diff --git a/gnu/home/services.scm b/gnu/home/services.scm
index aa7beeb462d..453336c959a 100644
--- a/gnu/home/services.scm
+++ b/gnu/home/services.scm
@@ -275,7 +275,8 @@ exported."
                            (lambda (port)
                              (set-port-encoding! port "UTF-8")
                              (display "\
-HOME_ENVIRONMENT=$HOME/.guix-home
+# NOTE: Set HOME_ENVIRONMENT before sourcing (home-shell-profile-service-type ensures
+# ~/.profile does)
 GUIX_PROFILE=\"$HOME_ENVIRONMENT/profile\"
 PROFILE_FILE=\"$GUIX_PROFILE/etc/profile\"
 [ -f $PROFILE_FILE ] && . $PROFILE_FILE
@@ -301,6 +302,9 @@ case $XCURSOR_PATH in
   *) export XCURSOR_PATH=$GUIX_PROFILE/share/icons:$XCURSOR_PATH ;;
 esac
 
+# Keep the shell environment clean.
+unset GUIX_PROFILE PROFILE_FILE
+
 " port)
                              (display
                               #$(environment-variable-shell-definitions vars)
diff --git a/gnu/home/services/shells.scm b/gnu/home/services/shells.scm
index ee6b09f17c3..bab5730c3d6 100644
--- a/gnu/home/services/shells.scm
+++ b/gnu/home/services/shells.scm
@@ -89,7 +89,8 @@ really know what you do."))
        "\
 HOME_ENVIRONMENT=$HOME/.guix-home
 . $HOME_ENVIRONMENT/setup-environment
-$HOME_ENVIRONMENT/on-first-login\n"
+$HOME_ENVIRONMENT/on-first-login
+unset HOME_ENVIRONMENT\n"
        (serialize-configuration
         config
         (filter-configuration-fields