diff --git a/init/eessi_environment_variables b/init/eessi_environment_variables
index 10ac1926f4..42f4b6b76a 100644
--- a/init/eessi_environment_variables
+++ b/init/eessi_environment_variables
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ function error() {
     false
 }
 
-# set up minimal environment: $EESSI_PREFIX, $EESSI_PILOT_VERSION, $EESSI_OS_TYPE, $EESSI_CPU_FAMILY, $EPREFIX
+# set up minimal environment: $EESSI_PREFIX, $EESSI_VERSION, $EESSI_OS_TYPE, $EESSI_CPU_FAMILY, $EPREFIX
 source $EESSI_INIT_DIR_PATH/minimal_eessi_env
 
 if [ -d $EESSI_PREFIX ]; then
-  echo "Found EESSI pilot repo @ $EESSI_PREFIX!" >> $output
+  echo "Found EESSI repo @ $EESSI_PREFIX!" >> $output
 
   export EESSI_EPREFIX=$EPREFIX
   if [ -d $EESSI_EPREFIX ]; then
@@ -29,11 +29,13 @@ if [ -d $EESSI_PREFIX ]; then
       # if archdetect is enabled, use internal code
       export EESSI_SOFTWARE_SUBDIR=$(${EESSI_INIT_DIR_PATH}/eessi_archdetect.sh cpupath)
       echo "archdetect says ${EESSI_SOFTWARE_SUBDIR}" >> $output
-    else
+    elif [ "$EESSI_USE_ARCHSPEC" == "1" ]; then
       # note: eessi_software_subdir_for_host.py will pick up value from $EESSI_SOFTWARE_SUBDIR_OVERRIDE if it's defined!
       export EESSI_EPREFIX_PYTHON=$EESSI_EPREFIX/usr/bin/python3
       export EESSI_SOFTWARE_SUBDIR=$($EESSI_EPREFIX_PYTHON ${EESSI_INIT_DIR_PATH}/eessi_software_subdir_for_host.py $EESSI_PREFIX)
       echo "archspec says ${EESSI_SOFTWARE_SUBDIR}" >> $output
+    else
+      error "Don't know how to detect host CPU, giving up!"
     fi
     if [ ! -z $EESSI_SOFTWARE_SUBDIR ]; then
 
@@ -82,5 +84,5 @@ if [ -d $EESSI_PREFIX ]; then
     error "Compatibility layer directory $EESSI_EPREFIX not found!"
   fi
 else
-  error "EESSI pilot repository at $EESSI_PREFIX not found!"
+  error "EESSI repository at $EESSI_PREFIX not found!"
 fi