diff --git a/src/libs/utils/environment.cpp b/src/libs/utils/environment.cpp
index 75f4ea6eecd..fa61313144f 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/environment.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/environment.cpp
@@ -40,10 +40,15 @@ Q_GLOBAL_STATIC_WITH_ARGS(Environment, staticSystemEnvironment,
 
 Q_GLOBAL_STATIC(QVector<EnvironmentProvider>, environmentProviders)
 
+NameValueItems Environment::diff(const Environment &other, bool checkAppendPrepend) const
+{
+    return m_dict.diff(other.m_dict, checkAppendPrepend);
+}
+
 QProcessEnvironment Environment::toProcessEnvironment() const
 {
     QProcessEnvironment result;
-    for (auto it = m_values.constBegin(); it != m_values.constEnd(); ++it) {
+    for (auto it = m_dict.m_values.constBegin(); it != m_dict.m_values.constEnd(); ++it) {
         if (it.value().second)
             result.insert(it.key().name, expandedValueForKey(key(it)));
     }
@@ -52,28 +57,28 @@ QProcessEnvironment Environment::toProcessEnvironment() const
 
 void Environment::appendOrSetPath(const FilePath &value)
 {
-    QTC_CHECK(value.osType() == m_osType);
+    QTC_CHECK(value.osType() == osType());
     if (value.isEmpty())
         return;
     appendOrSet("PATH", value.nativePath(),
-                QString(OsSpecificAspects::pathListSeparator(m_osType)));
+                QString(OsSpecificAspects::pathListSeparator(osType())));
 }
 
 void Environment::prependOrSetPath(const FilePath &value)
 {
-    QTC_CHECK(value.osType() == m_osType);
+    QTC_CHECK(value.osType() == osType());
     if (value.isEmpty())
         return;
     prependOrSet("PATH", value.nativePath(),
-                 QString(OsSpecificAspects::pathListSeparator(m_osType)));
+                 QString(OsSpecificAspects::pathListSeparator(osType())));
 }
 
 void Environment::appendOrSet(const QString &key, const QString &value, const QString &sep)
 {
     QTC_ASSERT(!key.contains('='), return );
-    const auto it = findKey(key);
-    if (it == m_values.end()) {
-        m_values.insert(DictKey(key, nameCaseSensitivity()), qMakePair(value, true));
+    const auto it = m_dict.findKey(key);
+    if (it == m_dict.m_values.end()) {
+        m_dict.m_values.insert(DictKey(key, m_dict.nameCaseSensitivity()), qMakePair(value, true));
     } else {
         // Append unless it is already there
         const QString toAppend = sep + value;
@@ -85,9 +90,9 @@ void Environment::appendOrSet(const QString &key, const QString &value, const QS
 void Environment::prependOrSet(const QString &key, const QString &value, const QString &sep)
 {
     QTC_ASSERT(!key.contains('='), return );
-    const auto it = findKey(key);
-    if (it == m_values.end()) {
-        m_values.insert(DictKey(key, nameCaseSensitivity()), qMakePair(value, true));
+    const auto it = m_dict.findKey(key);
+    if (it == m_dict.m_values.end()) {
+        m_dict.m_values.insert(DictKey(key, m_dict.nameCaseSensitivity()), qMakePair(value, true));
     } else {
         // Prepend unless it is already there
         const QString toPrepend = value + sep;
@@ -98,8 +103,8 @@ void Environment::prependOrSet(const QString &key, const QString &value, const Q
 
 void Environment::prependOrSetLibrarySearchPath(const FilePath &value)
 {
-    QTC_CHECK(value.osType() == m_osType);
-    switch (m_osType) {
+    QTC_CHECK(value.osType() == osType());
+    switch (osType()) {
     case OsTypeWindows: {
         const QChar sep = ';';
         prependOrSet("PATH", value.nativePath(), QString(sep));
@@ -137,8 +142,8 @@ Environment Environment::systemEnvironment()
 
 void Environment::setupEnglishOutput()
 {
-    set("LC_MESSAGES", "en_US.utf8");
-    set("LANGUAGE", "en_US:en");
+    m_dict.set("LC_MESSAGES", "en_US.utf8");
+    m_dict.set("LANGUAGE", "en_US:en");
 }
 
 static FilePath searchInDirectory(const QStringList &execs,
@@ -166,7 +171,7 @@ QStringList Environment::appendExeExtensions(const QString &executable) const
 {
     QStringList execs(executable);
     const QFileInfo fi(executable);
-    if (m_osType == OsTypeWindows) {
+    if (osType() == OsTypeWindows) {
         // Check all the executable extensions on windows:
         // PATHEXT is only used if the executable has no extension
         if (fi.suffix().isEmpty()) {
@@ -202,7 +207,7 @@ bool Environment::isSameExecutable(const QString &exe1, const QString &exe2) con
 
 QString Environment::expandedValueForKey(const QString &key) const
 {
-    return expandVariables(value(key));
+    return expandVariables(m_dict.value(key));
 }
 
 static FilePath searchInDirectoriesHelper(const Environment &env,
@@ -308,7 +313,7 @@ FilePaths Environment::path() const
 FilePaths Environment::pathListValue(const QString &varName) const
 {
     const QStringList pathComponents = expandedValueForKey(varName).split(
-        OsSpecificAspects::pathListSeparator(m_osType), Qt::SkipEmptyParts);
+        OsSpecificAspects::pathListSeparator(osType()), Qt::SkipEmptyParts);
     return transform(pathComponents, &FilePath::fromUserInput);
 }
 
@@ -333,12 +338,12 @@ QString Environment::expandVariables(const QString &input) const
 {
     QString result = input;
 
