diff --git a/modulecmd.tcl.in b/modulecmd.tcl.in
index 082f09cc..a06488e4 100755
--- a/modulecmd.tcl.in
+++ b/modulecmd.tcl.in
@@ -1918,6 +1918,10 @@ proc unload-path {args} {
    # save initial variable content to match index arguments
    if {[info exists env($var)]} {
       set dir_list [split $env($var) $separator]
+      # detect if empty env value means empty path entry
+      if {[llength $dir_list] == 0 && [info exists countarr()]} {
+         lappend dir_list {}
+      }
    } else {
       set dir_list [list]
    }
@@ -1978,7 +1982,7 @@ proc unload-path {args} {
    # update variable if some element need to be removed
    if {[llength $del_idx_list] > 0} {
       set del_idx_list [lsort -integer -unique $del_idx_list]
-      set newpath ""
+      set newpath [list]
       set nbelem [llength $dir_list]
       # rebuild list of element without indexes set for deletion
       for {set i 0} {$i < $nbelem} {incr i} {
@@ -1986,13 +1990,17 @@ proc unload-path {args} {
             lappend newpath [lindex $dir_list $i]
          }
       }
-      if {$newpath eq ""} {
-         unset-env $var
-         set g_stateEnvVars($var) "del"
-      } else {
-         set env($var) [join $newpath $separator]
-         set g_stateEnvVars($var) "new"
-      }
+   } else {
+      set newpath $dir_list
+   }
+
+   # set env variable and corresponding reference counter in any case
+   if {[llength $newpath] == 0} {
+      unset-env $var
+      set g_stateEnvVars($var) "del"
+   } else {
+      set env($var) [join $newpath $separator]
+      set g_stateEnvVars($var) "new"
    }
 
    set sharevar "${var}_modshare"
diff --git a/testsuite/modules.50-cmds/055-prepend-undo.exp b/testsuite/modules.50-cmds/055-prepend-undo.exp
index a9dcc8c5..352be39f 100644
--- a/testsuite/modules.50-cmds/055-prepend-undo.exp
+++ b/testsuite/modules.50-cmds/055-prepend-undo.exp
@@ -215,9 +215,9 @@ set env(LOADEDMODULES) "$module:$module2"
 set env(LOADEDMODULES_modshare) "$module:1:$module2:1"
 
 set ans [list]
-lappend ans [list unset FOO]
 lappend ans [list unset _LMFILES__modshare]
 lappend ans [list unset LOADEDMODULES_modshare]
+lappend ans [list unset FOO]
 lappend ans [list unset _LMFILES_]
 lappend ans [list unset LOADEDMODULES]
 lappend ans [list unset FOO_modshare]
@@ -234,6 +234,7 @@ testouterr_cmd "sh" "unload $module2" $ans ""
 
 set ans [list]
 lappend ans [list set FOO_modshare "/path/to/dir:1::1"]
+lappend ans [list set FOO "/path/to/dir:"]
 lappend ans [list setpath LOADEDMODULES $module2]
 lappend ans [list setpath _LMFILES_ $modulefile2]
 
@@ -248,9 +249,9 @@ set env(LOADEDMODULES) "$module2:$module"
 set env(LOADEDMODULES_modshare) "$module:1:$module2:1"
 
 set ans [list]
-lappend ans [list unset FOO]
 lappend ans [list unset _LMFILES__modshare]
 lappend ans [list unset LOADEDMODULES_modshare]
+lappend ans [list unset FOO]
 lappend ans [list unset _LMFILES_]
 lappend ans [list unset LOADEDMODULES]
 lappend ans [list unset FOO_modshare]
@@ -267,6 +268,7 @@ testouterr_cmd "sh" "unload $module2" $ans ""
 
 set ans [list]
 lappend ans [list set FOO_modshare "/path/to/dir:1::1"]
+lappend ans [list set FOO "/path/to/dir:"]
 lappend ans [list setpath LOADEDMODULES $module2]
 lappend ans [list setpath _LMFILES_ $modulefile2]
 
diff --git a/testsuite/modules.50-cmds/060-remove.exp b/testsuite/modules.50-cmds/060-remove.exp
index 620f9d7f..936d738b 100644
--- a/testsuite/modules.50-cmds/060-remove.exp
+++ b/testsuite/modules.50-cmds/060-remove.exp
@@ -115,6 +115,25 @@ lappend ans [list setpath _LMFILES_ $modulefile]
 testouterr_cmd "sh" "load $module" $ans ""
 
 
+#
+# Remove unknown path on a var set empty
+#
+
+set module "remove/3.0"
+set modulefile "$modpath/$module"
+
+set env(FOO_modshare) ":1"
+set env(FOO) ""
+
+set ans [list]
+lappend ans [list set FOO_modshare ":1"]
+lappend ans [list set FOO ""]
+lappend ans [list setpath LOADEDMODULES $module]
+lappend ans [list setpath _LMFILES_ $modulefile]
+
+testouterr_cmd "sh" "load $module" $ans ""
+
+
 #
 # Remove path added in duplication mode
 #
@@ -157,6 +176,7 @@ set env(FOO_modshare) "/path/to/dir1:3:/path/to/dir2:1"
 
 set ans [list]
 lappend ans [list set FOO_modshare "/path/to/dir1:2:/path/to/dir2:1"]
+lappend ans [list set FOO "/path/to/dir1:/path/to/dir2:/path/to/dir1"]
 lappend ans [list setpath LOADEDMODULES $module]
 lappend ans [list setpath _LMFILES_ $modulefile]
 
@@ -195,6 +215,7 @@ set env(FOO) ""
 
 set ans [list]
 lappend ans [list set FOO_modshare ":1"]
+lappend ans [list set FOO ""]
 lappend ans [list setpath LOADEDMODULES $module]
 lappend ans [list setpath _LMFILES_ $modulefile]
 
@@ -217,6 +238,7 @@ set env(FOO) "/path/to/dir1:/path/to/dir2:/path/to/dir1:/path/to/dir1"
 
 set ans [list]
 lappend ans [list set FOO_modshare "/path/to/dir1:2:/path/to/dir2:1"]
+lappend ans [list set FOO "/path/to/dir1:/path/to/dir2:/path/to/dir1:/path/to/dir1"]
 lappend ans [list setpath LOADEDMODULES $module]
 lappend ans [list setpath _LMFILES_ $modulefile]
 
diff --git a/testsuite/modules.70-maint/152-remove-path.exp b/testsuite/modules.70-maint/152-remove-path.exp
index eefc5caa..6d5873e0 100644
--- a/testsuite/modules.70-maint/152-remove-path.exp
+++ b/testsuite/modules.70-maint/152-remove-path.exp
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ set path1 "/path/to/dir1"
 set path2 "/path/other/dir2"
 set path3 "/path/other/dir3"
 
-lappend ans [list unset FOO_modshare]
+lappend ans [list unsetpath FOO]
 
 testouterr_cmd_re "sh" "remove-path FOO $path1" $ans ""
 
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ testouterr_cmd_re "sh" "remove-path --delim : FOO $path2" $ans ""
 testouterr_cmd_re "sh" "remove-path --delim=: FOO $path2" $ans ""
 
 set ans [list]
+lappend ans [list set FOO "$path1:$path2"]
 lappend ans [list set FOO_modshare "$path1:1:$path2:1"]
 testouterr_cmd_re "sh" "remove-path FOO $path3" $ans ""