diff --git a/livekit-api/livekit/api/access_token.py b/livekit-api/livekit/api/access_token.py
index eb820fcc..d108c028 100644
--- a/livekit-api/livekit/api/access_token.py
+++ b/livekit-api/livekit/api/access_token.py
@@ -79,10 +79,10 @@ def __init__(
         api_secret: Optional[str] = None,
     ) -> None:
         if not api_key:
-            api_key = os.getenv("LIVEKIT_API_KEY", "")
+            api_key = os.getenv("LIVEKIT_API_KEY")
 
         if not api_secret:
-            api_secret = os.getenv("LIVEKIT_API_SECRET", "")
+            api_secret = os.getenv("LIVEKIT_API_SECRET")
 
         if not api_key or not api_secret:
             raise ValueError("api_key and api_secret must be set")
@@ -151,10 +151,10 @@ def __init__(
         leeway: datetime.timedelta = DEFAULT_LEEWAY,
     ) -> None:
         if not api_key:
-            api_key = os.getenv("LIVEKIT_API_KEY", "")
+            api_key = os.getenv("LIVEKIT_API_KEY")
 
         if not api_secret:
-            api_secret = os.getenv("LIVEKIT_API_SECRET", "")
+            api_secret = os.getenv("LIVEKIT_API_SECRET")
 
         if not api_key or not api_secret:
             raise ValueError("api_key and api_secret must be set")
diff --git a/livekit-api/livekit/api/livekit_api.py b/livekit-api/livekit/api/livekit_api.py
index 4f0dfc1d..325d8d73 100644
--- a/livekit-api/livekit/api/livekit_api.py
+++ b/livekit-api/livekit/api/livekit_api.py
@@ -16,13 +16,13 @@ def __init__(
         timeout: float = 60,  # 1 minutes by default
     ):
         if not url:
-            url = os.getenv("LIVEKIT_URL", "")
+            url = os.getenv("LIVEKIT_URL")
 
         if not api_key:
-            api_key = os.getenv("LIVEKIT_API_KEY", "")
+            api_key = os.getenv("LIVEKIT_API_KEY")
 
         if not api_secret:
-            api_secret = os.getenv("LIVEKIT_API_SECRET", "")
+            api_secret = os.getenv("LIVEKIT_API_SECRET")
 
         if not url:
             raise ValueError("url must be set")