diff --git a/include/nm-test-utils.h b/include/nm-test-utils.h
index c14d6eca02..d666366098 100644
--- a/include/nm-test-utils.h
+++ b/include/nm-test-utils.h
@@ -439,11 +439,6 @@ __nmtst_init (int *argc, char ***argv, gboolean assert_logging, const char *log_
 	/* ensure that monotonic timestamp is called (because it initially logs a line) */
 	nm_utils_get_monotonic_timestamp_s ();
 #endif
-
-	/* Avoid loading the VFS modules we don't use in the daemon.
-	 * See: src/main-utils.c:nm_main_utils_early_setup() */
-	setenv ("GIO_USE_VFS", "local", 1);
-	setenv ("GIO_MODULE_DIR", "", 1);
 }
 
 #ifdef __NETWORKMANAGER_LOGGING_H__
diff --git a/src/main-utils.c b/src/main-utils.c
index 6e649e7fbb..5378ca97a1 100644
--- a/src/main-utils.c
+++ b/src/main-utils.c
@@ -205,9 +205,6 @@ nm_main_utils_early_setup (const char *progname,
 	 * talking on the session bus.  See rh #588745
 	 */
 	setenv ("GIO_USE_VFS", "local", 1);
-	/* Don't load GIO modules. We just want to load plain files and the
-	 * modules would just take extra memory. */
-	setenv ("GIO_MODULE_DIR", "", 1);
 
 	/*
 	 * Set the umask to 0022, which results in 0666 & ~0022 = 0644.