diff --git a/src/gap.c b/src/gap.c
index 0e336db901..82ffda1f97 100644
--- a/src/gap.c
+++ b/src/gap.c
@@ -1052,13 +1052,13 @@ static Obj FuncSHOULD_QUIT_ON_BREAK(Obj self)
 ** The general idea is to put all kernel-specific info in here, and clean up
 ** the assortment of global variables previously used
 */
+static Obj KernelArgs;
 
 static Obj FuncKERNEL_INFO(Obj self)
 {
     Obj  res = NEW_PREC(0);
     UInt r;
     Obj  tmp;
-    UInt i;
 
     AssPRec(res, RNamName("GAP_ARCHITECTURE"), MakeImmString(GAPARCH));
     AssPRec(res, RNamName("KERNEL_VERSION"), MakeImmString(SyKernelVersion));
@@ -1073,15 +1073,11 @@ static Obj FuncKERNEL_INFO(Obj self)
     AssPRec(res, RNamName("uname"), SyGetOsRelease());
 
     // make command line available to GAP level
-    tmp = NEW_PLIST_IMM(T_PLIST, 16);
-    for (i = 0; SyOriginalArgv[i]; i++) {
-        PushPlist(tmp, MakeImmString(SyOriginalArgv[i]));
-    }
-    AssPRec(res, RNamName("COMMAND_LINE"), tmp);
+    AssPRec(res, RNamName("COMMAND_LINE"), KernelArgs);
 
     // make environment available to GAP level
     tmp = NEW_PREC(0);
-    for (i = 0; environ[i]; i++) {
+    for (int i = 0; environ[i]; i++) {
         Char * p = strchr(environ[i], '=');
         if (!p) {
             // should never happen...
@@ -1317,6 +1313,7 @@ static Int InitKernel (
 {
     // register global bags with the garbage collector
     InitGlobalBag( &WindowCmdString, "src/gap.c:WindowCmdString" );
+    InitGlobalBag( &KernelArgs, "src/gap.c:KernelArgs" );
 
     // init filters and functions
     InitHdlrFuncsFromTable( GVarFuncs );
@@ -1458,6 +1455,12 @@ void InitializeGap (
     // call kernel initialisation
     ModulesInitKernel();
 
+    // make command line available to GAP level
+    KernelArgs = NEW_PLIST_IMM(T_PLIST, *pargc);
+    for (int i = 0; i < *pargc; i++) {
+        PushPlist(KernelArgs, MakeImmString(argv[i]));
+    }
+
 #ifdef HPCGAP
     InitMainThread();
 #endif
diff --git a/src/sysopt.h b/src/sysopt.h
index 448234599d..cb04f7a598 100644
--- a/src/sysopt.h
+++ b/src/sysopt.h
@@ -157,8 +157,6 @@ extern Char * SyRestoring;
 
 extern UInt SyInitializing;
 
-extern Char ** SyOriginalArgv;
-extern UInt    SyOriginalArgc;
 
 /****************************************************************************
 **
diff --git a/src/system.c b/src/system.c
index 6a6ae0475a..8b027161b0 100644
--- a/src/system.c
+++ b/src/system.c
@@ -541,11 +541,6 @@ static const struct optInfo options[] = {
   { 0, "", 0, 0, 0}};
 
 
-Char ** SyOriginalArgv;
-UInt SyOriginalArgc;
-
-
-
 void InitSystem (
     Int                 argc,
     Char *              argv [],
@@ -609,10 +604,6 @@ void InitSystem (
         SyInstallAnswerIntr();
     }
 
-    // save the original command line for export to GAP
-    SyOriginalArgc = argc;
-    SyOriginalArgv = argv;
-
     // scan the command line for options that we have to process in the kernel
     // we just scan the whole command line looking for the keys for the options we recognise
     // anything else will presumably be dealt with in the library