diff --git a/gax-java/gax-grpc/pom.xml b/gax-java/gax-grpc/pom.xml
index b25e7088149..1bdca58764f 100644
--- a/gax-java/gax-grpc/pom.xml
+++ b/gax-java/gax-grpc/pom.xml
@@ -128,6 +128,16 @@
           </execution>
         </executions>
       </plugin>
+      <plugin>
+        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+        <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
+        <configuration>
+          <argLine>
+            --add-opens java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED
+            --add-opens java.base/java.lang=ALL-UNNAMED
+          </argLine>
+        </configuration>
+      </plugin>
     </plugins>
   </build>
 </project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/gax-java/gax-grpc/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/grpc/InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.java b/gax-java/gax-grpc/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/grpc/InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.java
index e30a4620c74..cd3eed190a8 100644
--- a/gax-java/gax-grpc/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/grpc/InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.java
+++ b/gax-java/gax-grpc/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/grpc/InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.java
@@ -776,13 +776,6 @@ public Builder setAttemptDirectPathXds() {
       return this;
     }
 
-    /** Used by tests to configure the `DIRECT_PATH_ENV_DISABLE_DIRECT_PATH` Env Var */
-    @VisibleForTesting
-    Builder setEnvProvider(EnvironmentProvider envProvider) {
-      this.envProvider = envProvider;
-      return this;
-    }
-
     @VisibleForTesting
     Builder setSystemProductName(String systemProductName) {
       this.systemProductName = systemProductName;
diff --git a/gax-java/gax-grpc/src/test/java/com/google/api/gax/grpc/InstantiatingGrpcChannelProviderTest.java b/gax-java/gax-grpc/src/test/java/com/google/api/gax/grpc/InstantiatingGrpcChannelProviderTest.java
index ec994c2d00a..0daddd66294 100644
--- a/gax-java/gax-grpc/src/test/java/com/google/api/gax/grpc/InstantiatingGrpcChannelProviderTest.java
+++ b/gax-java/gax-grpc/src/test/java/com/google/api/gax/grpc/InstantiatingGrpcChannelProviderTest.java
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@
 import com.google.api.gax.rpc.HeaderProvider;
 import com.google.api.gax.rpc.TransportChannel;
 import com.google.api.gax.rpc.TransportChannelProvider;
-import com.google.api.gax.rpc.internal.EnvironmentProvider;
 import com.google.api.gax.rpc.mtls.AbstractMtlsTransportChannelTest;
 import com.google.api.gax.rpc.mtls.MtlsProvider;
 import com.google.auth.Credentials;
@@ -71,6 +70,7 @@
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeAll;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junitpioneer.jupiter.SetEnvironmentVariable;
 import org.mockito.ArgumentCaptor;
 import org.mockito.Mockito;
 import org.threeten.bp.Duration;
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@
 class InstantiatingGrpcChannelProviderTest extends AbstractMtlsTransportChannelTest {
   private static final String DEFAULT_ENDPOINT = "test.googleapis.com:443";
   private static String originalOSName;
-  private EnvironmentProvider envProvider;
   private ComputeEngineCredentials computeEngineCredentials;
 
   @BeforeAll
@@ -89,12 +88,6 @@ public static void setupClass() {
   @BeforeEach
   public void setup() throws IOException {
     System.setProperty("os.name", "Linux");
-    // These mocks are the default mocks used to enable DirectPath
-    envProvider = Mockito.mock(EnvironmentProvider.class);
-    Mockito.when(
-            envProvider.getenv(
-                InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.DIRECT_PATH_ENV_DISABLE_DIRECT_PATH))
-        .thenReturn("false");
     computeEngineCredentials = Mockito.mock(ComputeEngineCredentials.class);
   }
 
@@ -668,7 +661,6 @@ void testLogDirectPathMisconfigNotOnGCE() throws Exception {
   public void canUseDirectPath_happyPath() {
     InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider provider =
         InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.newBuilder()
-            .setEnvProvider(envProvider)
             .setAttemptDirectPath(true)
             .setCredentials(computeEngineCredentials)
             .setEndpoint(DEFAULT_ENDPOINT)
@@ -678,15 +670,12 @@ public void canUseDirectPath_happyPath() {
   }
 
   @Test
+  @SetEnvironmentVariable(
+      key = InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.DIRECT_PATH_ENV_DISABLE_DIRECT_PATH,
+      value = "true")
   public void canUseDirectPath_directPathEnvVarDisabled() {
-    EnvironmentProvider envProvider = Mockito.mock(EnvironmentProvider.class);
-    Mockito.when(
-            envProvider.getenv(
-                InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.DIRECT_PATH_ENV_DISABLE_DIRECT_PATH))
-        .thenReturn("true");
     InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider provider =
         InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.newBuilder()
-            .setEnvProvider(envProvider)
             .setAttemptDirectPath(true)
             .setCredentials(computeEngineCredentials)
             .setEndpoint(DEFAULT_ENDPOINT)
@@ -697,15 +686,8 @@ public void canUseDirectPath_directPathEnvVarDisabled() {
 
