diff --git a/nodes/core/logic/17-split.html b/nodes/core/logic/17-split.html
index 4c2b9313e..9c2866b9c 100644
--- a/nodes/core/logic/17-split.html
+++ b/nodes/core/logic/17-split.html
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@
                     $("#node-input-reduceExp").typedInput({types:[jsonata_or_empty]});
                     $("#node-input-reduceInit").typedInput({
                         default: 'num',
-                        types:['flow','global','str','num','bool','json','bin','date','jsonata'],
+                        types:['flow','global','str','num','bool','json','bin','date','jsonata','env'],
                         typeField: $("#node-input-reduceInitType")
                     });
                     $("#node-input-reduceFixup").typedInput({types:[jsonata_or_empty]});
diff --git a/nodes/core/logic/17-split.js b/nodes/core/logic/17-split.js
index 09743f40c..666938e13 100644
--- a/nodes/core/logic/17-split.js
+++ b/nodes/core/logic/17-split.js
@@ -359,47 +359,16 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
     }
 
     function getInitialReduceValue(node, exp, exp_type) {
-        return new Promise((resolve,reject) => {
-            if(exp_type === "flow" || exp_type === "global") {
-                node.context()[exp_type].get(exp,(err,value) => {
-                    if (err) {
-                        reject(err);
-                    } else {
-                        resolve(value);
-                    }
-                });
-                return;
-            } else if(exp_type === "jsonata") {
-                var jexp = RED.util.prepareJSONataExpression(exp, node);
-                RED.util.evaluateJSONataExpression(jexp, {},(err,value) => {
-                    if (err) {
-                        reject(err);
-                    } else {
-                        resolve(value);
-                    }
-                });
-                return;
-            }
-            var result;
-            if(exp_type === "str") {
-                result = exp;
-            } else if(exp_type === "num") {
-                result = Number(exp);
-            } else if(exp_type === "bool") {
-                if (exp === 'true') {
-                    result = true;
-                } else if (exp === 'false') {
-                    result = false;
-                }
-            } else if ((exp_type === "bin") || (exp_type === "json")) {
-                result = JSON.parse(exp);
-            } else if(exp_type === "date") {
-                result = Date.now();
-            } else {
-                reject(new Error("unexpected initial value type"));
-                return;
-            }
-            resolve(result);
+        return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+            RED.util.evaluateNodeProperty(exp, exp_type, node, {},
+                                          (err, result) => {
+                                              if(err) {
+                                                  return reject(err);
+                                              }
+                                              else {
+                                                  return resolve(result);
+                                              }
+                                          });
         });
     }
 
diff --git a/test/nodes/core/logic/17-split_spec.js b/test/nodes/core/logic/17-split_spec.js
index 70ea9b26e..a4470465e 100644
--- a/test/nodes/core/logic/17-split_spec.js
+++ b/test/nodes/core/logic/17-split_spec.js
@@ -940,6 +940,108 @@ describe('JOIN node', function() {
         });
     });
 
+    function checkInitTypes(itype, ival, rval, initializer, checker, done) {
+        var flow = [{id:"n1", z:"f0", type:"join", mode:"reduce",
+                     reduceRight:false,
+                     reduceExp:"$A",
+                     reduceInit:ival,
+                     reduceInitType:itype,
+                     reduceFixup:undefined,
+                     wires:[["n2"]]},
+                    {id:"n2", type:"helper"}];
+        if (!initializer) {
+            initializer = (node, cb) => {
+                cb();
+            };
+        }
+        helper.load(joinNode, flow, function() {
+            var n1 = helper.getNode("n1");
+            var n2 = helper.getNode("n2");
+            initializer(n1, function () {
+                n2.on("input", function(msg) {
+                    try {
+                        msg.should.have.property("payload");
+                        checker(msg.payload, rval);
+                        done();
+                    }
+                    catch(e) { done(e); }
+                });
+                n1.receive({payload:3, parts:{index:2, count:4, id:222}});
+                n1.receive({payload:2, parts:{index:1, count:4, id:222}});
+                n1.receive({payload:4, parts:{index:3, count:4, id:222}});
+                n1.receive({payload:1, parts:{index:0, count:4, id:222}});
+            });
+        });
+    }
+
+    function checkInitTypesSimple(itype, val, done) {
+        checkInitTypes(itype, val, val, undefined, should.equal, done);
+    }
+    
+    function checkInitTypesComplex(itype, ival, rval, done) {
+        checkInitTypes(itype, ival, rval, undefined, should.deepEqual, done);
+    }
+    
+    it('should reduce messages with init types (str)', function(done) {
+        checkInitTypesSimple('str', "xyz", done);
+    });
+
+    it('should reduce messages with init types (num)', function(done) {
+        checkInitTypesSimple('num', 10, done);
+    });
+
+    it('should reduce messages with init types (bool)', function(done) {
+        checkInitTypesSimple('bool', true, done);
+    });
+
+    it('should reduce messages with init types (json)', function(done) {
+        var ival = '{"x":"vx", "y":"vy", "z":"vz"}';
+        var rval = JSON.parse(ival);
+        checkInitTypesComplex('json', ival, rval, done);
+    });
+
+    it('should reduce messages with init types (bin)', function(done) {
+        var ival = "[1,2,3]";
+        var rval = Buffer.from(JSON.parse(ival));
+        checkInitTypesComplex('bin', ival, rval, done);
+    });
+
+    it('should reduce messages with init types (JSONata)', function(done) {
+        var ival = "1+2+3";
+        var rval = 6;
+        checkInitTypesComplex('jsonata', ival, rval, done);
+    });
+
+    it('should reduce messages with init types (env)', function(done) {
+        function init(node, cb) {
+            process.env.NR_XYZ = "nr_xyz";
+            cb();
+        }
+        function fin(err) {
+            delete process.env.NR_XYZ;
+            done(err);
+        }
+        checkInitTypes('env', "NR_XYZ", "nr_xyz", init, should.equal, fin);
+    });
+
+    it('should reduce messages with init types (flow.name)', function(done) {
+        function init(node, cb) {
+            var context = node.context();
+            context.flow.set("foo", "bar");
+            cb();
+        }
+        checkInitTypes('flow', "foo", "bar", init, should.equal, done);
+    });
+
+    it('should reduce messages with init types (global.name)', function(done) {
+        function init(node, cb) {
+            var context = node.context();
+            context.global.set("foo", "bar");
+            cb();
+        }
+        checkInitTypes('global', "foo", "bar", init, should.equal, done);
+    });
+
     it('should reduce messages using $I', function(done) {
         var flow = [{id:"n1", type:"join", mode:"reduce",
                      reduceRight:false,