diff --git a/src/main/shell-session.ts b/src/main/shell-session.ts
index de6c552aeb..4b90ec401e 100644
--- a/src/main/shell-session.ts
+++ b/src/main/shell-session.ts
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ export class ShellSession extends EventEmitter {
   protected async getShellEnv() {
     const env = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(await shellEnv()));
     const pathStr = [this.kubectlBinDir, this.helmBinDir, process.env.PATH].join(path.delimiter);
-    const shell = userStore.preferences.shell || process.env.SHELL;
+    const shell = userStore.preferences.shell || process.env.SHELL || process.env.PTYSHELL;
 
     if(isWindows) {
       env["SystemRoot"] = process.env.SystemRoot;
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/+preferences/preferences.tsx b/src/renderer/components/+preferences/preferences.tsx
index 17df93a363..c5c95bb040 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/+preferences/preferences.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/+preferences/preferences.tsx
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ export class Preferences extends React.Component {
         <h2>Terminal Shell</h2>
         <Input
           theme="round-black"
-          placeholder={process.env.SHELL}
+          placeholder={process.env.SHELL || process.env.PTYSHELL}
           value={this.shell}
           onChange={v => this.shell = v}
           onBlur={() => preferences.shell = this.shell}