   @Test
   public void canUseDirectPath_directPathEnvVarNotSet_attemptDirectPathIsTrue() {
-    EnvironmentProvider envProvider = Mockito.mock(EnvironmentProvider.class);
-    // If system property is not set, then System.getProperty() returns null
-    Mockito.when(
-            envProvider.getenv(
-                InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.DIRECT_PATH_ENV_DISABLE_DIRECT_PATH))
-        .thenReturn(null);
     InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider provider =
         InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.newBuilder()
-            .setEnvProvider(envProvider)
             .setAttemptDirectPath(true)
             .setCredentials(computeEngineCredentials)
             .setEndpoint(DEFAULT_ENDPOINT)
@@ -716,14 +698,8 @@ public void canUseDirectPath_directPathEnvVarNotSet_attemptDirectPathIsTrue() {
 
   @Test
   public void canUseDirectPath_directPathEnvVarNotSet_attemptDirectPathIsFalse() {
-    EnvironmentProvider envProvider = Mockito.mock(EnvironmentProvider.class);
-    Mockito.when(
-            envProvider.getenv(
-                InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.DIRECT_PATH_ENV_DISABLE_DIRECT_PATH))
-        .thenReturn(null);
     InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider provider =
         InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.newBuilder()
-            .setEnvProvider(envProvider)
             .setAttemptDirectPath(false)
             .setCredentials(computeEngineCredentials)
             .setEndpoint(DEFAULT_ENDPOINT)
@@ -733,11 +709,13 @@ public void canUseDirectPath_directPathEnvVarNotSet_attemptDirectPathIsFalse() {
   }
 
   @Test
+  @SetEnvironmentVariable(
+      key = InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.DIRECT_PATH_ENV_DISABLE_DIRECT_PATH,
+      value = "false")
   public void canUseDirectPath_nonComputeCredentials() {
     Credentials credentials = Mockito.mock(Credentials.class);
     InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider provider =
         InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.newBuilder()
-            .setEnvProvider(envProvider)
             .setAttemptDirectPath(true)
             .setCredentials(credentials)
             .setEndpoint(DEFAULT_ENDPOINT)
@@ -747,11 +725,13 @@ public void canUseDirectPath_nonComputeCredentials() {
   }
 
   @Test
+  @SetEnvironmentVariable(
+      key = InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.DIRECT_PATH_ENV_DISABLE_DIRECT_PATH,
+      value = "false")
   public void canUseDirectPath_isNotOnComputeEngine_invalidOsNameSystemProperty() {
     System.setProperty("os.name", "Not Linux");
     InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider provider =
         InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.newBuilder()
-            .setEnvProvider(envProvider)
             .setAttemptDirectPath(true)
             .setCredentials(computeEngineCredentials)
             .setEndpoint(DEFAULT_ENDPOINT)
@@ -761,10 +741,12 @@ public void canUseDirectPath_isNotOnComputeEngine_invalidOsNameSystemProperty()
   }
 
   @Test
+  @SetEnvironmentVariable(
+      key = InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.DIRECT_PATH_ENV_DISABLE_DIRECT_PATH,
+      value = "false")
   public void canUseDirectPath_isNotOnComputeEngine_invalidSystemProductName() {
     InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider provider =
         InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.newBuilder()
-            .setEnvProvider(envProvider)
             .setAttemptDirectPath(true)
             .setCredentials(computeEngineCredentials)
             .setEndpoint(DEFAULT_ENDPOINT)
@@ -774,10 +756,12 @@ public void canUseDirectPath_isNotOnComputeEngine_invalidSystemProductName() {
   }
 
   @Test
+  @SetEnvironmentVariable(
+      key = InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.DIRECT_PATH_ENV_DISABLE_DIRECT_PATH,
+      value = "false")
   public void canUseDirectPath_isNotOnComputeEngine_unableToGetSystemProductName() {
     InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider provider =
         InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.newBuilder()
-            .setEnvProvider(envProvider)
             .setAttemptDirectPath(true)
             .setCredentials(computeEngineCredentials)
             .setEndpoint(DEFAULT_ENDPOINT)
@@ -787,11 +771,13 @@ public void canUseDirectPath_isNotOnComputeEngine_unableToGetSystemProductName()
   }
 
   @Test
+  @SetEnvironmentVariable(
+      key = InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.DIRECT_PATH_ENV_DISABLE_DIRECT_PATH,
+      value = "false")
   public void canUseDirectPath_nonGDUUniverseDomain() {
     String nonGDUEndpoint = "test.random.com:443";
     InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider provider =
         InstantiatingGrpcChannelProvider.newBuilder()
-            .setEnvProvider(envProvider)
             .setAttemptDirectPath(true)
             .setCredentials(computeEngineCredentials)
             .setEndpoint(nonGDUEndpoint)
diff --git a/gax-java/pom.xml b/gax-java/pom.xml
index 9adaacbbff2..f850f2872bd 100644
--- a/gax-java/pom.xml
+++ b/gax-java/pom.xml
@@ -189,6 +189,12 @@
       <artifactId>mockito-junit-jupiter</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+    <dependency>
+      <groupId>org.junit-pioneer</groupId>
+      <artifactId>junit-pioneer</artifactId>
+      <version>2.2.0</version>
+      <scope>test</scope>
+    </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.google.truth</groupId>
       <artifactId>truth</artifactId>