diff --git a/env/common.c b/env/common.c
index 0db56e610a..ed18378000 100644
--- a/env/common.c
+++ b/env/common.c
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ int env_set_default_vars(int nvars, char * const vars[], int flags)
  * Check if CRC is valid and (if yes) import the environment.
  * Note that "buf" may or may not be aligned.
  */
-int env_import(const char *buf, int check)
+int env_import(const char *buf, int check, int flags)
 {
 	env_t *ep = (env_t *)buf;
 
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ int env_import(const char *buf, int check)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (himport_r(&env_htab, (char *)ep->data, ENV_SIZE, '\0', 0, 0,
+	if (himport_r(&env_htab, (char *)ep->data, ENV_SIZE, '\0', flags, 0,
 			0, NULL)) {
 		gd->flags |= GD_FLG_ENV_READY;
 		return 0;
@@ -142,7 +142,8 @@ int env_import(const char *buf, int check)
 static unsigned char env_flags;
 
 int env_import_redund(const char *buf1, int buf1_read_fail,
-		      const char *buf2, int buf2_read_fail)
+		      const char *buf2, int buf2_read_fail,
+		      int flags)
 {
 	int crc1_ok, crc2_ok;
 	env_t *ep, *tmp_env1, *tmp_env2;
@@ -162,10 +163,10 @@ int env_import_redund(const char *buf1, int buf1_read_fail,
 		return -EIO;
 	} else if (!buf1_read_fail && buf2_read_fail) {
 		gd->env_valid = ENV_VALID;
-		return env_import((char *)tmp_env1, 1);
+		return env_import((char *)tmp_env1, 1, flags);
 	} else if (buf1_read_fail && !buf2_read_fail) {
 		gd->env_valid = ENV_REDUND;
-		return env_import((char *)tmp_env2, 1);
+		return env_import((char *)tmp_env2, 1, flags);
 	}
 
 	crc1_ok = crc32(0, tmp_env1->data, ENV_SIZE) ==
@@ -200,7 +201,7 @@ int env_import_redund(const char *buf1, int buf1_read_fail,
 		ep = tmp_env2;
 
 	env_flags = ep->flags;
-	return env_import((char *)ep, 0);
+	return env_import((char *)ep, 0, flags);
 }
 #endif /* CONFIG_SYS_REDUNDAND_ENVIRONMENT */
 
diff --git a/env/eeprom.c b/env/eeprom.c
index e8126cfe39..e300470ad0 100644
--- a/env/eeprom.c
+++ b/env/eeprom.c
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ static int env_eeprom_load(void)
 	eeprom_bus_read(CONFIG_SYS_DEF_EEPROM_ADDR,
 		off, (uchar *)buf_env, CONFIG_ENV_SIZE);
 
-	return env_import(buf_env, 1);
+	return env_import(buf_env, 1, H_EXTERNAL);
 }
 
 static int env_eeprom_save(void)
diff --git a/env/ext4.c b/env/ext4.c
index 8e90bb71b7..b6d38324d1 100644
--- a/env/ext4.c
+++ b/env/ext4.c
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ static int env_ext4_load(void)
 		goto err_env_relocate;
 	}
 
-	return env_import(buf, 1);
+	return env_import(buf, 1, H_EXTERNAL);
 
 err_env_relocate:
 	env_set_default(NULL, 0);
diff --git a/env/fat.c b/env/fat.c
index 35a1955e63..9f66a6d642 100644
--- a/env/fat.c
+++ b/env/fat.c
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ static int env_fat_load(void)
 		goto err_env_relocate;
 	}
 
-	return env_import(buf, 1);
+	return env_import(buf, 1, H_EXTERNAL);
 
 err_env_relocate:
 	env_set_default(NULL, 0);
diff --git a/env/flash.c b/env/flash.c
index 3198147c38..722d5adf8b 100644
--- a/env/flash.c
+++ b/env/flash.c
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ static int env_flash_load(void)
 		     "reading environment; recovered successfully\n\n");
 #endif /* CONFIG_ENV_ADDR_REDUND */
 
-	return env_import((char *)flash_addr, 1);
+	return env_import((char *)flash_addr, 1, H_EXTERNAL);
 }
 #endif /* LOADENV */
 
diff --git a/env/mmc.c b/env/mmc.c
index a8b661db80..d8fb51ffe6 100644
--- a/env/mmc.c
+++ b/env/mmc.c
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ static int env_mmc_load(void)
 	read2_fail = read_env(mmc, CONFIG_ENV_SIZE, offset2, tmp_env2);
 
 	ret = env_import_redund((char *)tmp_env1, read1_fail, (char *)tmp_env2,
-				read2_fail);
+				read2_fail, H_EXTERNAL);
 
 fini:
 	fini_mmc_for_env(mmc);
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ static int env_mmc_load(void)
 		goto fini;
 	}
 
-	ret = env_import(buf, 1);
+	ret = env_import(buf, 1, H_EXTERNAL);
 	if (!ret) {
 		ep = (env_t *)buf;
 		gd->env_addr = (ulong)&ep->data;
diff --git a/env/nand.c b/env/nand.c
index 8b0027d304..0d7ee19bc2 100644
--- a/env/nand.c
+++ b/env/nand.c
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ static int env_nand_load(void)
 	read2_fail = readenv(CONFIG_ENV_OFFSET_REDUND, (u_char *) tmp_env2);
 
 	ret = env_import_redund((char *)tmp_env1, read1_fail, (char *)tmp_env2,
-				read2_fail);
+				read2_fail, H_EXTERNAL);
 
 done:
 	free(tmp_env1);
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ static int env_nand_load(void)
 		return -EIO;
 	}
 
