replacement/path
-#
-# Args:
-#	$1 name of the shell variable to set (e.g. PATH)
-#	$2 a grep pattern identifying the element to be removed/replaced
-#	$3 the replacement string (use "" for removal)
-#
-# Based on solution published here:
-# https://stackoverflow.com/questions/273909/how-do-i-manipulate-path-elements-in-shell-scripts 
-#
-std::replace_path () {
-	local -r path="$1"
-	local -r removepat="$2"
-	local -r replacestr="$3"
-
-	local -r removestr=$(echo "${!path}" | tr ":" "\n" | grep -m 1 "^$removepat\$")
-	export $path="$(echo "${!path}" | tr ":" "\n" | sed "s:^${removestr}\$:${replacestr}:" |
-                   sed '/^\s*$/d' | tr "\n" ":" | sed -e 's|^:||' -e 's|:$||')"
-}
-
-save_env() {
-	local s=''
-	while (( $# > 0 )); do
-		s+="$( typeset -p $1 );"
-		shift
-	done
-	echo export PMODULES_ENV=$( "${PMODULES_HOME}/sbin/base64" --wrap=0 <<< "$s" )	
-}
-
-############################################################################
-# some sanity checks
-#
-if [[ ! -d ${PMODULES_ROOT} ]]; then
-        echo "Oops: ${PMODULES_ROOT}: Set as Pmodules root, but this is not a directory." 1>&2
-        return 1
-fi
-if [[ ! -d ${PMODULES_HOME} ]]; then
-        echo "Oops: ${PMODULES_HOME}: Set as Pmodules home, but this is not a directory." 1>&2
-        return 1
-fi
-
-#############################################################################
-# setup environment
-#
-declare -x LOADEDMODULES=''
-declare -x _LMFILES_=''
-declare -x MODULEPATH=''
-for group in ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS//:/ }; do
-	std::append_path MODULEPATH "${PMODULES_ROOT}/${group}/${PMODULES_MODULEFILES_DIR}"
-done
-declare -x UsedReleases=''
-for r in ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_RELEASES//:/ }; do
-	std::append_path UsedReleases "${r}"
-done
-
-eval $(save_env UsedReleases PMODULES_DEFAULT_RELEASES PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS PMODULES_DEFINED_RELEASES)
-unset UsedReleases
-unset PMODULES_DEFAULT_RELEASES
-unset PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS
-unset PMODULES_DEFINED_RELEASES
-
-std::replace_path PATH    "${PMODULES_HOME%/*}/.*"
-std::replace_path MANPATH "${PMODULES_HOME%/*}/.*"
-std::append_path  PATH    "${PMODULES_HOME}/bin"
-
-if [[ -r /etc/man.config ]]; then
-	declare _manconf='/etc/man.config'
-elif [[ -r /etc/man.conf ]]; then
-	declare _manconf='/etc/man.conf'
-fi
-if [[ -n ${_manconf} ]]; then
-	while read name value rest; do
-		std::append_path MANPATH "${value}"
-	done < <(grep "^MANPATH\s" "${_manconf}")
-	unset _manconf
-else
-	std::append_path  MANPATH "${PMODULES_HOME}/share/man"
-	std::append_path  MANPATH "/usr/share/man"
-fi
-
-#############################################################################
-# initialize bash completion
-#
-if [[ -r "${PMODULES_HOME}/init/bash_completion" ]]; then
-	source "${PMODULES_HOME}/init/bash_completion"
-fi
-
-#############################################################################
-# legacy...
-#
-unset MODULE_VERSION
-unset MODULE_VERSION_STACK
-unset MODULESHOME
 
 # Local Variables:
 # mode: sh
diff --git a/Pmodules/libstd.bash b/Pmodules/libstd.bash
index 1773f17..ad7f0e6 100644
--- a/Pmodules/libstd.bash
+++ b/Pmodules/libstd.bash
@@ -67,16 +67,16 @@ std::get_abspath() {
 }
 
 std::append_path () {
-        local -r P=$1
-        local -r d=$2
+	local -r P="$1"
+	local -r d="$2"
 
         if ! echo ${!P} | egrep -q "(^|:)${d}($|:)" ; then
-                if [[ -z ${!P} ]]; then
-                        eval $P=${d}
-                else
-                        eval $P=${!P}:${d}
-                fi
-        fi
+		if [[ -z ${!P} ]]; then
+			eval $P=\"${d}\"
+		else
+			eval $P=\"${!P}:${d}\"
+        	fi
+	fi
 }
 
 std::prepend_path () {
@@ -105,6 +105,33 @@ std::remove_path() {
 	eval ${P}="${new_path:1}"
 }
 
