/etc/pam.d/runuser auth sufficient pam_rootok.so auth required pam_wheel.so use_uid auth include system-auth account include system-auth password include system-auth session include system-auth session required pam_env.so session optional pam_xauth.so Notice the session block includes pam_env.so after it imports from system-auth. system-auth 's session block always starts with session required pam_limits.so session required pam_env.so in the template file from pambase https://github.com/gentoo/pambase/blob/master/templates/system-session.tpl Reproducible: Always