diff --git a/src/cart/crt_init.c b/src/cart/crt_init.c
index 352163cd58b..d4e9b212978 100644
--- a/src/cart/crt_init.c
+++ b/src/cart/crt_init.c
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ crt_lib_init(void)
 	crt_gdata.cg_rpcid = start_rpcid;
 	crt_gdata.cg_num_cores = sysconf(_SC_NPROCESSORS_ONLN);
 	crt_gdata.cg_iv_inline_limit = 19456; /* 19KB */
+
+	/* envs not inited until crt_init() time */
+	memset(&g_envs, 0x0, sizeof(struct crt_envs_t));
 }
 
 /* Library deinit */
@@ -560,7 +563,7 @@ crt_init_opt(crt_group_id_t grpid, uint32_t flags, crt_init_options_t *opt)
 
 	crt_setup_log_fac();
 
-	D_INFO("libcart version %s initializing\n", CART_VERSION);
+	D_INFO("libcart (%s) v%s initializing\n", server ? "server" : "client", CART_VERSION);
 	crt_env_init();
 
 	if (opt)
diff --git a/src/cart/crt_internal_types.h b/src/cart/crt_internal_types.h
index 6776ab046e9..57c279c070d 100644
--- a/src/cart/crt_internal_types.h
+++ b/src/cart/crt_internal_types.h
@@ -231,6 +231,7 @@ struct crt_event_cb_priv {
 
 struct crt_envs_t {
 	CRT_ENV_LIST;
+	bool inited;
 };
 
 #undef ENV
@@ -238,11 +239,15 @@ struct crt_envs_t {
 #undef ENV_STR_NO_PRINT
 
 extern struct crt_envs_t g_envs;
+static inline void crt_env_fini(void);
 
 static inline void
 crt_env_init(void)
 {
-	memset(&g_envs, 0x0, sizeof(struct crt_envs_t));
+	/* release strings if already inited previously */
+	if (g_envs.inited)
+		crt_env_fini();
+
 #define ENV(x)                                                                                     \
 	do {                                                                                       \
 		g_envs._rc_##x       = d_getenv_uint(#x, &g_envs._##x);                            \
@@ -265,6 +270,8 @@ crt_env_init(void)
 #undef ENV
 #undef ENV_STR
 #undef ENV_STR_NO_PRINT
+
+	g_envs.inited = true;
 }
 
 static inline void
@@ -279,10 +286,13 @@ crt_env_fini(void)
 #undef ENV
 #undef ENV_STR
 #undef ENV_STR_NO_PRINT
+
+	g_envs.inited = false;
 }
 
 /* Returns value if env was present at load time */
 #define crt_env_get(name, val)                                                                     \
+	D_ASSERT(g_envs.inited);                                                                     \
 	if (g_envs._rc_##name == 0)                                                                \
 		*val = g_envs._##name;
 
diff --git a/src/cart/utils/crt_utils.c b/src/cart/utils/crt_utils.c
index a48d80f11bf..7e3ed2b80d8 100644
--- a/src/cart/utils/crt_utils.c
+++ b/src/cart/utils/crt_utils.c
@@ -652,9 +652,6 @@ crtu_srv_start_basic(char *srv_group_name, crt_context_t *crt_ctx,
 	if (opts.assert_on_error)
 		D_ASSERTF(opts.is_initialized == true, "crtu_test_init not called.\n");
 
-	crt_env_get(CRT_L_RANK, &my_rank);
-	D_ASSERTF(rc == DER_SUCCESS, "Rank can not be retrieve: " DF_RC "\n", DP_RC(rc));
-
 	rc = d_log_init();
 	if (rc != 0)
 		D_GOTO(out, rc);
@@ -670,6 +667,12 @@ crtu_srv_start_basic(char *srv_group_name, crt_context_t *crt_ctx,
 	if (rc != 0)
 		D_GOTO(out, rc);
 
+	crt_env_get(CRT_L_RANK, &my_rank);
+	if (my_rank == CRT_NO_RANK) {
+		D_ERROR("CRT_L_RANK environment variable should have been set by crt_launch\n");
+		D_GOTO(out, rc = -DER_INVAL);
+	}
+
 	*grp = crt_group_lookup(NULL);
 	if (!(*grp)) {
 		D_ERROR("Group lookup failed\n");