diff --git a/terminus-terminal/src/buttonProvider.ts b/terminus-terminal/src/buttonProvider.ts
index 975709b1..b5c89b12 100644
--- a/terminus-terminal/src/buttonProvider.ts
+++ b/terminus-terminal/src/buttonProvider.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import * as path from 'path'
+import { exec } from 'mz/child_process'
+import * as fs from 'mz/fs'
 import { Injectable } from '@angular/core'
-import { HotkeysService, ToolbarButtonProvider, IToolbarButton, AppService, ConfigService, ElectronService } from 'terminus-core'
+import { HotkeysService, ToolbarButtonProvider, IToolbarButton, AppService, ConfigService, ElectronService, HostAppService, Platform } from 'terminus-core'
 
 import { SessionsService } from './services/sessions.service'
 import { TerminalTabComponent } from './components/terminalTab.component'
@@ -12,6 +14,7 @@ export class ButtonProvider extends ToolbarButtonProvider {
         private sessions: SessionsService,
         private config: ConfigService,
         private electron: ElectronService,
+        private hostApp: HostAppService,
         hotkeys: HotkeysService,
     ) {
         super()
@@ -43,6 +46,22 @@ export class ButtonProvider extends ToolbarButtonProvider {
                 'inject',
             ]
         }
+        if (command === '~default-shell~') {
+            if (this.hostApp.platform === Platform.Linux) {
+                let line = (await fs.readFile('/etc/passwd', { encoding: 'utf-8' }))
+                    .split('\n').find(x => x.startsWith(process.env.LOGNAME + ':'))
+                if (!line) {
+                    console.warn('Could not detect user shell')
+                    command = '/bin/sh'
+                } else {
+                    command = line.split(':')[5]
+                }
+            }
+            if (this.hostApp.platform === Platform.macOS) {
+                let shellEntry = (await exec(`dscl . -read /Users/${process.env.LOGNAME} UserShell`))[0].toString()
+                command = shellEntry.split(':')[1].trim()
+            }
+        }
         let sessionOptions = await this.sessions.prepareNewSession({ command, args, cwd })
         this.app.openNewTab(
             TerminalTabComponent,
diff --git a/terminus-terminal/src/components/terminalSettingsTab.component.ts b/terminus-terminal/src/components/terminalSettingsTab.component.ts
index 4d996a9a..8dcfb6d7 100644
--- a/terminus-terminal/src/components/terminalSettingsTab.component.ts
+++ b/terminus-terminal/src/components/terminalSettingsTab.component.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { Observable } from 'rxjs'
-import * as fs from 'fs-promise'
+import * as fs from 'mz/fs'
 import * as path from 'path'
 import { exec } from 'mz/child_process'
 const equal = require('deep-equal')
@@ -97,11 +97,12 @@ export class TerminalSettingsTabComponent {
             }
         }
         if (this.hostApp.platform === Platform.Linux || this.hostApp.platform === Platform.macOS) {
-            this.shells = (await fs.readFile('/etc/shells', 'utf-8'))
+            this.shells = [{ name: 'Default shell', command: '~default-shell~' }]
+            this.shells = this.shells.concat((await fs.readFile('/etc/shells', { encoding: 'utf-8' }))
                 .split('\n')
                 .map(x => x.trim())
                 .filter(x => x && !x.startsWith('#'))
-                .map(x => ({ name: x, command: x }))
+                .map(x => ({ name: x, command: x })))
         }
         this.colorSchemes = (await Promise.all(this.colorSchemeProviders.map(x => x.getSchemes()))).reduce((a, b) => a.concat(b))
     }
diff --git a/terminus-terminal/src/config.ts b/terminus-terminal/src/config.ts
index 60851bd0..f657ca91 100644
--- a/terminus-terminal/src/config.ts
+++ b/terminus-terminal/src/config.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ export class TerminalConfigProvider extends ConfigProvider {
         [Platform.macOS]: {
             terminal: {
                 font: 'Menlo',
-                shell: '/bin/zsh',
+                shell: '~default-shell~',
             },
             hotkeys: {
                 'new-tab': [
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ export class TerminalConfigProvider extends ConfigProvider {
         [Platform.Linux]: {
             terminal: {
                 font: 'Liberation Mono',
-                shell: '/bin/bash',
+                shell: '~default-shell~',
             },
             hotkeys: {
                 'new-tab': [