diff --git a/src/runtime/env_test.go b/src/runtime/env_test.go
index 203f38065d5f6d..2399e46faa91e8 100644
--- a/src/runtime/env_test.go
+++ b/src/runtime/env_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,12 @@ func TestFixedGOROOT(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Skipf("skipping plan9, it is inconsistent by allowing GOROOT to be updated by Setenv")
 	}
 
+	// Restore both the real GOROOT environment variable, and runtime's copies:
+	if orig, ok := syscall.Getenv("GOROOT"); ok {
+		defer syscall.Setenv("GOROOT", orig)
+	} else {
+		defer syscall.Unsetenv("GOROOT")
+	}
 	envs := runtime.Envs()
 	oldenvs := append([]string{}, envs...)
 	defer runtime.SetEnvs(oldenvs)