diff --git a/env/Kconfig b/env/Kconfig
index c409ea71fe..6e24eee55f 100644
--- a/env/Kconfig
+++ b/env/Kconfig
@@ -733,6 +733,7 @@ config ENV_APPEND
 
 config ENV_WRITEABLE_LIST
 	bool "Permit write access only to listed variables"
+	select ENV_APPEND
 	help
 	  If defined, only environment variables which explicitly set the 'w'
 	  writeable flag can be written and modified at runtime. No variables
diff --git a/env/env.c b/env/env.c
index 0f73ebc08e..ad774f4117 100644
--- a/env/env.c
+++ b/env/env.c
@@ -192,6 +192,14 @@ int env_load(void)
 	int best_prio = -1;
 	int prio;
 
+	if (CONFIG_IS_ENABLED(ENV_WRITEABLE_LIST)) {
+		/*
+		 * When using a list of writeable variables, the baseline comes
+		 * from the built-in default env. So load this first.
+		 */
+		env_set_default(NULL, 0);
+	}
+
 	for (prio = 0; (drv = env_driver_lookup(ENVOP_LOAD, prio)); prio++) {
 		int ret;