diff --git a/code/nel/src/misc/common.cpp b/code/nel/src/misc/common.cpp
index a51851d87..c16b4b51e 100644
--- a/code/nel/src/misc/common.cpp
+++ b/code/nel/src/misc/common.cpp
@@ -768,6 +768,12 @@ bool launchProgram(const std::string &programName, const std::string &arguments,
 		argv[i+1] = (char *) args[i].c_str();
 	}
 	argv[i+1] = NULL;
+	
+	// save LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+	const char *previousEnv = getenv("LD_LIBRARY_PATH");
+
+	// clear LD_LIBRARY_PATH to avoid problems with Steam Runtime
+	setenv("LD_LIBRARY_PATH", "", 1);
 
 	int status = vfork ();
 	/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -779,10 +785,12 @@ bool launchProgram(const std::string &programName, const std::string &arguments,
 		char *err = strerror (errno);
 		if (log)
 			nlwarning("LAUNCH: Failed launched '%s' with arg '%s' err %d: '%s'", programName.c_str(), arguments.c_str(), errno, err);
+
+		// restore previous LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+		setenv("LD_LIBRARY_PATH", previousEnv, 1);
 	}
 	else if (status == 0)
 	{
-
 		// Exec (the only allowed instruction after vfork)
 		status = execvp(programName.c_str(), &argv.front());
 
@@ -795,6 +803,10 @@ bool launchProgram(const std::string &programName, const std::string &arguments,
 	else
 	{
 		//nldebug("LAUNCH: Successful launch '%s' with arg '%s'", programName.c_str(), arguments.c_str());
+		
+		// restore previous LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+		setenv("LD_LIBRARY_PATH", previousEnv, 1);
+
 		return true;
 	}
 #else