-	return env_import(buf, 1);
+	return env_import(buf, 1, H_EXTERNAL);
 #endif /* ! ENV_IS_EMBEDDED */
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/env/nvram.c b/env/nvram.c
index 1a9fcf1c06..7c8ea26f96 100644
--- a/env/nvram.c
+++ b/env/nvram.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ static int env_nvram_load(void)
 #else
 	memcpy(buf, (void *)CONFIG_ENV_ADDR, CONFIG_ENV_SIZE);
 #endif
-	return env_import(buf, 1);
+	return env_import(buf, 1, H_EXTERNAL);
 }
 
 static int env_nvram_save(void)
diff --git a/env/onenand.c b/env/onenand.c
index dfd4e939f8..a2477cef9b 100644
--- a/env/onenand.c
+++ b/env/onenand.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ static int env_onenand_load(void)
 		mtd->writesize = MAX_ONENAND_PAGESIZE;
 #endif /* !ENV_IS_EMBEDDED */
 
-	rc = env_import(buf, 1);
+	rc = env_import(buf, 1, H_EXTERNAL);
 	if (!rc)
 		gd->env_valid = ENV_VALID;
 
diff --git a/env/remote.c b/env/remote.c
index e3f0608b16..d93a137376 100644
--- a/env/remote.c
+++ b/env/remote.c
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ static int env_remote_save(void)
 static int env_remote_load(void)
 {
 #ifndef ENV_IS_EMBEDDED
-	return env_import((char *)env_ptr, 1);
+	return env_import((char *)env_ptr, 1, H_EXTERNAL);
 #endif
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/env/sata.c b/env/sata.c
index 8bfcc94306..9442cfcaf3 100644
--- a/env/sata.c
+++ b/env/sata.c
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ static void env_sata_load(void)
 		return -EIO;
 	}
 
-	return env_import(buf, 1);
+	return env_import(buf, 1, H_EXTERNAL);
 }
 
 U_BOOT_ENV_LOCATION(sata) = {
diff --git a/env/sf.c b/env/sf.c
index 3e524f2947..81d6e74127 100644
--- a/env/sf.c
+++ b/env/sf.c
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ static int env_sf_load(void)
 				    CONFIG_ENV_SIZE, tmp_env2);
 
 	ret = env_import_redund((char *)tmp_env1, read1_fail, (char *)tmp_env2,
-				read2_fail);
+				read2_fail, H_EXTERNAL);
 
 	spi_flash_free(env_flash);
 	env_flash = NULL;
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ static int env_sf_load(void)
 		goto err_read;
 	}
 
-	ret = env_import(buf, 1);
+	ret = env_import(buf, 1, H_EXTERNAL);
 	if (!ret)
 		gd->env_valid = ENV_VALID;
 
diff --git a/env/ubi.c b/env/ubi.c
index 08aac47df2..5502efe28b 100644
--- a/env/ubi.c
+++ b/env/ubi.c
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ static int env_ubi_load(void)
 		       CONFIG_ENV_UBI_PART, CONFIG_ENV_UBI_VOLUME_REDUND);
 
 	return env_import_redund((char *)tmp_env1, read1_fail, (char *)tmp_env2,
-							 read2_fail);
+				 read2_fail, H_EXTERNAL);
 }
 #else /* ! CONFIG_SYS_REDUNDAND_ENVIRONMENT */
 static int env_ubi_load(void)
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ static int env_ubi_load(void)
 		return -EIO;
 	}
 
-	return env_import(buf, 1);
+	return env_import(buf, 1, H_EXTERNAL);
 }
 #endif /* CONFIG_SYS_REDUNDAND_ENVIRONMENT */
 
diff --git a/include/env.h b/include/env.h
index d6c2d751d6..8cc70fd752 100644
--- a/include/env.h
+++ b/include/env.h
@@ -288,10 +288,11 @@ int env_erase(void);
  * @buf: Buffer containing the environment (struct environemnt_s *)
  * @check: non-zero to check the CRC at the start of the environment, 0 to
  *	ignore it
+ * @flags: Flags controlling matching (H_... - see search.h)
  * @return 0 if imported successfully, -ENOMSG if the CRC was bad, -EIO if
  *	something else went wrong
  */
-int env_import(const char *buf, int check);
+int env_import(const char *buf, int check, int flags);
 
 /**
  * env_export() - Export the environment to a buffer
@@ -310,10 +311,12 @@ int env_export(struct environment_s *env_out);
  * @buf1_read_fail: 0 if buf1 is valid, non-zero if invalid
  * @buf2: Second environment (struct environemnt_s *)
  * @buf2_read_fail: 0 if buf2 is valid, non-zero if invalid
+ * @flags: Flags controlling matching (H_... - see search.h)
  * @return 0 if OK, -EIO if no environment is valid, -ENOMSG if the CRC was bad
  */
 int env_import_redund(const char *buf1, int buf1_read_fail,
-		      const char *buf2, int buf2_read_fail);
+		      const char *buf2, int buf2_read_fail,
+		      int flags);
 
 /**
  * env_get_default() - Look up a variable from the default environment
diff --git a/include/search.h b/include/search.h
index c4b50c9630..e56843c26f 100644
--- a/include/search.h
+++ b/include/search.h
@@ -113,5 +113,6 @@ int hwalk_r(struct hsearch_data *htab,
 #define H_PROGRAMMATIC	(1 << 9) /* indicate that an import is from env_set() */
 #define H_ORIGIN_FLAGS	(H_INTERACTIVE | H_PROGRAMMATIC)
 #define H_DEFAULT	(1 << 10) /* indicate that an import is default env */
+#define H_EXTERNAL	(1 << 11) /* indicate that an import is external env */
 
 #endif /* _SEARCH_H_ */
