diff --git a/src/env_universal_common.cpp b/src/env_universal_common.cpp
index 65a6ca93e..6bcafde4b 100644
--- a/src/env_universal_common.cpp
+++ b/src/env_universal_common.cpp
@@ -495,6 +495,9 @@ void env_universal_t::initialize_at_path(callback_data_list_t &callbacks, wcstri
 }
 
 void env_universal_t::initialize(callback_data_list_t &callbacks) {
+    // Set do_flock to false immediately if the default variable path is on a remote filesystem.
+    // See #7968.
+    if (path_get_config_is_remote() == 1) do_flock = false;
     this->initialize_at_path(callbacks, default_vars_path(), true /* migrate legacy */);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/path.cpp b/src/path.cpp
index 963e81d65..59e2abd6d 100644
--- a/src/path.cpp
+++ b/src/path.cpp
@@ -419,6 +419,8 @@ bool path_get_data(wcstring &path) {
 
 int path_get_data_is_remote() { return get_data_directory().is_remote; }
 
+int path_get_config_is_remote() { return get_config_directory().is_remote; }
+
 void path_make_canonical(wcstring &path) {
     // Ignore trailing slashes, unless it's the first character.
     size_t len = path.size();
diff --git a/src/path.h b/src/path.h
index b856753b3..366c1dbbc 100644
--- a/src/path.h
+++ b/src/path.h
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ bool path_get_data(wcstring &path);
 /// -1 means unknown, 0 means known local, 1 means known remote.
 int path_get_data_is_remote();
 
+/// Like path_get_data_is_remote but for config directory.
+int path_get_config_is_remote();
+
 /// Emit any errors if config directories are missing.
 /// Use the given environment stack to ensure this only occurs once.
 class env_stack_t;