diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 59fdf929..f2934076 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -212,17 +212,17 @@ helmfiles:
 # The default is `environments: {"default": {}}` which implies:
 #
 # - `{{ .Environment.Name }}` evaluates to "default"
-# - `{{ .Environment.Values }}` being empty
+# - `{{ .Values }}` being empty
 environments:
   # The "default" environment is available and used when `helmfile` is run without `--environment NAME`.
   default:
-    # Everything from the values.yaml is available via `{{ .Environment.Values.KEY }}`.
+    # Everything from the values.yaml is available via `{{ .Values.KEY }}`.
     # Suppose `{"foo": {"bar": 1}}` contained in the values.yaml below,
-    # `{{ .Environment.Values.foo.bar }}` is evaluated to `1`.
+    # `{{ .Values.foo.bar }}` is evaluated to `1`.
     values:
     - environments/default/values.yaml
     # Each entry in values can be either a file path or inline values.
-    # The below is an example of inline values, which is merged to the `.Environment.Values`
+    # The below is an example of inline values, which is merged to the `.Values`
     - myChartVer: 1.0.0-dev
   # Any environment other than `default` is used only when `helmfile` is run with `--environment NAME`.
   # That is, the "production" env below is used when and only when it is run like `helmfile --environment production sync`.
@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@ releaseName: prod
 `values.yaml.gotmpl`
 
 ```yaml
-domain: {{ .Environment.Values | getOrNil "my.domain" | default "dev.example.com" }}
+domain: {{ .Values | getOrNil "my.domain" | default "dev.example.com" }}
 ```
 
 `helmfile sync` installs `myapp` with the value `domain=dev.example.com`,
@@ -652,17 +652,26 @@ environments:
     - other.yaml.gotmpl  #  template directives with potential side-effects like `exec` and `readFile` will be honoured
 
 releases:
-- name: myapp-{{ .Environment.Values.releaseName }} # release name will be one of `dev` or `prod` depending on selected environment
+- name: myapp-{{ .Values.releaseName }} # release name will be one of `dev` or `prod` depending on selected environment
   values:
   - values.yaml.gotmpl
 
-{{ if eq (.Environment.Values.releaseName "prod" ) }}
+{{ if eq (.Values.releaseName "prod" ) }}
 # this release would be installed only if selected environment is `production`
 - name: production-specific-release
   ...
 {{ end }}
 ```
 
+### Note
+
+The `{{ .Values.foo }}` syntax is the recommended way of using environment values.
+
+Prior to this [pull request](https://github.com/roboll/helmfile/pull/647), environment values were made available through the `{{ .Environment.Values.foo }}` syntax.
+This is still working but is **deprecated** and the new `{{ .Values.foo }}` syntax should be used instead.
+
+You can read more infos about the feature proposal [here](https://github.com/roboll/helmfile/issues/640).
+
 ## Environment Secrets
 
 Environment Secrets (not to be confused with Kubernetes Secrets) are encrypted versions of `Environment Values`.
@@ -697,7 +706,7 @@ releases:
 Then the environment secret `foo.bar` can be referenced by the below template expression in your `values.yaml.gotmpl`:
 
 ```yaml
-{{ .Environment.Values.foo.bar }}
+{{ .Values.foo.bar }}
 ```
 
 ## Tillerless
diff --git a/docs/writing-helmfile.md b/docs/writing-helmfile.md
index 7f7d5e36..8bcc3b52 100644
--- a/docs/writing-helmfile.md
+++ b/docs/writing-helmfile.md
@@ -11,13 +11,13 @@ One example of how helmfile achieves it is that, `helmfile` fails when you tried
 That is, the following example let `helmfile` fail when you have no `eventApi.replicas` defined in environment values.
 
 ```
-{{ .Environment.Values.eventApi.replicas | default 1 }}
+{{ .Values.eventApi.replicas | default 1 }}
 ```
 
 In case it isn't a mistake and you do want to allow missing keys, use the `getOrNil` template function:
 
 ```
-{{ .Environment.Values | getOrNil "eventApi.replicas" }}
+{{ .Values | getOrNil "eventApi.replicas" }}
 ```
 
 This result in printing `<no value` in your template, that may or may not result in a failure.
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ This result in printing `<no value` in your template, that may or may not result
 If you want a kind of default values that is used when a missing key was referenced, use `default` like:
 
 ```
-{{ .Environment.Values | getOrNil "eventApi.replicas" | default 1 }}
+{{ .Values | getOrNil "eventApi.replicas" | default 1 }}
 ```
 
 Now, you get `1` when there is no `eventApi.replicas` defined in environment values.
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ bases:
 # Part 3: Dynamic Releases
 releases:
   - name: test1
-    chart: mychart-{{ .Environment.Values.myname }}
+    chart: mychart-{{ .Values.myname }}
     values:
       replicaCount: 1
       image:
@@ -302,9 +302,9 @@ Where the gotmpl file loaded in the second part looks like:
 ```yaml
 helmDefaults:
   tillerNamespace: kube-system
-  kubeContext: {{ .Environment.Values.kubeContext }}
+  kubeContext: {{ .Values.kubeContext }}
   verify: false
-  {{ if .Environment.Values.wait }}
+  {{ if .Values.wait }}
   wait: true
   {{ else }}
   wait: false
@@ -314,9 +314,9 @@ helmDefaults:
   force: true
 ```
 
-Each go template is rendered in the context where `.Environment.Values` is inherited from the previous part. 
+Each go template is rendered in the context where `.Values` is inherited from the previous part. 
 
-So in `mydefaults.yaml.gotmpl`, both `.Environment.Values.kubeContext` and `.Environment.Values.wait` are valid as they do exist in the environment values inherited from the previous part(=the first part) of your `helmfile.yaml.gotmpl`, and therefore the template is rendered to:
+So in `mydefaults.yaml.gotmpl`, both `.Values.kubeContext` and `.Values.wait` are valid as they do exist in the environment values inherited from the previous part(=the first part) of your `helmfile.yaml.gotmpl`, and therefore the template is rendered to:
 
