diff --git a/apps/default_environment_variables.go b/apps/default_environment_variables.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e9374087d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/default_environment_variables.go
@@ -0,0 +1,205 @@
+package apps
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"path"
+	"strings"
+	"encoding/json"
+
+	. "github.com/cloudfoundry/cf-acceptance-tests/cats_suite_helpers"
+
+	"github.com/cloudfoundry-incubator/cf-test-helpers/cf"
+	"github.com/cloudfoundry-incubator/cf-test-helpers/workflowhelpers"
+	"github.com/cloudfoundry-incubator/cf-test-helpers/helpers"
+	"github.com/cloudfoundry/cf-acceptance-tests/helpers/app_helpers"
+	"github.com/cloudfoundry/cf-acceptance-tests/helpers/assets"
+	"github.com/cloudfoundry/cf-acceptance-tests/helpers/random_name"
+
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega/gexec"
+
+	archive_helpers "code.cloudfoundry.org/archiver/extractor/test_helper"
+	"github.com/cloudfoundry/cf-acceptance-tests/helpers/skip_messages"
+)
+
+var _ = AppsDescribe("Default Environment Variables", func() {
+	var createBuildpack = func() string {
+		tmpPath, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "default-env-var-test")
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+
+		buildpackArchivePath := path.Join(tmpPath, "buildpack.zip")
+
+		archive_helpers.CreateZipArchive(buildpackArchivePath, []archive_helpers.ArchiveFile{
+			{
+				Name: "bin/compile",
+				Body: fmt.Sprintf(`#!/usr/bin/env bash
+sleep 5
+env
+exit 1
+`),
+			},
+			{
+				Name: "bin/detect",
+				Body: `#!/bin/bash
+exit 1
+`,
+			},
+			{
+				Name: "bin/release",
+				Body: `#!/usr/bin/env bash
+exit 1
+`,
+			},
+		})
+
+		return buildpackArchivePath
+	}
+
+	Describe("Default staging environment variables", func() {
+		var appName string
+		var buildpackName string
+
+		BeforeEach(func() {
+			if Config.GetBackend() != "diego" {
+				Skip(skip_messages.SkipDiegoMessage)
+			}
+			appName = random_name.CATSRandomName("APP")
+		})
+
+		AfterEach(func() {
+			app_helpers.AppReport(appName, Config.DefaultTimeoutDuration())
+
+			workflowhelpers.AsUser(TestSetup.AdminUserContext(), Config.DefaultTimeoutDuration(), func() {
+				if buildpackName != "" {
+					Expect(cf.Cf("delete-buildpack", buildpackName, "-f").Wait(Config.DefaultTimeoutDuration())).To(Exit(0))
+				}
+			})
+
+			Expect(cf.Cf("delete", appName, "-f", "-r").Wait(Config.CfPushTimeoutDuration())).To(Exit(0))
+		})
+
+		It("applies default environment variables while staging apps", func() {
+			buildpackName = random_name.CATSRandomName("BPK")
+			buildpackZip := createBuildpack()
+
+			workflowhelpers.AsUser(TestSetup.AdminUserContext(), Config.DefaultTimeoutDuration(), func() {
+				Expect(cf.Cf("create-buildpack", buildpackName, buildpackZip, "999").Wait(Config.DefaultTimeoutDuration())).To(Exit(0))
+			})
+
+			Eventually(cf.Cf(
+				"push", appName,
+				"-p", assets.NewAssets().HelloWorld,
+				"--no-start",
+				"-b", buildpackName,
+				"-m", DEFAULT_MEMORY_LIMIT,
+				"-d", Config.GetAppsDomain()),
+				Config.DefaultTimeoutDuration(),
+			).Should(Exit(0))
+
+			app_helpers.SetBackend(appName)
+			startSession := cf.Cf("start", appName)
+			Eventually(startSession, Config.CfPushTimeoutDuration()).Should(Exit(1))
+
+			stdout := string(startSession.Out.Contents())
+			Expect(stdout).To(MatchRegexp("LANG=en_US\\.UTF-8"))
+			Expect(stdout).To(MatchRegexp("CF_INSTANCE_ADDR=.*"))
+			Expect(stdout).To(MatchRegexp("CF_INSTANCE_INTERNAL_IP=.*"))
+			Expect(stdout).To(MatchRegexp("CF_INSTANCE_IP=.*"))
+			Expect(stdout).To(MatchRegexp("CF_INSTANCE_PORT=.*"))
+			Expect(stdout).To(MatchRegexp("CF_INSTANCE_PORTS=.*"))
+			Expect(stdout).To(MatchRegexp("CF_STACK=.*"))
