diff --git a/common/cmd_nvedit.c b/common/cmd_nvedit.c
index 3ee971ab0..ac9e5cfc3 100644
--- a/common/cmd_nvedit.c
+++ b/common/cmd_nvedit.c
@@ -94,56 +94,72 @@ int get_env_id (void)
  * Command interface: print one or all environment variables
  */
 
-int do_printenv (cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *argv[])
+/*
+ * state 0: finish printing this string and return (matched!)
+ * state 1: no matching to be done; print everything
+ * state 2: continue searching for matched name
+ */
+static int printenv(char *name, int state)
 {
-	int i, j, k, nxt;
-	int rcode = 0;
+	int i, j;
+	char c, buf[17];
 
-	if (argc == 1) {		/* Print all env variables	*/
-		for (i=0; env_get_char(i) != '\0'; i=nxt+1) {
-			for (nxt=i; env_get_char(nxt) != '\0'; ++nxt)
-				;
-			for (k=i; k<nxt; ++k)
-				putc(env_get_char(k));
-			putc  ('\n');
+	i = 0;
+	buf[16] = '\0';
 
-			if (ctrlc()) {
-				puts ("\n ** Abort\n");
-				return 1;
+	while (state && env_get_char(i) != '\0') {
+		if (state == 2 && envmatch((uchar *)name, i) >= 0)
+			state = 0;
+
+		j = 0;
+		do {
+			buf[j++] = c = env_get_char(i++);
+			if (j == sizeof(buf) - 1) {
+				if (state <= 1)
+					puts(buf);
+				j = 0;
 			}
+		} while (c != '\0');
+
+		if (state <= 1) {
+			if (j)
+				puts(buf);
+			putc('\n');
 		}
 
-		printf("\nEnvironment size: %d/%ld bytes\n",
-			i, (ulong)ENV_SIZE);
+		if (ctrlc())
+			return -1;
+	}
 
+	if (state == 0)
+		i = 0;
+	return i;
+}
+
+int do_printenv (cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+	int i;
+	int rcode = 0;
+
+	if (argc == 1) {
+		/* print all env vars */
+		rcode = printenv(NULL, 1);
+		if (rcode < 0)
+			return 1;
+		printf("\nEnvironment size: %d/%ld bytes\n",
+			rcode, (ulong)ENV_SIZE);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	for (i=1; i<argc; ++i) {	/* print single env variables	*/
+	/* print selected env vars */
+	for (i = 1; i < argc; ++i) {
 		char *name = argv[i];
-
-		k = -1;
-
-		for (j=0; env_get_char(j) != '\0'; j=nxt+1) {
-
-			for (nxt=j; env_get_char(nxt) != '\0'; ++nxt)
-				;
-			k = envmatch((uchar *)name, j);
-			if (k < 0) {
-				continue;
-			}
-			puts (name);
-			putc ('=');
-			while (k < nxt)
-				putc(env_get_char(k++));
-			putc ('\n');
-			break;
-		}
-		if (k < 0) {
-			printf ("## Error: \"%s\" not defined\n", name);
-			rcode ++;
+		if (printenv(name, 2)) {
+			printf("## Error: \"%s\" not defined\n", name);
+			++rcode;
 		}
 	}
+
 	return rcode;
 }