diff --git a/src/virtualenv/create/via_global_ref/builtin/python2/site.py b/src/virtualenv/create/via_global_ref/builtin/python2/site.py
index 839fadbbf..59f722c40 100644
--- a/src/virtualenv/create/via_global_ref/builtin/python2/site.py
+++ b/src/virtualenv/create/via_global_ref/builtin/python2/site.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ def main():
     prefix, exec_prefix = abs_path(sys.prefix), abs_path(sys.exec_prefix)
     global_site_package_enabled = config.get("include-system-site-packages", False) == "true"
     rewrite_standard_library_sys_path()
+    revert_pythonpath_rewrite()
     disable_user_site_package()
     load_host_site()
     if global_site_package_enabled:
@@ -130,6 +131,22 @@ def rewrite_standard_library_sys_path():
             sys.path[at] = translate_directory(value)
 
 
+def revert_pythonpath_rewrite():
+    # Now that we can access os.environ["PYTHONPATH"], we can revert our
+    # rewrite of thoses paths done in `rewrite_standard_library_sys_path`.
+    import os
+
+    python_paths = os.environ.get("PYTHONPATH", "").split(":")
+    for ppath in python_paths:
+        translated_ppath = translate_directory(ppath)
+        try:
+            at = sys.path.index(translated_ppath)
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
+        else:
+            sys.path[at] = ppath
+
+
 def disable_user_site_package():
     """Flip the switch on enable user site package"""
     # sys.flags is a c-extension type, so we cannot monkeypatch it, replace it with a python class to flip it