+#
+# Replace or remove a directory in a path variable.
+#
+# To remove a dir:
+#	std::replace_path PATH <pattern>
+#
+# To replace a dir:
+#	std::replace_path PATH <pattern> /replacement/path
+#
+# Args:
+#	$1 name of the shell variable to set (e.g. PATH)
+#	$2 a grep pattern identifying the element to be removed/replaced
+#	$3 the replacement string (use "" for removal)
+#
+# Based on solution published here:
+# https://stackoverflow.com/questions/273909/how-do-i-manipulate-path-elements-in-shell-scripts 
+#
+std::replace_path () {
+	local -r path="$1"
+	local -r removepat="$2"
+	local -r replacestr="$3"
+
+	local -r removestr=$(echo "${!path}" | tr ":" "\n" | grep -m 1 "^$removepat\$")
+	export $path="$(echo "${!path}" | tr ":" "\n" | sed "s:^${removestr}\$:${replacestr}:" |
+                   sed '/^\s*$/d' | tr "\n" ":" | sed -e 's|^:||' -e 's|:$||')"
+}
+
 #
 # split file name
 #
diff --git a/Pmodules/modulecmd.bash.in b/Pmodules/modulecmd.bash.in
index 3605424..290d7af 100755
--- a/Pmodules/modulecmd.bash.in
+++ b/Pmodules/modulecmd.bash.in
@@ -1378,19 +1378,39 @@ subcommand_refresh() {
 	subcommand_generic0 refresh "$@"
 }
 
+reset_modulepath() {
+	MODULEPATH=''
+        local group
+        local root="${PMODULES_ROOT}"
+        for group in ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS}; do
+                local dir="${root}/${group}/${PMODULES_MODULEFILES_DIR}"
+                [[ -d "${dir}" ]] && std::prepend_path MODULEPATH "${dir}"
+        done
+}
+
+reset_used_groups() {
+	PMODULES_USED_GROUPS=''
+        local group
+        for group in ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS}; do
+                std::append_path PMODULES_USED_GROUPS "${group}"
+        done
+}
+
+reset_used_releases() {
+	declare -g  UsedReleases=''
+	for r in ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_RELEASES//:/ }; do
+		std::append_path UsedReleases "${r}"
+	done
+}
+
 ##############################################################################
 #
 # purge
 #
 subcommand_purge() {
 	subcommand_generic0 purge "$@"
-	PMODULES_USED_GROUPS=''
-	MODULEPATH=''
-
-	for group in ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS}; do
-		std::append_path MODULEPATH "${PMODULES_ROOT}/${group}/${PMODULES_MODULEFILES_DIR}"
-		std::append_path PMODULES_USED_GROUPS "${group}"
-	done
+        reset_modulepath
+        reset_used_groups
 	pbuild::export_env ${g_shell} MODULEPATH PMODULES_USED_GROUPS
 }
 
@@ -1428,25 +1448,45 @@ subcommand_list() {
 	"${modulecmd}" "${g_shell}" list "${opts[@]}"
 }
 
+init_path() {
+        std::replace_path PATH    "${PMODULES_HOME%/*}/.*"
+        std::append_path  PATH    "${PMODULES_HOME}/bin"
+}
+
+init_manpath() {
+        std::replace_path MANPATH "${PMODULES_HOME%/*}/.*"
+
+        if [[ -r /etc/man.config ]]; then
+	        declare _manconf='/etc/man.config'
+        elif [[ -r /etc/man.conf ]]; then
+	        declare _manconf='/etc/man.conf'
+        fi
+        if [[ -n ${_manconf} ]]; then
+	        while read name value rest; do
+		        std::append_path MANPATH "${value}"
+	        done < <(grep "^MANPATH\s" "${_manconf}")
+	        unset _manconf
+        else
+	        std::append_path  MANPATH "${PMODULES_HOME}/share/man"
+	        std::append_path  MANPATH "/usr/share/man"
+        fi
+}
+
 ##############################################################################
 pmodules_init() {
 	declare -g LOADEDMODULES=''
+	declare -g _LMFILES_=''
 	declare -g PMODULES_USED_GROUPS=''
 	declare -g MODULEPATH=''
-	declare -g _LMFILES_=''
 
-	for group in ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_GROUPS}; do
-		std::append_path MODULEPATH "${PMODULES_ROOT}/${group}/${PMODULES_MODULEFILES_DIR}"
-		std::append_path PMODULES_USED_GROUPS "${group}"
-	done
 	declare -ag Groups='()'
 	declare -Ag GroupDepths='()'
-	declare -g  UsedReleases=''
 	declare -g  UseFlags=()
-	for r in ${PMODULES_DEFAULT_RELEASES//:/ }; do
-		std::append_path UsedReleases "${r}"
-	done
-
+        reset_modulepath
+        reset_used_groups
+        reset_used_releases
+        init_path
+        init_manpath
 }
 
 ##############################################################################