diff --git a/features/support/env.rb b/features/support/env.rb
index 1771058ce591873fbc05878adc8cd4443dbd4a64..603bbad3e7ef8dfcfbe1aed30583e894007cbb00 100644
--- a/features/support/env.rb
+++ b/features/support/env.rb
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ Before do
   set_env 'GIT_PROXY_COMMAND', 'echo'
   # avoids reading from current user's "~/.gitconfig"
   set_env 'HOME', File.expand_path(File.join(current_dir, 'home'))
+  # https://specifications.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html#variables
+  set_env 'XDG_CONFIG_HOME', nil
+  set_env 'XDG_CONFIG_DIRS', nil
   # used in fakebin/git
   set_env 'HUB_SYSTEM_GIT', system_git
   # ensure that api.github.com is actually never hit in tests