+			Expect(stdout).To(MatchRegexp("VCAP_APPLICATION=.*"))
+			Expect(stdout).To(MatchRegexp("VCAP_SERVICES=.*"))
+		})
+
+		It("applies default environment variables while running apps and tasks", func() {
+			Eventually(cf.Cf(
+				"push", appName,
+				"-p", assets.NewAssets().Binary,
+				"--no-start",
+				"-b", "binary_buildpack",
+				"-m", DEFAULT_MEMORY_LIMIT,
+				"-d", Config.GetAppsDomain()),
+				Config.DefaultTimeoutDuration(),
+			).Should(Exit(0))
+
+			app_helpers.SetBackend(appName)
+			Eventually(cf.Cf("start", appName), Config.CfPushTimeoutDuration()).Should(Exit(0))
+
+			envLines := helpers.CurlApp(Config, appName, "/env")
+
+			var env map[string]string
+			err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(envLines), &env)
+			Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+
+			Expect(env["LANG"]).To(Equal("en_US.UTF-8"))
+			assertJsonParseable(env, "VCAP_APPLICATION", "VCAP_SERVICES")
+			assertPresent(env,
+				"CF_INSTANCE_ADDR",
+				"CF_INSTANCE_GUID",
+				"CF_INSTANCE_INDEX",
+				"CF_INSTANCE_INTERNAL_IP",
+				"CF_INSTANCE_IP",
+				"CF_INSTANCE_PORT",
+				"CF_INSTANCE_PORTS",
+				"VCAP_APP_HOST",
+				"VCAP_APP_PORT",
+			)
+
+			taskName := "get-env"
+
+			Eventually(cf.Cf(
+				"run-task", appName, "env", "--name", taskName),
+				Config.DefaultTimeoutDuration(),
+			).Should(Exit(0))
+
+			Eventually(func() string {
+				return getTaskDetails(appName)[2]
+			}, Config.DefaultTimeoutDuration()).Should(Equal("SUCCEEDED"))
+
+			var appLogsSession *Session
+			Eventually(func() *Session {
+				appLogsSession = cf.Cf("logs", "--recent", appName)
+				Expect(appLogsSession.Wait(Config.DefaultTimeoutDuration())).To(Exit(0))
+				return appLogsSession
+			}, Config.DefaultTimeoutDuration()).Should(Exit(0))
+
+			taskStdout := string(appLogsSession.Out.Contents())
+			Expect(taskStdout).To(MatchRegexp("TASK.*LANG=en_US\\.UTF-8"))
+			Expect(taskStdout).To(MatchRegexp("TASK.*CF_INSTANCE_ADDR=.*"))
+			Expect(taskStdout).To(MatchRegexp("TASK.*CF_INSTANCE_INTERNAL_IP=.*"))
+			Expect(taskStdout).To(MatchRegexp("TASK.*CF_INSTANCE_IP=.*"))
+			Expect(taskStdout).To(MatchRegexp("TASK.*CF_INSTANCE_PORT=.*"))
+			Expect(taskStdout).To(MatchRegexp("TASK.*CF_INSTANCE_PORTS=.*"))
+			Expect(taskStdout).To(MatchRegexp("TASK.*VCAP_APPLICATION=.*"))
+			Expect(taskStdout).To(MatchRegexp("TASK.*VCAP_SERVICES=.*"))
+		})
+	})
+})
+
+func assertJsonParseable(env map[string]string, varNames ...string) {
+	for _, varName := range varNames {
+		value, ok := env[varName]
+		Expect(ok).To(BeTrue())
+		var vcapStruct map[string]interface{}
+		err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(value), &vcapStruct)
+		Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+	}
+}
+
+func assertPresent(env map[string]string, varNames ...string) {
+	for _, varName := range varNames {
+		_, ok := env[varName]
+		Expect(ok).To(BeTrue())
+	}
+}
+
+func getTaskDetails(appName string) []string {
+	listCommand := cf.Cf("tasks", appName).Wait(Config.DefaultTimeoutDuration())
+	Expect(listCommand).To(Exit(0))
+	listOutput := string(listCommand.Out.Contents())
+	lines := strings.Split(listOutput, "\n")
+	return strings.Fields(lines[4])
+}
diff --git a/assets/binary/app b/assets/binary/app
index 2f698a271..b5a49fba7 100755
--- a/assets/binary/app
+++ b/assets/binary/app
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env ruby
 
 require 'webrick'
+require 'json'
 
 server = WEBrick::HTTPServer.new :Port => ENV['PORT']
 
@@ -8,6 +9,10 @@ server.mount_proc '/' do |request, response|
   response.body = 'Hello from a binary'
 end
 
+server.mount_proc '/env' do |request, response|
+  response.body = JSON.dump(ENV.to_hash)
+end
+
 trap 'INT' do server.shutdown end
 
-server.start
\ No newline at end of file
+server.start