diff --git a/src/calibre/test_build.py b/src/calibre/test_build.py
index 3a3bb300d8..da0fc53e7e 100644
--- a/src/calibre/test_build.py
+++ b/src/calibre/test_build.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ Test a binary calibre build to ensure that all needed binary images/libraries ha
 import os, ctypes, sys, unittest, time
 
 from calibre.constants import plugins, iswindows, islinux, isosx, ispy3
-from polyglot.builtins import iteritems, map, unicode_type
+from polyglot.builtins import iteritems, map, unicode_type, getenv
 
 is_ci = os.environ.get('CI', '').lower() == 'true'
 
@@ -154,23 +154,17 @@ class BuildTest(unittest.TestCase):
         for k, v in iteritems(d):
             au(v, k)
         for k in os.environ:
-            au(winutil.getenv(unicode_type(k)), 'getenv-' + k)
+            au(getenv(k), 'getenv-' + k)
         os.environ['XXXTEST'] = 'YYY'
-        self.assertEqual(winutil.getenv('XXXTEST'), 'YYY')
+        self.assertEqual(getenv('XXXTEST'), 'YYY')
         del os.environ['XXXTEST']
-        self.assertIsNone(winutil.getenv('XXXTEST'))
+        self.assertIsNone(getenv('XXXTEST'))
         t = time.localtime()
         fmt = '%Y%a%b%e%H%M'
         for fmt in (fmt, fmt.encode('ascii')):
             x = strftime(fmt, t)
             au(x, 'strftime')
             self.assertEqual(unicode_type(time.strftime(fmt.replace('%e', '%#d'), t)), x)
-        from polyglot.builtins import getenv
-        q = 'value'
-        os.environ['test_unicode_getenv'] = q
-        val = getenv('test_unicode_getenv')
-        self.assertEqual(val, q)
-        self.assertTrue(isinstance(val, type('')))
 
     def test_sqlite(self):
         import sqlite3
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/windows/winutil.c b/src/calibre/utils/windows/winutil.c
index ffb511fcb4..4e5ce9f706 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/windows/winutil.c
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/windows/winutil.c
@@ -230,19 +230,6 @@ winutil_set_max_stdio(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
-static PyObject *
-winutil_getenv(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
-    const Py_UNICODE *q;
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "u", &q)) return NULL;
-    wchar_t *buf = NULL;
-    size_t sz = 0;
-    PyObject *ans = NULL;
-    if (_wdupenv_s(&buf, &sz, q) != 0 || buf == NULL || sz == 0) { ans = Py_None; Py_INCREF(ans); }
-    else ans = PyUnicode_FromWideChar(buf, sz - 1);
-    if (buf) free(buf);
-    return ans;
-}
-
 static PyObject*
 winutil_move_file(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
     Py_UNICODE *a, *b;
@@ -435,10 +422,6 @@ be a unicode string. Returns unicode strings."
         "setmaxstdio(num)\n\nSet the maximum number of open file handles."
     },
 
-    {"getenv", (PyCFunction)winutil_getenv, METH_VARARGS,
-        "getenv(name)\n\nGet the value of the specified env var as a unicode string."
-    },
-
     {"username", (PyCFunction)winutil_username, METH_NOARGS,
         "username()\n\nGet the current username as a unicode string."
     },