When defining environment variables both in a declarative pipeline running a docker agent, and in the jenkins master process environment itself, then the environment variable is missing in the docker agent.

Scenario:

 

Jenkins setup:

Using jenkins:lts docker image, with docker socket forwarded in the jenkins docker container for it to use docker agents; with extra environment variables:

$ docker run -e FOO=bar -e FOO2=bar -e FOO3=bar -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock -v $(which docker):/usr/bin/docker --init -v jenkins_home:/var/jenkins_home -p 8080:8080 -p 50000:50000 --name jenkins jenkins/jenkins:lts

# hack to add missing depencies on the docker cli, and fix permissions issues

$ docker exec -u 0 jenkins bash -c "apt-get update && apt-get install libltdl7 && chown -R jenkins:jenkins /var/run/docker.sock"

Setup jenkins with usual plugins (no manual selection).

Pipeline job:

Create a pipeline with the following declarative pipeline:

pipeline {

    agent { docker 'ubuntu:16.04' }


    environment {

FOO = 'bar'

FOO2 = 'different'

    }

    stages {

stage('Test') {

    steps {

sh 'echo FOO: ${FOO:-error}'

sh 'echo FOO2: ${FOO2:-error}'

sh 'echo FOO3: ${FOO3:-error}'

    }

}

    }

}

Run the job

```
[env-bug] Running shell script
+ echo FOO: error
FOO: error
[Pipeline] sh
[env-bug] Running shell script
+ echo FOO2: different
FOO2: different
[Pipeline] sh
[env-bug] Running shell script
+ echo FOO3: error
FOO3: error

```

Analysis

Scenario explanation:

• start jenkins with env vars FOO=bar and FOO2=bar and FOO3=bar


• pipeline redeclares FOO=bar (same value) and FOO3=different (different value)


• result: FOO disappears in the shell environment in docker agent, FOO2 is OK, FOO3 is not there (not forwarded from jenkins environment, it's an extra test).

---
Originally reported by thomas_deepomatic, imported from: Environment variables missing when both defined in pipeline and jenkins master process environment with docker agent

• status: Open
  
• priority: Minor
  
• component(s): docker-workflow-plugin
  
• resolution: Unresolved
  
• votes: 3
  
• watchers: 5
  
• imported: 2025-12-07
  

Raw content of original issue

When defining environment variables both in a declarative pipeline running a docker agent, and in the jenkins master process environment itself, then the environment variable is missing in the docker agent.


Scenario:

 

Jenkins setup:

Using jenkins:lts docker image, with docker socket forwarded in the jenkins docker container for it to use docker agents; with extra environment variables:



$ docker run -e FOO=bar -e FOO2=bar -e FOO3=bar -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock -v $(which docker):/usr/bin/docker --init -v jenkins_home:/var/jenkins_home -p 8080:8080 -p 50000:50000 --name jenkins jenkins/jenkins:lts

# hack to add missing depencies on the docker cli, and fix permissions issues

$ docker exec -u 0 jenkins bash -c "apt-get update && apt-get install libltdl7 && chown -R jenkins:jenkins /var/run/docker.sock"





Setup jenkins with usual plugins (no manual selection).


Pipeline job:


Create a pipeline with the following declarative pipeline:




pipeline {

    agent { docker 'ubuntu:16.04' }


    environment {

        FOO = 'bar'

        FOO2 = 'different'

    }

    stages {

        stage('Test') {

            steps {

                sh 'echo FOO: ${FOO:-error}'

                sh 'echo FOO2: ${FOO2:-error}'

                sh 'echo FOO3: ${FOO3:-error}'

            }

        }

    }

}





Run the job




[env-bug] Running shell script

+ echo FOO: error

FOO: error

[Pipeline] sh

[env-bug] Running shell script

+ echo FOO2: different

FOO2: different

[Pipeline] sh

[env-bug] Running shell script

+ echo FOO3: error

FOO3: error





Analysis


Scenario explanation:



	
start jenkins with env vars FOO=bar and FOO2=bar and FOO3=bar

	
pipeline redeclares FOO=bar (same value) and FOO3=different (different value)

	
result: FOO disappears in the shell environment in docker agent, FOO2 is OK, FOO3 is not there (not forwarded from jenkins environment, it's an extra test).

environment

```
jenkins 2.73.3, from LTS docker image

host: ubuntu 16.04 with docker-ce 17.09
```