diff --git a/Lib/test/test_cmd_line.py b/Lib/test/test_cmd_line.py
index 327c1455fcf..c862b2078be 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_cmd_line.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_cmd_line.py
@@ -426,13 +426,11 @@ class CmdLineTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertIn(b'Unknown option: -z', err)
         self.assertEqual(err.splitlines().count(b'Unknown option: -z'), 1)
         self.assertEqual(b'', out)
-        # Add "without='-E'" to prevent _assert_python to append -E
-        # to env_vars and change the output of stderr
-        rc, out, err = assert_python_failure('-z', without='-E')
+        rc, out, err = assert_python_failure('-z')
         self.assertIn(b'Unknown option: -z', err)
         self.assertEqual(err.splitlines().count(b'Unknown option: -z'), 1)
         self.assertEqual(b'', out)
-        rc, out, err = assert_python_failure('-a', '-z', without='-E')
+        rc, out, err = assert_python_failure('-a', '-z')
         self.assertIn(b'Unknown option: -a', err)
         # only the first unknown option is reported
         self.assertNotIn(b'Unknown option: -z', err)