diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 10eeeb09e..7d06f915c 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ directories = "4.0.1"
 walkdir = { version = "2", optional = true }
 tempfile = "3.3.0"
 owo-colors = { version = "3.4.0", features = ["supports-colors"] }
+once_cell = "1.12"
 
 [target.'cfg(not(windows))'.dependencies]
 nix = { version = "0.24", default-features = false, features = ["user"] }
diff --git a/src/cargo_toml.rs b/src/cargo_config.rs
similarity index 60%
rename from src/cargo_toml.rs
rename to src/cargo_config.rs
index 93d909dfa..361bab5ea 100644
--- a/src/cargo_toml.rs
+++ b/src/cargo_config.rs
@@ -4,20 +4,44 @@ use std::path::Path;
 
 use crate::errors::*;
 use crate::file;
+use crate::shell::MessageInfo;
+use once_cell::sync::OnceCell;
 
 type Table = toml::value::Table;
 type Value = toml::value::Value;
 
+pub const CARGO_NO_PREFIX_ENVVARS: &[&str] = &[
+    "http_proxy",
+    "TERM",
+    "RUSTDOCFLAGS",
+    "RUSTFLAGS",
+    "BROWSER",
+    "HTTPS_PROXY",
+    "HTTP_TIMEOUT",
+    "https_proxy",
+];
+
+// TODO(ahuszagh) This should really be cargo_toml and cargo_env.
+// Should have it as a once_cell?
+
+// CARGO_ALIAS_
+
 // the strategy is to merge, with arrays merging together
 // and the deeper the config file is, the higher its priority.
 // arrays merge, numbers/strings get replaced, objects merge in.
 // we don't want to make any assumptions about the cargo
 // config data, in case we need to use it later.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Default)]
-pub struct CargoConfig(Table);
+pub struct CargoToml(Table);
 
-impl CargoConfig {
-    fn merge(&mut self, parent: &CargoConfig) -> Result<()> {
+impl CargoToml {
+    fn parse(path: &Path) -> Result<CargoToml> {
+        let contents = file::read(&path)
+            .wrap_err_with(|| format!("could not read cargo config file at `{path:?}`"))?;
+        Ok(CargoToml(toml::from_str(&contents)?))
+    }
+
+    fn merge(&mut self, parent: &CargoToml) -> Result<()> {
         // can error on mismatched-data
 
         fn validate_types(x: &Value, y: &Value) -> Option<()> {
@@ -66,6 +90,8 @@ impl CargoConfig {
     }
 
     // get all the aliases from the map
+    // TODO(ahuszagh) This needs to be an result of an option.
+    // If we don't have as_str, needs to fail as a result
     pub fn alias<'a>(&'a self) -> Option<BTreeMap<&'a str, Vec<&'a str>>> {
         let parse_alias = |v: &'a Value| -> Option<Vec<&'a str>> {
             if let Some(s) = v.as_str() {
@@ -86,35 +112,99 @@ impl CargoConfig {
     }
 }
 
