diff --git a/xonsh/base_shell.py b/xonsh/base_shell.py
index 845b6e75f..718c41bcb 100644
--- a/xonsh/base_shell.py
+++ b/xonsh/base_shell.py
@@ -181,9 +181,8 @@ class BaseShell(object):
         term = env.get('TERM', None)
         if term is None or term == 'linux':
             return
-        if 'TITLE' in env:
-            t = env['TITLE']
-        else:
+        t = env.get('TITLE')
+        if t is None:
             return
         t = format_prompt(t)
         if ON_WINDOWS and 'ANSICON' not in env:
@@ -204,14 +203,11 @@ class BaseShell(object):
                     self.mlprompt = '<multiline prompt error> '
             return self.mlprompt
         env = builtins.__xonsh_env__
-        if 'PROMPT' in env:
-            p = env['PROMPT']
-            try:
-                p = format_prompt(p)
-            except Exception:
-                print_exception()
-        else:
-            p = "set '$PROMPT = ...' $ "
+        p = env.get('PROMPT')
+        try:
+            p = format_prompt(p)
+        except Exception:
+            print_exception()
         self.settitle()
         return p
 
diff --git a/xonsh/environ.py b/xonsh/environ.py
index 06a8d7f49..21b9b7d74 100644
--- a/xonsh/environ.py
+++ b/xonsh/environ.py
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ RE_HIDDEN = re.compile('\001.*?\002')
 
 def multiline_prompt():
     """Returns the filler text for the prompt in multiline scenarios."""
-    curr = builtins.__xonsh_env__.get('PROMPT', "set '$PROMPT = ...' $ ")
+    curr = builtins.__xonsh_env__.get('PROMPT')
     curr = format_prompt(curr)
     line = curr.rsplit('\n', 1)[1] if '\n' in curr else curr
     line = RE_HIDDEN.sub('', line)  # gets rid of colors
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ def multiline_prompt():
     # tail is the trailing whitespace
     tail = line if headlen == 0 else line.rsplit(head[-1], 1)[1]
     # now to constuct the actual string
-    dots = builtins.__xonsh_env__.get('MULTILINE_PROMPT', '.')
+    dots = builtins.__xonsh_env__.get('MULTILINE_PROMPT')
     dots = dots() if callable(dots) else dots
     if dots is None or len(dots) == 0:
         return ''
diff --git a/xonsh/history.py b/xonsh/history.py
index 6c858d1eb..e1518b826 100644
--- a/xonsh/history.py
+++ b/xonsh/history.py
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ class HistoryGC(Thread):
         """Finds the history files and returns the ones that are unlocked, this is 
         sorted by the last closed time. Returns a list of (timestamp, file) tuples.
         """
-        xdd = os.path.abspath(builtins.__xonsh_env__['XONSH_DATA_DIR'])
+        xdd = os.path.abspath(builtins.__xonsh_env__.get('XONSH_DATA_DIR'))
         fs = [f for f in iglob(os.path.join(xdd, 'xonsh-*.json'))]
         files = []
         for f in fs:
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ class History(object):
         """
         self.sessionid = sid = uuid.uuid4() if sessionid is None else sessionid
         if filename is None: 
-            self.filename = os.path.join(builtins.__xonsh_env__['XONSH_DATA_DIR'], 
+            self.filename = os.path.join(builtins.__xonsh_env__.get('XONSH_DATA_DIR'), 
                                          'xonsh-{0}.json'.format(sid))
         else: 
             self.filename = filename