BASIC_CFLAGS += -DDEFAULT_PAGER='$(DEFAULT_PAGER_CQ_SQ)'
 endif
 
+ifdef SHELL_PATH
+SHELL_PATH_CQ = "$(subst ",\",$(subst \,\\,$(SHELL_PATH)))"
+SHELL_PATH_CQ_SQ = $(subst ','\'',$(SHELL_PATH_CQ))
+
+BASIC_CFLAGS += -DSHELL_PATH='$(SHELL_PATH_CQ_SQ)'
+endif
+
 ALL_CFLAGS += $(BASIC_CFLAGS)
 ALL_LDFLAGS += $(BASIC_LDFLAGS)
 
 
 #include "sigchain.h"
 #include "argv-array.h"
 
+#ifndef SHELL_PATH
+# define SHELL_PATH "/bin/sh"
+#endif
+
 struct child_to_clean {
        pid_t pid;
        struct child_to_clean *next;
                die("BUG: shell command is empty");
 
        if (strcspn(argv[0], "|&;<>()$`\\\"' \t\n*?[#~=%") != strlen(argv[0])) {
-               nargv[nargc++] = "sh";
+               nargv[nargc++] = SHELL_PATH;
                nargv[nargc++] = "-c";
 
                if (argc < 2)