diff --git a/src/Microsoft.TestPlatform.VsTestConsole.TranslationLayer/ConsoleParameters.cs b/src/Microsoft.TestPlatform.VsTestConsole.TranslationLayer/ConsoleParameters.cs
index 7386f07d06..f3d38c923a 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.TestPlatform.VsTestConsole.TranslationLayer/ConsoleParameters.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.TestPlatform.VsTestConsole.TranslationLayer/ConsoleParameters.cs
@@ -40,9 +40,19 @@ public ConsoleParameters(IFileHelper fileHelper)
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// Environment variables to be set for the process
+    /// Environment variables to be set for the process. This will merge the specified entries to the environment variables
+    /// inherited from the current process. If you wish to provide a full set of environment variables yourself set <see cref="InheritEnvironmentVariables"/> to false.
     /// </summary>
-    public Dictionary<string, string> EnvironmentVariables { get; set; }
+    public Dictionary<string, string> EnvironmentVariables { get; set; } = new Dictionary<string, string>();
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// When set to true (default), all environment variables are inherited from the current process and the entries provided in <see cref="EnvironmentVariables"/> are merged with that set.
+    /// When set to false, only the values you provide in <see cref="EnvironmentVariables"/> are used. Giving you full control of the environment vstest.console is started with.
+    /// This is only rarely useful and can lead to vstest.console not being able to start at all. 
+    /// You most likely want to use <see cref="System.Environment.GetEnvironmentVariables(System.EnvironmentVariableTarget)"/> and combine
+    /// <see cref="System.EnvironmentVariableTarget.Machine"/> and <see cref="System.EnvironmentVariableTarget.User"/> responses.
+    /// </summary>
+    public bool InheritEnvironmentVariables { get; set; } = true;
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Trace level for logs.
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.TestPlatform.VsTestConsole.TranslationLayer/PublicAPI/PublicAPI.Shipped.txt b/src/Microsoft.TestPlatform.VsTestConsole.TranslationLayer/PublicAPI/PublicAPI.Shipped.txt
index e9c4b6ee04..e8f1f17352 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.TestPlatform.VsTestConsole.TranslationLayer/PublicAPI/PublicAPI.Shipped.txt
+++ b/src/Microsoft.TestPlatform.VsTestConsole.TranslationLayer/PublicAPI/PublicAPI.Shipped.txt
@@ -199,3 +199,5 @@ static Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestPlatform.VsTestConsole.TranslationLayer.Resour
 virtual Microsoft.TestPlatform.VsTestConsole.TranslationLayer.TestSession.Dispose(bool disposing) -> void
 Microsoft.TestPlatform.VsTestConsole.TranslationLayer.ConsoleParameters.EnvironmentVariables.get -> System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary<string, string>
 Microsoft.TestPlatform.VsTestConsole.TranslationLayer.ConsoleParameters.EnvironmentVariables.set -> void
+Microsoft.TestPlatform.VsTestConsole.TranslationLayer.ConsoleParameters.InheritEnvironmentVariables.get -> bool
+Microsoft.TestPlatform.VsTestConsole.TranslationLayer.ConsoleParameters.InheritEnvironmentVariables.set -> void
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.TestPlatform.VsTestConsole.TranslationLayer/VsTestConsoleProcessManager.cs b/src/Microsoft.TestPlatform.VsTestConsole.TranslationLayer/VsTestConsoleProcessManager.cs
index 323ff2d95a..c76e6e1d1b 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.TestPlatform.VsTestConsole.TranslationLayer/VsTestConsoleProcessManager.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.TestPlatform.VsTestConsole.TranslationLayer/VsTestConsoleProcessManager.cs
@@ -119,16 +119,25 @@ public void StartProcess(ConsoleParameters consoleParameters)
             RedirectStandardError = true
         };
 
-        EqtTrace.Verbose("VsTestCommandLineWrapper: Process Start Info {0} {1}", info.FileName, info.Arguments);
+        EqtTrace.Verbose("VsTestCommandLineWrapper.StartProcess: Process Start Info {0} {1}", info.FileName, info.Arguments);
 
-        if (consoleParameters.EnvironmentVariables != null)
+        if (!consoleParameters.InheritEnvironmentVariables)
         {
+            EqtTrace.Verbose("VsTestCommandLineWrapper.StartProcess: Clearing all environment variables.");
+
             info.EnvironmentVariables.Clear();
+        }
+
+        if (consoleParameters.EnvironmentVariables != null)
+        {
             foreach (var envVariable in consoleParameters.EnvironmentVariables)
             {
                 if (envVariable.Key != null)
                 {
-                    info.EnvironmentVariables.Add(envVariable.Key, envVariable.Value?.ToString());
+                    // Not printing the value on purpose, env variables can contain secrets and we don't need to know the values
+                    // most of the time.
+                    EqtTrace.Verbose("VsTestCommandLineWrapper.StartProcess: Setting environment variable: {0}", envVariable.Key);
+                    info.EnvironmentVariables[envVariable.Key] = envVariable.Value?.ToString();
                 }
             }
         }