diff --git a/make.py b/make.py
index d4bb85f0..75ea991b 100644
--- a/make.py
+++ b/make.py
@@ -249,18 +249,6 @@ def architecture_bits(self) -> int:
             return self.distribution.architecture
         return 64
 
-    @property
-    def pre_path_entries(self) -> list[str]:
-        """Returns a list of PATH entries to prepend to the environment."""
-        return [
-            r"Lib\site-packages\PyQt5",
-            "",  # Python root directory
-            "DLLs",
-            "Scripts",
-            r"..\t",
-            rf"..\{self.NODEJS_RELATIVE_PATH}",
-        ]
-
     def create_installer_7zip(self, installer_type: str = ".exe"):
         """Creates a WinPython installer using 7-Zip: ".exe", ".7z", ".zip")"""
         self._print_action(f"Creating WinPython installer ({installer_type})")
@@ -324,24 +312,12 @@ def _create_initial_batch_scripts(self):
         """Creates initial batch scripts, including environment setup."""
         self._print_action("Creating initial batch scripts")
 
-        path_entries_string = ";".join([rf"%WINPYDIR%\{path}" for path in self.pre_path_entries])
-        full_path_environment_variable = f"{path_entries_string};%PATH%"
-
-        path_entries_powershell_string = ";".join([rf"$env:WINPYDIR\\{path}" for path in self.pre_path_entries])
-        full_path_powershell_environment_variable = f"{path_entries_powershell_string};$env:path"
-
         # Replacements for batch scripts (PyPy compatibility)
         executable_name = self.distribution.short_exe if self.distribution else "python.exe"  # default to python.exe if distribution is not yet set
 
-        destination = self.winpython_directory / "scripts"
-        for script_name in ('env.bat', 'WinPython_PS_Prompt.ps1'):
-            destination_script_path = str(destination / script_name)
-            print('destination_script_path:', destination_script_path)
-            utils.patch_sourcefile(destination_script_path, 'python.exe', executable_name)
-            utils.patch_sourcefile(destination_script_path, '{self.python_dir_name}', self.python_directory_name)
-            utils.patch_sourcefile(destination_script_path, '{self.winpython_version_name}', self.winpython_version_name)
-            utils.patch_sourcefile(destination_script_path, '{full_path_env_var}', full_path_environment_variable)
-            utils.patch_sourcefile(destination_script_path, '{full_path_ps_env_var}', full_path_powershell_environment_variable)
+        init_variables = [('WINPYthon_exe', executable_name), ('WINPYthon_subdirectory_name', self.python_directory_name), ('WINPYVER', self.winpython_version_name)]
+        with open(self.winpython_directory / "scripts" / "env.ini", "w") as f:
+            f.writelines([f'{a}={b}\n' for a , b in init_variables])
 
     def build(self, rebuild: bool = True, requirements_files_list=None, winpy_dirname: str = None):
         """Make or finalise WinPython distribution in the target directory"""
diff --git a/portable/scripts/WinPython_PS_Prompt.ps1 b/portable/scripts/WinPython_PS_Prompt.ps1
index c2f148b5..ecd2d6aa 100644
--- a/portable/scripts/WinPython_PS_Prompt.ps1
+++ b/portable/scripts/WinPython_PS_Prompt.ps1
@@ -1,6 +1,18 @@
 ### WinPython_PS_Prompt.ps1 ###
 $0 = $myInvocation.MyCommand.Definition
 $dp0 = [System.IO.Path]::GetDirectoryName($0)
+
+# default if env.cfg fails
+$env:WINPYthon_subdirectory_name = "python"
+$env:WINPYthon_exe = "python.exe"
+# Define the path to the config file
+Get-Content (${PSScriptRoot} +"\env.ini") | ForEach-Object {
+    $parts = $_ -split '=', 2
+    if ($parts.Count -eq 2) {
+        Set-Variable -Name ($parts[0]).Trim() -Value $parts[1].Trim() -Scope Global
+    }
+}
+
 # $env:PYTHONUTF8 = 1 would create issues in "movable" patching
 $env:WINPYDIRBASE = "$dp0\.."
 # get a normalize path
@@ -9,12 +21,12 @@ $env:WINPYDIRBASE = [System.IO.Path]::GetFullPath( $env:WINPYDIRBASE )
 
