diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 8551c894db..c64b9c3695 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
-use std::borrow::Cow;
 use std::fmt::{self, Debug, Display};
-use std::io;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::str::FromStr;
 use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::{env, io};
 
 use anyhow::{anyhow, bail, Context, Result};
 use serde::Deserialize;
@@ -288,30 +287,24 @@ impl<'a> Cfg<'a> {
         let default_host_triple =
             settings_file.with(|s| Ok(get_default_host_triple(s, process)))?;
         // Environment override
-        let env_override = process
-            .var("RUSTUP_TOOLCHAIN")
-            .ok()
-            .and_then(utils::if_not_empty)
+        let env_override = non_empty_env_var("RUSTUP_TOOLCHAIN", process)?
             .map(ResolvableLocalToolchainName::try_from)
             .transpose()?
             .map(|t| t.resolve(&default_host_triple))
             .transpose()?;
 
-        let dist_root_server = match process.var("RUSTUP_DIST_SERVER") {
-            Ok(s) if !s.is_empty() => {
+        let dist_root_server = match non_empty_env_var("RUSTUP_DIST_SERVER", process)? {
+            Some(s) => {
                 trace!("`RUSTUP_DIST_SERVER` has been set to `{s}`");
                 s
             }
-            _ => {
+            None => {
                 // For backward compatibility
-                process
-                    .var("RUSTUP_DIST_ROOT")
-                    .ok()
-                    .and_then(utils::if_not_empty)
+                non_empty_env_var("RUSTUP_DIST_ROOT", process)?
                     .inspect(|url| trace!("`RUSTUP_DIST_ROOT` has been set to `{url}`"))
-                    .map_or(Cow::Borrowed(dist::DEFAULT_DIST_ROOT), Cow::Owned)
                     .as_ref()
-                    .trim_end_matches("/dist")
+                    .map(|root| root.trim_end_matches("/dist"))
+                    .unwrap_or(dist::DEFAULT_DIST_SERVER)
                     .to_owned()
             }
         };
@@ -1000,6 +993,15 @@ fn get_default_host_triple(s: &Settings, process: &Process) -> dist::TargetTripl
         .unwrap_or_else(|| dist::TargetTriple::from_host_or_build(process))
 }
 
+fn non_empty_env_var(name: &str, process: &Process) -> anyhow::Result<Option<String>> {
+    match process.var(name) {
+        Ok(s) if !s.is_empty() => Ok(Some(s)),
+        Ok(_) => Ok(None),
+        Err(env::VarError::NotPresent) => Ok(None),
+        Err(err) => Err(err.into()),
+    }
+}
+
 fn no_toolchain_error(process: &Process) -> anyhow::Error {
     RustupError::ToolchainNotSelected(process.name().unwrap_or_else(|| "Rust".into())).into()
 }
diff --git a/src/dist/mod.rs b/src/dist/mod.rs
index 17d5542c16..239d5227a4 100644
--- a/src/dist/mod.rs
+++ b/src/dist/mod.rs
@@ -41,9 +41,6 @@ pub(crate) use triple::*;
 
 pub static DEFAULT_DIST_SERVER: &str = "https://static.rust-lang.org";
 
-// Deprecated
-pub(crate) static DEFAULT_DIST_ROOT: &str = "https://static.rust-lang.org/dist";
-
 const TOOLSTATE_MSG: &str =
     "If you require these components, please install and use the latest successful build version,\n\
      which you can find at <https://rust-lang.github.io/rustup-components-history>.\n\nAfter determining \
diff --git a/src/utils/raw.rs b/src/utils/raw.rs
index c93296784c..aea44d4bea 100644
--- a/src/utils/raw.rs
+++ b/src/utils/raw.rs
@@ -65,14 +65,6 @@ pub(crate) fn random_string(length: usize) -> String {
         .collect()
 }
 
-pub(crate) fn if_not_empty<S: PartialEq<str>>(s: S) -> Option<S> {
-    if s == *"" {
-        None
-    } else {
-        Some(s)
-    }
-}
-
 pub fn write_file(path: &Path, contents: &str) -> io::Result<()> {
     let mut file = fs::OpenOptions::new()
         .write(true)
diff --git a/src/utils/utils.rs b/src/utils/utils.rs
index a4b974f575..293e1e1b08 100644
--- a/src/utils/utils.rs
+++ b/src/utils/utils.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ use crate::utils::raw;
 
 #[cfg(not(windows))]
 pub(crate) use crate::utils::utils::raw::find_cmd;
-pub(crate) use crate::utils::utils::raw::{if_not_empty, is_directory};
+pub(crate) use crate::utils::utils::raw::is_directory;
 
 pub use crate::utils::utils::raw::{is_file, path_exists};