diff --git a/src/libsyntax/ext/env.rs b/src/libsyntax/ext/env.rs
index c9e01b0f0d5..cb2d4f8ba24 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/ext/env.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/ext/env.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ pub fn expand_option_env(ext_cx: @ExtCtxt, sp: span, tts: &[ast::token_tree])
     let var = get_single_str_from_tts(ext_cx, sp, tts, "option_env!");
 
     let e = match os::getenv(var) {
-      None => quote_expr!(::std::option::None),
+      None => quote_expr!(::std::option::None::<&'static str>),
       Some(s) => quote_expr!(::std::option::Some($s))
     };
     MRExpr(e)
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/extoption_env-not-defined.rs b/src/test/run-pass/extoption_env-not-defined.rs
index 412efcc25a8..cbf4c36c5df 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/extoption_env-not-defined.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/extoption_env-not-defined.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,5 @@
 // except according to those terms.
 
 fn main() {
-    let opt: Option<&'static str> = option_env!("__HOPEFULLY_DOESNT_EXIST__");
-    assert!(opt.is_none());
+    assert!(option_env!("__HOPEFULLY_DOESNT_EXIST__").is_none());
 }