 ```yaml
 helmDefaults:
@@ -329,13 +329,13 @@ helmDefaults:
   force: true
 ```
 
-Similarly, the third part of the top-level `helmfile.yaml.gotmpl`, `.Environment.Values.myname` is valid as it is included in the environment values inherited from the previous parts:
+Similarly, the third part of the top-level `helmfile.yaml.gotmpl`, `.Values.myname` is valid as it is included in the environment values inherited from the previous parts:
 
 ```yaml
 # Part 3: Dynamic Releases
 releases:
   - name: test1
-    chart: mychart-{{ .Environment.Values.myname }}
+    chart: mychart-{{ .Values.myname }}
     values:
       replicaCount: 1
       image:
diff --git a/pkg/app/app_test.go b/pkg/app/app_test.go
index 8038515e..4f2cfc4c 100644
--- a/pkg/app/app_test.go
+++ b/pkg/app/app_test.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package app
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
-	"gotest.tools/assert"
 	"io"
 	"log"
 	"os"
@@ -14,6 +13,8 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 
+	"gotest.tools/assert"
+
 	"github.com/roboll/helmfile/pkg/helmexec"
 	"github.com/roboll/helmfile/pkg/state"
 	"github.com/roboll/helmfile/pkg/testhelper"
@@ -1755,6 +1756,24 @@ releases:
 		{stateExternal, `{{ if (keys .Environment.Values | has "bar") }}{{ if (keys .Environment.Values.bar | has "baz") }}{{ .Environment.Values.bar.baz }}{{ end }}{{ end }}`, `BAZ`},
 		// See https://github.com/roboll/helmfile/issues/643
 		{stateExternal, `{{ range $service := .Environment.Values.services }}{{ $service.name }}{{ if hasKey $service "something" }}{{ $service.something }}{{ end }}{{ end }}`, `xyfalse`},
+		// Same test with .Values
+		{stateInline, `{{ getOrNil "foo" .Values }}`, `FOO`},
+		{stateInline, `{{ getOrNil "baz" (getOrNil "bar" .Values) }}`, `BAZ`},
+		{stateInline, `{{ if hasKey .Values "foo" }}{{ .Values.foo }}{{ end }}`, `FOO`},
+		{stateInline, `{{ if hasKey .Values "bar" }}{{ .Values.bar.baz }}{{ end }}`, `BAZ`},
+		{stateInline, `{{ if (keys .Values | has "foo") }}{{ .Values.foo }}{{ end }}`, `FOO`},
+		// See https://github.com/roboll/helmfile/issues/624
+		// This fails when .Values.bar is not map[string]interface{}. At the time of #624 it was map[interface{}]interface{}, which sprig's dict funcs don't support.
+		{stateInline, `{{ if (keys .Values | has "bar") }}{{ if (keys .Values.bar | has "baz") }}{{ .Values.bar.baz }}{{ end }}{{ end }}`, `BAZ`},
+		{stateExternal, `{{ getOrNil "foo" .Values }}`, `FOO`},
+		{stateExternal, `{{ getOrNil "baz" (getOrNil "bar" .Values) }}`, `BAZ`},
+		{stateExternal, `{{ if hasKey .Values "foo" }}{{ .Values.foo }}{{ end }}`, `FOO`},
+		{stateExternal, `{{ if hasKey .Values "bar" }}{{ .Values.bar.baz }}{{ end }}`, `BAZ`},
+		{stateExternal, `{{ if (keys .Values | has "foo") }}{{ .Values.foo }}{{ end }}`, `FOO`},
+		// See https://github.com/roboll/helmfile/issues/624
+		{stateExternal, `{{ if (keys .Values | has "bar") }}{{ if (keys .Values.bar | has "baz") }}{{ .Values.bar.baz }}{{ end }}{{ end }}`, `BAZ`},
+		// See https://github.com/roboll/helmfile/issues/643
+		{stateExternal, `{{ range $service := .Values.services }}{{ $service.name }}{{ if hasKey $service "something" }}{{ $service.something }}{{ end }}{{ end }}`, `xyfalse`},
 	}
 	for i := range testcases {
 		tc := testcases[i]
diff --git a/pkg/app/two_pass_renderer_test.go b/pkg/app/two_pass_renderer_test.go
index 94a64572..d21450ac 100644
--- a/pkg/app/two_pass_renderer_test.go
+++ b/pkg/app/two_pass_renderer_test.go
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 package app
 
 import (
-	"github.com/roboll/helmfile/pkg/helmexec"
-	"github.com/roboll/helmfile/pkg/state"
-	"github.com/roboll/helmfile/pkg/testhelper"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/roboll/helmfile/pkg/helmexec"
+	"github.com/roboll/helmfile/pkg/state"
+	"github.com/roboll/helmfile/pkg/testhelper"
+
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
 )