diff --git a/include/env.h b/include/env.h
index 2d6e996f8..e91328327 100644
--- a/include/env.h
+++ b/include/env.h
@@ -1,10 +1,22 @@
 #ifndef _SWAY_ENV_H
 #define _SWAY_ENV_H
 
-void env_free(char **envp);
+/**
+ * Deallocates an environment array created by
+ * sway_env_get_envp or sway_env_setenv.
+ */
+void env_destroy(char **envp);
 
-char **env_get_envp();
+/**
+ * Gets a newly-allocated environment array pointer
+ * from the global environment.
+ */
+char **env_create();
 
+/**
+ * Sets or overwrites an environment variable in the given environment.
+ * Setting a new variable will reallocate the entire array.
+ */
 char **env_setenv(char **envp, char *name, char *value);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/sway/commands/env.c b/sway/commands/env.c
index 93e45be0d..7032a59e2 100644
--- a/sway/commands/env.c
+++ b/sway/commands/env.c
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_env(int argc, char **argv) {
 		return error;
 	}
 
-	// g_environ_setenv never returns NULL
-	// https://github.com/GNOME/glib/blob/8810cf7a/glib/genviron.c#L129
 	child_envp = env_setenv(child_envp, argv[0], argv[1]);
 
 	return cmd_results_new(CMD_SUCCESS, NULL);
diff --git a/sway/env.c b/sway/env.c
index 2083fa6a3..12843fe33 100644
--- a/sway/env.c
+++ b/sway/env.c
@@ -2,9 +2,14 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
+typedef struct {
+	char *ptr;
+	size_t idx;
+} env_info;
+
 extern char **environ;
 
-int _env_var_name_eq(char *env_name, char *cmp) {
+int env_name_eq(char *env_name, char *cmp) {
 	size_t i = 0;
 	int reached_eq;
 	while (1) {
@@ -24,23 +29,18 @@ int _env_var_name_eq(char *env_name, char *cmp) {
 	}
 }
 
-typedef struct {
-	char *ptr;
-	size_t idx;
-} _env_info;
-
-_env_info _env_get(char **envp, char *name) {
+env_info env_get(char **envp, char *name) {
 	char *strp;
 	size_t i = 0;
 	while ((strp = envp[i]) != NULL) {
-		if (_env_var_name_eq(strp, name)) return (_env_info){strp, i};
+		if (env_name_eq(strp, name)) return (env_info){strp, i};
 		i++;
 	}
 
-	return (_env_info){NULL, 0};
+	return (env_info){NULL, 0};
 }
 
-size_t _env_len(char **envp) {
+size_t env_len(char **envp) {
 	char *strp;
 	size_t i = 0;
 
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ size_t _env_len(char **envp) {
 	return i;
 }
 
-char **_env_clone(char **envp, size_t reserve) {
-	char **new_envp = calloc(_env_len(envp) + 1 + reserve, sizeof(char *));
+char **env_clone(char **envp, size_t reserve) {
+	char **new_envp = calloc(env_len(envp) + 1 + reserve, sizeof(char *));
 
 	char *strp;
 	size_t i = 0;
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ char **_env_clone(char **envp, size_t reserve) {
 	return new_envp;
 }
 
-void env_free(char **envp) {
+void env_destroy(char **envp) {
 	char *strp;
 	size_t i = 0;
 	while ((strp = envp[i]) != NULL) {
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ void env_free(char **envp) {
 
 // copy the global environment array into a newly-allocated one
 // you are responsible for deallocating it after use
-char **env_get_envp() { return _env_clone(environ, 0); }
+char **env_create() { return env_clone(environ, 0); }
 
 // use env_get_envp() to acquire an envp
 // might clone and deallocate the given envp
@@ -94,15 +94,15 @@ char **env_setenv(char **envp, char *name, char *value) {
 	newp[name_len] = '=';
 	newp[name_len + value_len + 1] = '\0';
 
-	_env_info existing = _env_get(envp, name);
+	env_info existing = env_get(envp, name);
 	if (existing.ptr != NULL) {
 		free(existing.ptr);
 		envp[existing.idx] = newp;
 		return envp;
 	} else {
-		char **new_envp = _env_clone(envp, 1);
-		new_envp[_env_len(envp)] = newp;
-		env_free(envp);
+		char **new_envp = env_clone(envp, 1);
+		new_envp[env_len(envp)] = newp;
+		env_destroy(envp);
 		return new_envp;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/sway/main.c b/sway/main.c
index 51c012e9f..631eb11bb 100644
--- a/sway/main.c
+++ b/sway/main.c
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 
 	setenv("WAYLAND_DISPLAY", server.socket, true);
 	// env_get_envp creates a newly-allocated environment buffer
-	child_envp = env_get_envp();
+	child_envp = env_create();
 	if (!load_main_config(config_path, false, false)) {
 		sway_terminate(EXIT_FAILURE);
 		goto shutdown;