diff --git a/paramiko/channel.py b/paramiko/channel.py
index 0c603c6..9368cb2 100644
--- a/paramiko/channel.py
+++ b/paramiko/channel.py
@@ -1027,6 +1027,13 @@ class Channel (object):
                 ok = False
             else:
                 ok = server.check_channel_shell_request(self)
+        elif key == 'env':
+            name = m.get_string()
+            value = m.get_string()
+            if server is None:
+                ok = False
+            else:
+                ok = server.check_channel_env_request(self, name, value)
         elif key == 'exec':
             cmd = m.get_string()
             if server is None:
diff --git a/paramiko/server.py b/paramiko/server.py
index dac9bf1..d8cf55a 100644
--- a/paramiko/server.py
+++ b/paramiko/server.py
@@ -550,6 +550,27 @@ class ServerInterface (object):
         """
         return OPEN_FAILED_ADMINISTRATIVELY_PROHIBITED
 
+    def check_channel_env_request(self, channel, name, value):
+        """
+        Check whether a given environment variable can be specified for the
+        given channel.  This method should return C{True} if the server
+        is willing to set the specified environment variable.  Note that
+        some environment variables (e.g., PATH) can be exceedingly
+        dangerous, so blindly allowing the client to set the environment
+        is almost certainly not a good idea.
+
+        The default implementation always returns C{False}.
+
+        @param channel: the L{Channel} the env request arrived on
+        @type channel: L{Channel}
+        @param name: foo bar baz
+        @type name: str
+        @param value: flklj
+        @type value: str
+        @rtype: bool
+        """
+        return False
+
 
 class SubsystemHandler (threading.Thread):
     """