diff --git a/rsconnect/actions.py b/rsconnect/actions.py
index 4e21f579..407ca229 100644
--- a/rsconnect/actions.py
+++ b/rsconnect/actions.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
     manifest_add_file,
     read_manifest_file,
 )
-from .environment import Environment, EnvironmentException
+from .environment import Environment, MakeEnvironment, EnvironmentException
 from .log import logger
 from .metadata import AppStore
 from .models import AppModes
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ def inspect_environment(
         environment_json = check_output(args, universal_newlines=True)
     except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
         raise api.RSConnectException("Error inspecting environment: %s" % e.output)
-    return Environment(**json.loads(environment_json))  # type: ignore
+    return MakeEnvironment(**json.loads(environment_json))  # type: ignore
 
 
 def _verify_server(connect_server):
diff --git a/rsconnect/environment.py b/rsconnect/environment.py
index ee93c022..e5a96ff7 100644
--- a/rsconnect/environment.py
+++ b/rsconnect/environment.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 try:
     import typing
+    from typing import Optional
 except ImportError:
     typing = None
 
@@ -25,22 +26,23 @@
 exec_dir = os.path.dirname(sys.executable)
 
 
-if sys.version_info[:2] < (3, 7):
+Environment = collections.namedtuple(
+    "Environment", ("conda", "contents", "error", "filename", "locale", "package_manager", "pip", "python", "source",),
+)
 
-    Environment = collections.namedtuple(
-        "Environment",
-        ("conda", "contents", "error", "filename", "locale", "package_manager", "pip", "python", "source",),
-    )
-    Environment.__new__.__defaults__ = (None, "", None, "", "", "", None, None, None)
-
-else:
 
-    Environment = collections.namedtuple(
-        "Environment",
-        ("conda", "contents", "error", "filename", "locale", "package_manager", "pip", "python", "source",),
-        defaults=(None, "", None, "", "", "", None, None, None),
-    )
-    Environment.__doc__ = "Data class encapsulating values needed by various deployment and metadata functions"
+def MakeEnvironment(
+    conda=None,  # type: Optional[str]
+    contents="",  # type: Optional[str]
+    error=None,  # type: Optional[str]
+    filename="",  # type: Optional[str]
+    locale="",  # type: Optional[str]
+    package_manager="",  # type: Optional[str]
+    pip=None,  # type: Optional[str]
+    python=None,  # type: Optional[str]
+    source=None,  # type: Optional[str]
+):
+    return Environment(conda, contents, error, filename, locale, package_manager, pip, python, source)
 
 
 class EnvironmentException(Exception):
@@ -76,20 +78,20 @@ def detect_environment(dirname, force_generate=False, conda_mode=False, conda=No
 
     if result is not None:
         if conda_mode and result["package_manager"] != "conda":
-            return Environment(
+            return MakeEnvironment(
                 error=(
                     'Conda was requested but no activated Conda environment was found. See "conda activate '
                     '--help" for more information.'
                 )
             )
 
-        result["python"] = get_python_version(Environment(**result))
+        result["python"] = get_python_version(MakeEnvironment(**result))
         result["pip"] = get_version("pip")
         if conda:
             result["conda"] = get_conda_version(conda)
         result["locale"] = get_default_locale()
 
-    return Environment(**result)
+    return MakeEnvironment(**result)
 
 
 def get_conda(conda=None):
diff --git a/tests/test_actions.py b/tests/test_actions.py
index 4cda7119..79075469 100644
--- a/tests/test_actions.py
+++ b/tests/test_actions.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
     which_python,
 )
 from rsconnect.api import RSConnectException, RSConnectServer
-from rsconnect.environment import Environment
+from rsconnect.environment import MakeEnvironment
 
 from .test_data_util import get_manifest_path, get_api_path, get_dir
 
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ def test_inspect_environment(self):
             False,
             False,
             sys.executable,
-            Environment(
+            MakeEnvironment(
                 conda=None,
                 filename="requirements.txt",
                 locale="en_US.UTF-8",
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ def test_inspect_environment(self):
             False,
             False,
             sys.executable,
-            Environment(
+            MakeEnvironment(
                 conda=None,
                 filename="requirements.txt",
                 locale="en_US.UTF-8",
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ def test_inspect_environment(self):
             True,
             True,
             "/very/serious/whython",
-            Environment(
+            MakeEnvironment(
                 conda="/opt/Conda/bin/conda",
                 filename="requirements.txt",
                 locale="en_US.UTF-8",
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ def test_inspect_environment(self):
             False,
             True,
             "unused",
-            Environment(error="Could not even do things"),
+            MakeEnvironment(error="Could not even do things"),
             id="exploding",
         ),
     ],
diff --git a/tests/test_environment.py b/tests/test_environment.py
index 82093ccc..5b32cb75 100644
--- a/tests/test_environment.py
+++ b/tests/test_environment.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 from rsconnect.environment import (
     Environment,
     EnvironmentException,
+    MakeEnvironment,
     detect_environment,
     get_default_locale,
     get_python_version,
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ def python_version():
 
     def test_get_python_version(self):
         self.assertEqual(
-            get_python_version(Environment(package_manager="pip")), self.python_version(),
+            get_python_version(MakeEnvironment(package_manager="pip")), self.python_version(),
         )
 
     def test_get_default_locale(self):
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ def test_file(self):
         self.assertIsInstance(result.locale, str)
         self.assertIn(".", result.locale)
 
-        expected = Environment(
+        expected = MakeEnvironment(
             contents="numpy\npandas\nmatplotlib\n",
             filename="requirements.txt",
             locale=result.locale,
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ def test_pip_freeze(self):
         self.assertIsInstance(result.locale, str)
         self.assertIn(".", result.locale)
 
-        expected = Environment(
+        expected = MakeEnvironment(
             contents=result.contents,
             filename="requirements.txt",
             locale=result.locale,