diff --git a/kitty/shell_integration.py b/kitty/shell_integration.py
index 502d83d50..4d31c77d9 100644
--- a/kitty/shell_integration.py
+++ b/kitty/shell_integration.py
@@ -68,23 +68,32 @@ def setup_fish_env(env: Dict[str, str]) -> None:
 
 
 def is_new_zsh_install(env: Dict[str, str]) -> bool:
+    # if ZDOTDIR is empty, zsh will read user rc files from /
+    # if there aren't any, it'll run zsh-newuser-install
+    # the latter will bail if there are rc files in $HOME
     zdotdir = env.get('ZDOTDIR')
-    base = zdotdir or os.path.expanduser('~')
+    if not zdotdir:
+        zdotdir = os.path.expanduser('~')
+        if zdotdir == '~':
+            return True
     for q in ('.zshrc', '.zshenv', '.zprofile', '.zlogin'):
-        if os.path.exists(os.path.join(base, q)):
+        if os.path.exists(os.path.join(zdotdir, q)):
             return False
     return True
 
 
 def setup_zsh_env(env: Dict[str, str]) -> None:
-    zdotdir = env.get('ZDOTDIR')
-    base = zdotdir or os.path.expanduser('~')
     if is_new_zsh_install(env):
         # dont prevent zsh-newuser-install from running
+        # zsh-newuser-install never runs as root but we assume that it does
         return
+    zdotdir = env.get('ZDOTDIR')
     if zdotdir is not None:
         env['KITTY_ORIG_ZDOTDIR'] = zdotdir
-    env['KITTY_ZSH_BASE'] = base
+    else:
+        # KITTY_ORIG_ZDOTDIR can be set at this point if, for example, the global
+        # zshenv overrides ZDOTDIR; we try to limit the damage in this case
+        env.pop('KITTY_ORIG_ZDOTDIR', None)
     env['ZDOTDIR'] = os.path.join(shell_integration_dir, 'zsh')
 
 
diff --git a/shell-integration/zsh/.zshenv b/shell-integration/zsh/.zshenv
index 468204026..d152a2596 100644
--- a/shell-integration/zsh/.zshenv
+++ b/shell-integration/zsh/.zshenv
@@ -1,9 +1,32 @@
-if [[ -o interactive && -v ZDOTDIR && -r "$ZDOTDIR/kitty.zsh" ]]; then source "$ZDOTDIR/kitty.zsh"; fi
-if [[ -v KITTY_ORIG_ZDOTDIR ]]; then
-    export ZDOTDIR="$KITTY_ORIG_ZDOTDIR"
+# Don't use [[ -v ... ]] because it doesn't work in zsh < 5.4.
+if (( ${+KITTY_ORIG_ZDOTDIR} )); then
+    # Normally ZDOTDIR shouldn't be exported but it was in the environment
+    # of Kitty, so we export it.
+    export ZDOTDIR=$KITTY_ORIG_ZDOTDIR
     unset KITTY_ORIG_ZDOTDIR
 else
     unset ZDOTDIR
 fi
-if [[ -v KITTY_ZSH_BASE && -r "$KITTY_ZSH_BASE/.zshenv" ]]; then source "$KITTY_ZSH_BASE/.zshenv"; fi
-unset KITTY_ZSH_BASE
+
+# Use try-always to have the right error code.
+{
+    # Zsh treats empty $ZDOTDIR as if it was "/". We do the same.
+    #
+    # Source the user's zshenv before sourcing kitty.zsh because the former
+    # might set fpath and other things without which kitty.zsh won't work.
+    #
+    # Use typeset in case we are in a function with warn_create_global in
+    # effect. Unlikely but better safe than sorry.
+    typeset _ksi_source=${ZDOTDIR-~}/.zshenv
+    # Zsh ignores unreadable rc files. We do the same.
+    # Zsh ignores rc files that are directories, and so does source.
+    [[ ! -r $_ksi_source ]] || source -- "$_ksi_source"
+} always {
+    if [[ -o interactive ]]; then
+        # ${(%):-%x} is the path to the current file.
+        # On top of it we add :a:h to get the directory.
+        typeset _ksi_source=${${(%):-%x}:A:h}/kitty.zsh
+        [[ ! -r $_ksi_source ]] || source -- "$_ksi_source"
+    fi
+    unset _ksi_source
+}