-fn parse_config_file(path: &Path) -> Result<CargoConfig> {
-    let contents = file::read(&path)
-        .wrap_err_with(|| format!("could not read cargo config file `{path:?}`"))?;
-    Ok(CargoConfig(toml::from_str(&contents)?))
+// wrapper for all the cargo environment variables.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Default)]
+pub struct CargoEnv(BTreeMap<String, String>);
+
+impl CargoEnv {
+    fn create() -> CargoEnv {
+        let mut result = BTreeMap::new();
+        for (key, value) in env::vars() {
+            if key.starts_with("CARGO_") || CARGO_NO_PREFIX_ENVVARS.contains(&key.as_str()) {
+                result.insert(key, value);
+            }
+        }
+
+        CargoEnv(result)
+    }
+
+    // get all the aliases from the map
+    pub fn alias<'a>(&'a self) -> Result<BTreeMap<String, Vec<&'a str>>> {
+        let mut result = BTreeMap::new();
+        for (key, value) in &self.0 {
+            if let Some(alias) = key.strip_prefix("CARGO_ALIAS_") {
+                // cargo skips empty aliases
+                match alias.chars().all(char::is_uppercase) {
+                    true if !alias.is_empty() => {
+                        let value = value.split_whitespace().collect();
+                        result.insert(key.to_lowercase(), value);
+                    }
+                    false => {
+                        MessageInfo::default().warn(format_args!(
+                            "Environment variables are expected to use uppercase letters and underscores, the variable `{key}` will be ignored and have no effect"
+                        ))?;
+                    }
+                    // `CARGO_ALIAS_` is ignored
+                    _ => (),
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        Ok(result)
+    }
+}
+
+// merged result of cargo TOML config and environment variables
+// we use a toml setting here, since it abstracts the types
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Default)]
+pub struct CargoConfig(BTreeMap<String, Value>);
+
+impl CargoConfig {
+    fn create(config_toml: &CargoToml, config_env: &CargoEnv) -> Result<CargoConfig> {
+        let mut result = BTreeMap::new();
+        let toml_aliases = config_toml.alias(); // TODO(ahuszagh) Must be used
+        let env_aliases = config_env.alias()?;
+        // TODO(ahuszagh) Here...
+        // We only care about values we actually know.
+
+
+//        for (key, value) in env::vars() {
+//            if key.starts_with("CARGO_") || CARGO_NO_PREFIX_ENVVARS.contains(&key.as_str()) {
+//                result.insert(key, value);
+//            }
+//        }
+
+        Ok(CargoConfig(result))
+    }
+
+    fn alias(&self) -> BTreeMap<String, Vec<String>> {
+        todo!();
+    }
 }
 
 // finding cargo config files actually runs from the
 // current working directory the command is invoked,
 // not from the project root. same is true with work
 // spaces: the project layout does not matter.
-pub fn read_config_files() -> Result<CargoConfig> {
+pub fn read_config_files() -> Result<CargoToml> {
     // note: cargo supports both `config` and `config.toml`
     // `config` exists for compatibility reasons, but if
     // present, only it will be read.
-    let read_and_merge = |result: &mut CargoConfig, dir: &Path| -> Result<()> {
+    let read_and_merge = |result: &mut CargoToml, dir: &Path| -> Result<()> {
         let noext = dir.join("config");
         let ext = dir.join("config.toml");
         if noext.exists() {
-            let parent = parse_config_file(&noext)?;
+            let parent = CargoToml::parse(&noext)?;
             result.merge(&parent)?;
         } else if ext.exists() {
-            let parent = parse_config_file(&ext)?;
+            let parent = CargoToml::parse(&ext)?;
             result.merge(&parent)?;
         }
 
         Ok(())
     };
 
-    let mut result = CargoConfig::default();
+    let mut result = CargoToml::default();
     let cwd = env::current_dir()?;
     let mut dir: &Path = &cwd;
     loop {
@@ -131,14 +221,40 @@ pub fn read_config_files() -> Result<CargoConfig> {
     Ok(result)
 }
 
