diff --git a/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/_utils.py b/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/_utils.py
index 47d9b878c..bd9ebdedd 100644
--- a/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/_utils.py
+++ b/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/_utils.py
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ class AttrDict(dict):
 def run_client_cli(
     hooks: Optional[Iterable[Tuple[Callable, Union[type, "EventFilter"]]]] = None,
     argv: Optional[list] = None,
-    **kwargs,
 ) -> None:
     """Run a simple command line app, using the given hooks.
 
@@ -55,13 +54,12 @@ def run_client_cli(
     """
     from .client import Client
 
-    _run_cli(Client, hooks, argv, **kwargs)
+    _run_cli(Client, hooks, argv)
 
 
 def run_bot_cli(
     hooks: Optional[Iterable[Tuple[Callable, Union[type, "EventFilter"]]]] = None,
     argv: Optional[list] = None,
-    **kwargs,
 ) -> None:
     """Run a simple bot command line using the given hooks.
 
@@ -69,14 +67,13 @@ def run_bot_cli(
     """
     from .client import Bot
 
-    _run_cli(Bot, hooks, argv, **kwargs)
+    _run_cli(Bot, hooks, argv)
 
 
 def _run_cli(
     client_type: Type["Client"],
     hooks: Optional[Iterable[Tuple[Callable, Union[type, "EventFilter"]]]] = None,
     argv: Optional[list] = None,
-    **kwargs,
 ) -> None:
     from .deltachat import DeltaChat
     from .rpc import Rpc
@@ -94,7 +91,7 @@ def _run_cli(
     parser.add_argument("--password", action="store", help="password", default=os.getenv("DELTACHAT_PASSWORD"))
     args = parser.parse_args(argv[1:])
 
-    with Rpc(accounts_dir=args.accounts_dir, **kwargs) as rpc:
+    with Rpc(accounts_dir=args.accounts_dir) as rpc:
         deltachat = DeltaChat(rpc)
         core_version = (deltachat.get_system_info()).deltachat_core_version
         accounts = deltachat.get_all_accounts()
diff --git a/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/rpc.py b/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/rpc.py
index a7ec79dc4..76801e851 100644
--- a/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/rpc.py
+++ b/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/rpc.py
@@ -54,18 +54,13 @@ class RpcMethod:
 class Rpc:
     """RPC client."""
 
-    def __init__(self, accounts_dir: Optional[str] = None, rpc_server_path="deltachat-rpc-server", **kwargs):
+    def __init__(self, accounts_dir: Optional[str] = None, rpc_server_path="deltachat-rpc-server"):
         """Initialize RPC client.
 
         The given arguments will be passed to subprocess.Popen().
         """
-        if accounts_dir:
-            kwargs["env"] = {
-                **kwargs.get("env", os.environ),
-                "DC_ACCOUNTS_PATH": str(accounts_dir),
-            }
+        self._accounts_dir = accounts_dir
 
-        self._kwargs = kwargs
         self.rpc_server_path = rpc_server_path
         self.process: subprocess.Popen
         self.id_iterator: Iterator[int]
@@ -102,7 +97,10 @@ class Rpc:
             # `process_group` is not supported before Python 3.11.
             popen_kwargs["preexec_fn"] = os.setpgrp  # noqa: PLW1509
 
-        popen_kwargs.update(self._kwargs)
+        if self._accounts_dir:
+            popen_kwargs["env"] = os.environ.copy()
+            popen_kwargs["env"]["DC_ACCOUNTS_PATH"] = str(self._accounts_dir)
+
         process = subprocess.Popen(self.rpc_server_path, **popen_kwargs)
         return process.stdout, process.stdin