-    if (m_osType == OsTypeWindows) {
+    if (osType() == OsTypeWindows) {
         for (int vStart = -1, i = 0; i < result.length(); ) {
             if (result.at(i++) == '%') {
                 if (vStart > 0) {
-                    const auto it = findKey(result.mid(vStart, i - vStart - 1));
-                    if (it != m_values.constEnd()) {
+                    const auto it = m_dict.findKey(result.mid(vStart, i - vStart - 1));
+                    if (it != m_dict.m_values.constEnd()) {
                         result.replace(vStart - 1, i - vStart + 1, it->first);
                         i = vStart - 1 + it->first.length();
                         vStart = -1;
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/environment.h b/src/libs/utils/environment.h
index 06ab65725c1..7aa42ab2ad9 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/environment.h
+++ b/src/libs/utils/environment.h
@@ -40,13 +40,27 @@ QT_END_NAMESPACE
 
 namespace Utils {
 
-class QTCREATOR_UTILS_EXPORT Environment final : public NameValueDictionary
+class QTCREATOR_UTILS_EXPORT Environment final
 {
 public:
-    using NameValueDictionary::NameValueDictionary;
+    Environment() : m_dict(HostOsInfo::hostOs()) {}
+    explicit Environment(OsType osType) : m_dict(osType) {}
+    explicit Environment(const QStringList &env, OsType osType = HostOsInfo::hostOs())
+        : m_dict(env, osType) {}
+    explicit Environment(const NameValuePairs &nameValues) : m_dict(nameValues) {}
+    explicit Environment(const NameValueDictionary &dict) : m_dict(dict) {}
 
-    static Environment systemEnvironment();
+    QString value(const QString &key) const { return m_dict.value(key); }
+    bool hasKey(const QString &key) const { return m_dict.hasKey(key); }
 
+    void set(const QString &key, const QString &value, bool enabled = true) { m_dict.set(key, value, enabled); }
+    void unset(const QString &key) { m_dict.unset(key); }
+    void modify(const NameValueItems &items) { m_dict.modify(items); }
+
+    int size() const { return m_dict.size(); }
+    void clear() { return m_dict.clear(); }
+
+    QStringList toStringList() const { return m_dict.toStringList(); }
     QProcessEnvironment toProcessEnvironment() const;
 
     void appendOrSet(const QString &key, const QString &value, const QString &sep = QString());
@@ -81,8 +95,38 @@ public:
     FilePath expandVariables(const FilePath &input) const;
     QStringList expandVariables(const QStringList &input) const;
 
+    OsType osType() const { return m_dict.osType(); }
+    QString userName() const;
+
+    using const_iterator = NameValueMap::const_iterator; // FIXME: avoid
+    NameValueDictionary toDictionary() const { return m_dict; } // FIXME: avoid
+    NameValueItems diff(const Environment &other, bool checkAppendPrepend = false) const; // FIXME: avoid
+
+    QString key(const_iterator it) const { return m_dict.key(it); } // FIXME: avoid
+    QString value(const_iterator it) const { return m_dict.value(it); } // FIXME: avoid
+    bool isEnabled(const_iterator it) const { return m_dict.isEnabled(it); } // FIXME: avoid
+
+    const_iterator constBegin() const { return m_dict.constBegin(); } // FIXME: avoid
+    const_iterator constEnd() const { return m_dict.constEnd(); } // FIXME: avoid
+    const_iterator constFind(const QString &name) const { return m_dict.constFind(name); } // FIXME: avoid
+
+    friend bool operator!=(const Environment &first, const Environment &second)
+    {
+        return first.m_dict != second.m_dict;
+    }
+
+    friend bool operator==(const Environment &first, const Environment &second)
+    {
+        return first.m_dict == second.m_dict;
+    }
+
+    static Environment systemEnvironment();
+
     static void modifySystemEnvironment(const EnvironmentItems &list); // use with care!!!
     static void setSystemEnvironment(const Environment &environment);  // don't use at all!!!
+
+private:
+    NameValueDictionary m_dict;
 };
 
 class QTCREATOR_UTILS_EXPORT EnvironmentChange final
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/environmentmodel.cpp b/src/libs/utils/environmentmodel.cpp
index a5cb1b4958a..d7938a4fdae 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/environmentmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/environmentmodel.cpp
@@ -28,12 +28,15 @@
 #include "environment.h"
 
 namespace Utils {
-const Environment &EnvironmentModel::baseEnvironment() const
+
+Environment EnvironmentModel::baseEnvironment() const
 {
-    return static_cast<const Environment &>(baseNameValueDictionary());
+    return Environment(baseNameValueDictionary());
 }
+
 void EnvironmentModel::setBaseEnvironment(const Environment &env)
 {
-    setBaseNameValueDictionary(env);
+    setBaseNameValueDictionary(env.toDictionary());
 }
+
 } // namespace Utils
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/environmentmodel.h b/src/libs/utils/environmentmodel.h
index 5457bdb0497..b64518b6ae9 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/environmentmodel.h
+++ b/src/libs/utils/environmentmodel.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class QTCREATOR_UTILS_EXPORT EnvironmentModel : public NameValueModel
     Q_OBJECT
 
 public:
-    const Environment &baseEnvironment() const;
+    Environment baseEnvironment() const;
     void setBaseEnvironment(const Environment &env);
 };
 
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/namevaluedictionary.h b/src/libs/utils/namevaluedictionary.h
index 30721915c67..7e302796705 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/namevaluedictionary.h
+++ b/src/libs/utils/namevaluedictionary.h
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ public:
     }
 
 protected:
+    friend class Environment;
     NameValueMap::iterator findKey(const QString &key);
     const_iterator findKey(const QString &key) const;