+static CARGO_TOML: OnceCell<CargoToml> = OnceCell::new();
+
+pub fn get_cargo_toml() -> &'static CargoToml {
+    CARGO_TOML
+        .get_or_try_init::<_, eyre::Report>(|| {
+            read_config_files()
+        })
+        .unwrap()
+}
+
+static CARGO_ENV: OnceCell<CargoEnv> = OnceCell::new();
+
+pub fn get_cargo_env() -> &'static CargoEnv {
+    CARGO_ENV.get_or_init(|| CargoEnv::create())
+}
+
+static CARGO_CONFIG: OnceCell<CargoConfig> = OnceCell::new();
+
+pub fn get_cargo_config() -> &'static CargoConfig {
+    CARGO_CONFIG
+        .get_or_try_init::<_, eyre::Report>(|| {
+            CargoConfig::create(get_cargo_toml(), get_cargo_env())
+        })
+        .unwrap()
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
     #[test]
     fn test_parse() -> Result<()> {
-        let config1 = CargoConfig(toml::from_str(CARGO_TOML1)?);
-        let config2 = CargoConfig(toml::from_str(CARGO_TOML2)?);
+        let config1 = CargoToml(toml::from_str(CARGO_TOML1)?);
+        let config2 = CargoToml(toml::from_str(CARGO_TOML2)?);
         let alias1 = config1.alias().expect("unable to get aliases.");
         let alias2 = config2.alias().expect("unable to get aliases.");
         assert_eq!(
@@ -184,9 +300,9 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn test_read_config() -> Result<()> {
+    fn test_read_config() {
         // cross contains a few aliases, so test those
-        let config = read_config_files()?;
+        let config = get_cargo_toml();
         let aliases = config.alias().expect("must have aliases");
         assert_eq!(
             aliases.get("build-docker-image"),
@@ -196,8 +312,6 @@ mod tests {
             aliases.get("xtask"),
             Some(&vec!["run", "-p", "xtask", "--"]),
         );
-
-        Ok(())
     }
 
     const CARGO_TOML1: &str = r#"
diff --git a/src/cli.rs b/src/cli.rs
index 1b5fb6f43..ab02d942a 100644
--- a/src/cli.rs
+++ b/src/cli.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 use std::{env, path::PathBuf};
 
 use crate::cargo::Subcommand;
-use crate::cargo_toml::read_config_files;
+// TODO(ahuszagh) Change to get_cargo_config
+use crate::cargo_config::get_cargo_toml;
 use crate::errors::Result;
 use crate::rustc::TargetList;
 use crate::shell::{self, MessageInfo};
@@ -150,7 +151,7 @@ fn parse_subcommand(
     }
     let subcommand = Subcommand::from(arg.as_ref());
     if subcommand == Subcommand::Other {
-        let config = read_config_files()?;
+        let config = get_cargo_toml();
         if let Some(aliases) = config.alias() {
             if let Some(alias) = aliases.get(arg.as_str()) {
                 let mut iter = alias.iter().cloned().map(|x| x.to_owned());
diff --git a/src/docker/shared.rs b/src/docker/shared.rs
index be23bb54b..b3ea25a8e 100644
--- a/src/docker/shared.rs
+++ b/src/docker/shared.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use std::{env, fs};
 use super::custom::{Dockerfile, PreBuild};
 use super::engine::*;
 use crate::cargo::{cargo_metadata_with_args, CargoMetadata};
+use crate::cargo_config::CARGO_NO_PREFIX_ENVVARS;
 use crate::config::{bool_from_envvar, Config};
 use crate::errors::*;
 use crate::extensions::{CommandExt, SafeCommand};
@@ -425,16 +426,6 @@ pub(crate) fn cargo_safe_command(uses_xargo: bool) -> SafeCommand {
 }
 
 fn add_cargo_configuration_envvars(docker: &mut Command) {
-    let non_cargo_prefix = &[
-        "http_proxy",
-        "TERM",
-        "RUSTDOCFLAGS",
-        "RUSTFLAGS",
-        "BROWSER",
-        "HTTPS_PROXY",
-        "HTTP_TIMEOUT",
-        "https_proxy",
-    ];
     let cargo_prefix_skip = &[
         "CARGO_HOME",
         "CARGO_TARGET_DIR",
@@ -445,7 +436,7 @@ fn add_cargo_configuration_envvars(docker: &mut Command) {
         "CARGO_BUILD_RUSTDOC",
     ];
     let is_cargo_passthrough = |key: &str| -> bool {
-        non_cargo_prefix.contains(&key)
+        CARGO_NO_PREFIX_ENVVARS.contains(&key)
             || key.starts_with("CARGO_") && !cargo_prefix_skip.contains(&key)
     };
 
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 3f0e97bdf..87f67f9cc 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 mod tests;
 
 mod cargo;
-mod cargo_toml;
+mod cargo_config;
 mod cli;
 mod config;
 mod cross_toml;