diff --git a/druid/src/app.rs b/druid/src/app.rs
index 65e4607a16..543d5d1bec 100644
--- a/druid/src/app.rs
+++ b/druid/src/app.rs
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ impl<T: Data> AppLauncher<T> {
         let mut env = self
             .l10n_resources
             .map(|it| Env::with_i10n(it.0, &it.1))
-            .unwrap_or_default();
+            .unwrap_or_else(Env::with_default_i10n);
 
         if let Some(f) = self.env_setup.take() {
             f(&mut env, &data);
diff --git a/druid/src/core.rs b/druid/src/core.rs
index c7fcaba065..f569f46a97 100644
--- a/druid/src/core.rs
+++ b/druid/src/core.rs
@@ -1411,7 +1411,7 @@ mod tests {
             state: &mut state,
         };
 
-        let env = Env::default();
+        let env = Env::with_default_i10n();
 
         widget.lifecycle(&mut ctx, &LifeCycle::WidgetAdded, &1, &env);
         assert!(ctx.widget_state.children.may_contain(&ID_1));
diff --git a/druid/src/env.rs b/druid/src/env.rs
index 39280556d3..e07e394b76 100644
--- a/druid/src/env.rs
+++ b/druid/src/env.rs
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ pub struct Env(Arc<EnvImpl>);
 #[derive(Clone)]
 struct EnvImpl {
     map: HashMap<ArcStr, Value>,
-    l10n: Arc<L10nManager>,
+    l10n: Option<Arc<L10nManager>>,
 }
 
 /// A typed [`Env`] key.
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ impl Env {
     ///
     /// ```no_run
     /// # use druid::Env;
-    /// # let env = Env::default();
+    /// # let env = Env::empty();
     /// # let widget_id = 0;
     /// # let my_rect = druid::Rect::ZERO;
     /// if env.get(Env::DEBUG_WIDGET) {
@@ -359,9 +359,11 @@ impl Env {
     /// Returns a reference to the [`L10nManager`], which handles localization
     /// resources.
     ///
+    /// This always exists on the base `Env` configured by druid.
+    ///
     /// [`L10nManager`]: struct.L10nManager.html
-    pub(crate) fn localization_manager(&self) -> &L10nManager {
-        &self.0.l10n
+    pub(crate) fn localization_manager(&self) -> Option<&L10nManager> {
+        self.0.l10n.as_deref()
     }
 
     /// Given an id, returns one of 18 distinct colors
@@ -504,18 +506,26 @@ static DEBUG_COLOR: &[Color] = &[
     Color::rgb8(0, 0, 0),
 ];
 
-impl Default for Env {
-    fn default() -> Self {
+impl Env {
+    /// Returns an empty `Env`.
+    ///
+    /// This is useful for creating a set of overrides.
+    pub fn empty() -> Self {
+        Env(Arc::new(EnvImpl {
+            l10n: None,
+            map: HashMap::new(),
+        }))
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn with_default_i10n() -> Self {
         Env::with_i10n(vec!["builtin.ftl".into()], "./resources/i18n/")
     }
-}
 
-impl Env {
     pub(crate) fn with_i10n(resources: Vec<String>, base_dir: &str) -> Self {
         let l10n = L10nManager::new(resources, base_dir);
 
         let inner = EnvImpl {
-            l10n: Arc::new(l10n),
+            l10n: Some(Arc::new(l10n)),
             map: HashMap::new(),
         };
 
@@ -647,7 +657,7 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn string_key_or_value() {
         const MY_KEY: Key<ArcStr> = Key::new("org.linebender.test.my-string-key");
-        let env = Env::default().adding(MY_KEY, "Owned");
+        let env = Env::empty().adding(MY_KEY, "Owned");
         assert_eq!(env.get(MY_KEY).as_ref(), "Owned");
 
         let key: KeyOrValue<ArcStr> = MY_KEY.into();
diff --git a/druid/src/localization.rs b/druid/src/localization.rs
index 142a5149fa..5b62a27732 100644
--- a/druid/src/localization.rs
+++ b/druid/src/localization.rs
@@ -338,16 +338,19 @@ impl<T> LocalizedString<T> {
         //TODO: this recomputes the string if either the language has changed,
         //or *anytime* we have arguments. Ideally we would be using a lens
         //to only recompute when our actual data has changed.
-        if self.args.is_some()
-            || self.resolved_lang.as_ref() != Some(&env.localization_manager().current_locale)
-        {
+        let manager = match env.localization_manager() {
+            Some(manager) => manager,
+            None => return false,
+        };
+
+        if self.args.is_some() || self.resolved_lang.as_ref() != Some(&manager.current_locale) {
             let args: Option<FluentArgs> = self
                 .args
                 .as_ref()
                 .map(|a| a.iter().map(|(k, v)| (*k, (v.0)(data, env))).collect());
 
-            self.resolved_lang = Some(env.localization_manager().current_locale.clone());
-            let next = env.localization_manager().localize(self.key, args.as_ref());
+            self.resolved_lang = Some(manager.current_locale.clone());
+            let next = manager.localize(self.key, args.as_ref());
             let result = next != self.resolved;
             self.resolved = next;
             result
diff --git a/druid/src/scroll_component.rs b/druid/src/scroll_component.rs
index c38119821b..b7768faf69 100644
--- a/druid/src/scroll_component.rs
+++ b/druid/src/scroll_component.rs
@@ -748,7 +748,7 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     fn test_env() -> Env {
-        Env::default()
+        Env::empty()
             .adding(theme::SCROLLBAR_WIDTH, TEST_SCROLLBAR_WIDTH)
             .adding(theme::SCROLLBAR_PAD, TEST_SCROLLBAR_PAD)
             .adding(theme::SCROLLBAR_MIN_SIZE, TEST_SCROLLBAR_MIN_SIZE)
diff --git a/druid/src/tests/harness.rs b/druid/src/tests/harness.rs
index 8a54c42e74..541a451ae1 100644
--- a/druid/src/tests/harness.rs
+++ b/druid/src/tests/harness.rs
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ impl<T: Data> Harness<'_, T> {
 
             let inner = Inner {
                 data,
-                env: Env::default(),
+                env: Env::with_default_i10n(),
                 window,
                 cmds: Default::default(),
             };
diff --git a/druid/src/theme.rs b/druid/src/theme.rs
index a15c65e78b..cc96878e90 100644
--- a/druid/src/theme.rs
+++ b/druid/src/theme.rs
@@ -183,8 +183,3 @@ pub(crate) fn add_to_env(env: Env) -> Env {
                 .with_size(15.0),
         )
 }
-
-#[deprecated(since = "0.7.0", note = "use Env::default() instead")]
-pub fn init() -> Env {
-    Env::default()
-}