diff --git a/eval.c b/eval.c
index 8efe25be..d3ca1af0 100644
--- a/eval.c
+++ b/eval.c
@@ -507,12 +507,12 @@ void sexp_init_eval_context_globals (sexp ctx) {
   sexp_init_eval_context_bytecodes(ctx);
 #endif
   sexp_global(ctx, SEXP_G_MODULE_PATH) = SEXP_NULL;
-  no_sys_path = getenv(SEXP_NO_SYSTEM_PATH_VAR);
-  if (!no_sys_path || strcmp(no_sys_path, "0")==0)
-    sexp_add_path(ctx, sexp_default_module_path);
   user_path = getenv(SEXP_MODULE_PATH_VAR);
   if (!user_path) user_path = sexp_default_user_module_path;
   sexp_add_path(ctx, user_path);
+  no_sys_path = getenv(SEXP_NO_SYSTEM_PATH_VAR);
+  if (!no_sys_path || strcmp(no_sys_path, "0")==0)
+    sexp_add_path(ctx, sexp_default_module_path);
 #if SEXP_USE_GREEN_THREADS
   sexp_global(ctx, SEXP_G_IO_BLOCK_ERROR)
     = sexp_user_exception(ctx, SEXP_FALSE, "I/O would block", SEXP_NULL);