diff --git a/platform/lang-api/src/com/intellij/execution/configurations/SimpleProgramParameters.java b/platform/lang-api/src/com/intellij/execution/configurations/SimpleProgramParameters.java
index 808127ad6c6b..28c34514d349 100644
--- a/platform/lang-api/src/com/intellij/execution/configurations/SimpleProgramParameters.java
+++ b/platform/lang-api/src/com/intellij/execution/configurations/SimpleProgramParameters.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package com.intellij.execution.configurations;
 
 import com.intellij.execution.configuration.EnvironmentVariablesComponent;
+import gnu.trove.THashMap;
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.util.HashMap;
@@ -48,6 +49,14 @@ public class SimpleProgramParameters {
     return myEnv;
   }
 
+  public String addEnv(String name, String value) {
+    if (myEnv == null) {
+      myEnv = new THashMap<String, String>();
+    }
+
+    return myEnv.put(name, value);
+  }
+
   public void setEnv(final Map<String, String> env) {
     myEnv = env;
   }
diff --git a/plugins/maven/src/main/java/org/jetbrains/idea/maven/execution/MavenJUnitPatcher.java b/plugins/maven/src/main/java/org/jetbrains/idea/maven/execution/MavenJUnitPatcher.java
index 113e21f9992e..26255aba8665 100644
--- a/plugins/maven/src/main/java/org/jetbrains/idea/maven/execution/MavenJUnitPatcher.java
+++ b/plugins/maven/src/main/java/org/jetbrains/idea/maven/execution/MavenJUnitPatcher.java
@@ -67,5 +67,15 @@ public class MavenJUnitPatcher extends JUnitPatcher {
         javaParameters.getVMParametersList().addProperty(propertyName, value);
       }
     }
+
+    Element environmentVariables = config.getChild("environmentVariables");
+    if (environmentVariables != null) {
+      for (Element element : (List<Element>)environmentVariables.getChildren()) {
+        String variableName = element.getName();
+        String value = element.getValue();
+
+        javaParameters.addEnv(variableName, value);
+      }
+    }
   }
 }