diff --git a/archivebox/config/common.py b/archivebox/config/common.py
index 991f0655..4dbc4627 100644
--- a/archivebox/config/common.py
+++ b/archivebox/config/common.py
@@ -1253,7 +1253,6 @@ def get_config(
             value = config[key]
             if is_sensitive_config_key(key) and value not in (None, ""):
                 setattr(config, key, SENSITIVE_CONFIG_VALUE_REDACTED)
-    os.environ["ABXPKG_LIB_DIR"] = str(config.ABXPKG_LIB_DIR)
     archiving_warning_key = (config.TIMEOUT, config.USE_COLOR)
     if archiving_warning_key not in _WARNED_ARCHIVING_CONFIGS:
         config.warn_if_invalid()
diff --git a/archivebox/config/django.py b/archivebox/config/django.py
index 3b4daec1..c349cdda 100644
--- a/archivebox/config/django.py
+++ b/archivebox/config/django.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ from .common import get_config
 from .constants import CONSTANTS
 
 CONFIG = get_config()
+os.environ.setdefault("ABXPKG_LIB_DIR", str(CONFIG.ABXPKG_LIB_DIR))
 
 if not CONFIG.USE_COLOR:
     os.environ["NO_COLOR"] = "1"
diff --git a/archivebox/tests/test_core_config.py b/archivebox/tests/test_core_config.py
index 292ade80..0593f27c 100644
--- a/archivebox/tests/test_core_config.py
+++ b/archivebox/tests/test_core_config.py
@@ -74,3 +74,24 @@ def test_string_config_values_are_decoded_at_one_boundary():
 
     assert decoded["CHROME_ARGS"] == ["--headless", "--no-sandbox"]
     assert decoded["UNKNOWN_COMPLEX"] == {"source": "plugin"}
+
+
+def test_resolving_scoped_config_does_not_mutate_process_environment(tmp_path):
+    from archivebox.config.common import ArchiveBoxConfig, get_config
+
+    active_lib_dir = tmp_path / "active-lib"
+    stale_lib_dir = tmp_path / "stale-lib"
+    previous_lib_dir = os.environ.get("ABXPKG_LIB_DIR")
+    try:
+        os.environ["ABXPKG_LIB_DIR"] = str(active_lib_dir)
+        stale_process_config = ArchiveBoxConfig(ABXPKG_LIB_DIR=stale_lib_dir)
+
+        resolved = get_config(base_config=stale_process_config, include_machine=False, resolve_plugins=False)
+
+        assert resolved.ABXPKG_LIB_DIR == stale_lib_dir
+        assert os.environ["ABXPKG_LIB_DIR"] == str(active_lib_dir)
+    finally:
+        if previous_lib_dir is None:
+            os.environ.pop("ABXPKG_LIB_DIR", None)
+        else:
+            os.environ["ABXPKG_LIB_DIR"] = previous_lib_dir