 # avoid double_init (will only resize screen)
 if (-not ($env:WINPYDIR -eq [System.IO.Path]::GetFullPath( $env:WINPYDIRBASE+"\{self.python_dir_name}")) ) {
-$env:WINPYDIR = $env:WINPYDIRBASE+"\{self.python_dir_name}"
+$env:WINPYDIR = $env:WINPYDIRBASE+ "\" +$env:WINPYthon_subdirectory_name
 # 2019-08-25 pyjulia needs absolutely a variable PYTHON=%WINPYDIR%python.exe
-$env:PYTHON = "%WINPYDIR%\python.exe"
+$env:PYTHON = $env:WINPYthon_exe
 $env:PYTHONPATHz = "%WINPYDIR%;%WINPYDIR%\Lib;%WINPYDIR%\DLLs"
 
-$env:WINPYVER = '{self.winpython_version_name}'
+$env:WINPYVER = $env:WINPYVER
 # rem 2023-02-12 try utf-8 on console
 # rem see https://github.com/pypa/pip/issues/11798#issuecomment-1427069681
 $env:PYTHONIOENCODING = "utf-8"
@@ -28,7 +40,8 @@ $env:WINPYDIRBASE = ""
 $env:JUPYTER_DATA_DIR = "$env:HOME"
 
 if (-not $env:PATH.ToLower().Contains(";"+ $env:WINPYDIR.ToLower()+ ";"))  {
- $env:PATH = "{full_path_ps_env_var}" }
+  $env:PATH = "$env:WINPYDIR\\Lib\site-packages\PyQt5;$env:WINPYDIR\\;$env:WINPYDIR\\DLLs;$env:WINPYDIR\\Scripts;$env:WINPYDIR\\..\t;$env:WINPYDIR\\..\n;$env:path" }
+
 
 #rem force default pyqt5 kit for Spyder if PyQt5 module is there
 if (Test-Path "$env:WINPYDIR\Lib\site-packages\PyQt5\__init__.py") { $env:QT_API = "pyqt5" } 
diff --git a/portable/scripts/env.bat b/portable/scripts/env.bat
index dc8aa552..8320dab2 100644
--- a/portable/scripts/env.bat
+++ b/portable/scripts/env.bat
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
 @echo off
+
+rem default if init fails
+set WINPYthon_subdirectory_name=python
+set WINPYthon_exe=python.exe
+rem read init variables
+FOR /F "usebackq tokens=1,2 delims==" %%G IN ("%~dp0env.ini") DO (set %%G=%%H) 
+
 set WINPYDIRBASE=%~dp0..
 
 rem get a normalized path
@@ -9,11 +16,11 @@ if "%WINPYDIRBASE:~-1%"=="\" set WINPYDIRBASE=%WINPYDIRBASE:~0,-1%
 set WINPYDIRBASETMP=
 popd
 
-set WINPYDIR=%WINPYDIRBASE%\{self.python_dir_name}
+set WINPYDIR=%WINPYDIRBASE%\%WINpython_subdirectory_name%
 rem 2019-08-25 pyjulia needs absolutely a variable PYTHON=%WINPYDIR%\python.exe
-set PYTHON=%WINPYDIR%\python.exe
+set PYTHON=%WINPYDIR%\%WINpython_exe%
 set PYTHONPATHz=%WINPYDIR%;%WINPYDIR%\Lib;%WINPYDIR%\DLLs
-set WINPYVER={self.winpython_version_name}
+set WINPYVER=%WINPYVER%
 
 rem 2023-02-12 utf-8 on console to avoid pip crash
 rem see https://github.com/pypa/pip/issues/11798#issuecomment-1427069681
@@ -32,7 +39,7 @@ rem Remove all double quotes
 set PATH_CLEANED=%PATH:"=%
 echo ";%PATH_CLEANED%;" | %FINDDIR%\find.exe /C /I ";%WINPYDIR%\;" >nul
 if %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
-   set "PATH={full_path_env_var}"
+   set "PATH=%WINPYDIR%\Lib\site-packages\PyQt5;%WINPYDIR%\;%WINPYDIR%\DLLs;%WINPYDIR%\Scripts;%WINPYDIR%\..\t;%WINPYDIR%\..\n;%PATH%"
    cd .
 )
 set PATH_CLEANED=
diff --git a/winpython/__init__.py b/winpython/__init__.py
index bc06e9a6..74e6fb08 100644
--- a/winpython/__init__.py
+++ b/winpython/__init__.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 -----------------------------------------
 
 Copyright (c) 2012-2013 Pierre Raybaut
-Copyright (c) 2014-2024+  The Winpython development team https://github.com/winpython/
+Copyright (c) 2014-2025+  The Winpython development team https://github.com/winpython/
 
 Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person
 obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation
@@ -28,6 +28,6 @@
 OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 """
 
-__version__ = '14.0.20250321'
+__version__ = '15.0.20250330'
 __license__ = __doc__
 __project_url__ = 'http://winpython.github.io/'