diff --git a/coverage/execfile.py b/coverage/execfile.py
index 02c5b9aa6..953db2ead 100644
--- a/coverage/execfile.py
+++ b/coverage/execfile.py
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ def prepare(self) -> None:
         This needs to happen before any importing, and without importing anything.
         """
         path0: Optional[str]
-        if os.environ.get('PYTHONSAFEPATH', ''):
+        if env.PYVERSION >= (3, 11) and os.environ.get('PYTHONSAFEPATH', ''):
             # See https://docs.python.org/3/using/cmdline.html#cmdoption-P
             path0 = None
         elif self.as_module:
diff --git a/tests/test_execfile.py b/tests/test_execfile.py
index 116f915ac..0d575fcce 100644
--- a/tests/test_execfile.py
+++ b/tests/test_execfile.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 import py_compile
 import re
 import sys
-from unittest import mock
+from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any, Iterator
 
 import pytest
@@ -307,9 +307,9 @@ def test_pkg1_init(self) -> None:
         assert out == "pkg1.__init__: pkg1\npkg1.__init__: __main__\n"
         assert err == ""
 
-    def test_pythonpath(self, tmp_path) -> None:
-        env = {"PYTHONSAFEPATH": "1"}
-        with mock.patch.dict(os.environ, env), change_dir(tmp_path):
+    def test_pythonpath(self, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+        self.set_environ("PYTHONSAFEPATH", "1")
+        with change_dir(tmp_path):
             run_python_module(["process_test.try_execfile"])
         out, err = self.stdouterr()
         mod_globs = json.loads(out)