diff --git a/spec/update-process-env-spec.js b/spec/update-process-env-spec.js
index 41c80c842..403e8fa7d 100644
--- a/spec/update-process-env-spec.js
+++ b/spec/update-process-env-spec.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 /* eslint-env jasmine */
 
 import child_process from 'child_process'
-import {updateProcessEnv, shellShouldBePatched} from '../src/update-process-env'
+import {updateProcessEnv, envShouldBePatched} from '../src/update-process-env'
 import dedent from 'dedent'
 
 describe('updateProcessEnv(launchEnv)', function () {
@@ -86,38 +86,30 @@ describe('updateProcessEnv(launchEnv)', function () {
     })
 
     describe('shells on osx', function () {
-      it('shellShouldBePatched() returns the shell when the shell should be patched', function () {
+      it('envShouldBePatched() returns the shell when the shell should be patched', function () {
         process.platform = 'darwin'
-        let shellsToTest = new Set([
-          '/bin/sh',
-          '/usr/local/bin/sh',
-          '/bin/bash',
-          '/usr/local/bin/bash',
-          '/bin/zsh',
-          '/usr/local/bin/zsh',
-          '/bin/fish',
-          '/usr/local/bin/fish'
-        ])
-        for (let shell of shellsToTest) {
-          process.env.SHELL = shell
-          expect(shellShouldBePatched()).toBe(shell)
-        }
+        expect(envShouldBePatched('/bin/sh')).toBe(true)
+        expect(envShouldBePatched('/usr/local/bin/sh')).toBe(true)
+        expect(envShouldBePatched('/bin/bash')).toBe(true)
+        expect(envShouldBePatched('/usr/local/bin/bash')).toBe(true)
+        expect(envShouldBePatched('/bin/zsh')).toBe(true)
+        expect(envShouldBePatched('/usr/local/bin/zsh')).toBe(true)
+        expect(envShouldBePatched('/bin/fish')).toBe(true)
+        expect(envShouldBePatched('/usr/local/bin/fish')).toBe(true)
       })
 
-      it('shellShouldBePatched() returns false when the shell should not be patched', function () {
+      it('envShouldBePatched() returns false when the shell should not be patched', function () {
         process.platform = 'darwin'
-        let shellsToTest = new Set([
-          '/bin/unsupported',
-          '/bin/shh',
-          '/bin/tcsh',
-          '/usr/csh'
-        ])
-        for (let shell of shellsToTest) {
-          process.env.SHELL = shell
-          let result = shellShouldBePatched()
-          console.log(result)
-          expect(result).toBe(false)
-        }
+        expect(envShouldBePatched('/bin/unsupported')).toBe(false)
+        expect(envShouldBePatched('/bin/shh')).toBe(false)
+        expect(envShouldBePatched('/bin/tcsh')).toBe(false)
+        expect(envShouldBePatched('/usr/csh')).toBe(false)
+      })
+
+      it('envShouldBePatched() returns false when the shell is undefined or empty', function () {
+        process.platform = 'darwin'
+        expect(envShouldBePatched(undefined)).toBe(false)
+        expect(envShouldBePatched('')).toBe(false)
       })
     })
   })
diff --git a/src/update-process-env.js b/src/update-process-env.js
index dd9ec6299..565d566d9 100644
--- a/src/update-process-env.js
+++ b/src/update-process-env.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLES_TO_PRESERVE = new Set([
   'ATOM_HOME'
 ])
 
-const OSX_SHELLS_TO_PATCH = new Set([
+const OSX_SHELLS = new Set([
   '/sh',
   '/bash',
   '/zsh',
@@ -40,14 +40,13 @@ function updateProcessEnv (launchEnv) {
   }
 }
 
-function shellShouldBePatched () {
-  let shell = process.env.SHELL
-  if (!shell) {
+function envShouldBePatched (shell) {
+  if (!shell || shell.trim() === '') {
     return false
   }
-  for (let s of OSX_SHELLS_TO_PATCH) {
+  for (let s of OSX_SHELLS) {
     if (shell.endsWith(s)) {
-      return shell
+      return true
     }
   }
 
@@ -55,22 +54,24 @@ function shellShouldBePatched () {
 }
 
 function getEnvFromShell () {
-  let shell = shellShouldBePatched()
-  if (shell) {
-    let {stdout} = spawnSync(shell, ['-ilc', 'command env'], {encoding: 'utf8'})
-    if (stdout) {
-      let result = {}
-      for (let line of stdout.split('\n')) {
-        if (line.includes('=')) {
-          let components = line.split('=')
-          let key = components.shift()
-          let value = components.join('=')
-          result[key] = value
-        }
+  let shell = process.env.SHELL
+  if (!envShouldBePatched(shell)) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  let {stdout} = spawnSync(shell, ['-ilc', 'command env'], {encoding: 'utf8'})
+  if (stdout) {
+    let result = {}
+    for (let line of stdout.split('\n')) {
+      if (line.includes('=')) {
+        let components = line.split('=')
+        let key = components.shift()
+        let value = components.join('=')
+        result[key] = value
       }
-      return result
     }
+    return result
   }
 }
 
-export default { updateProcessEnv, shellShouldBePatched }
+export default { updateProcessEnv, envShouldBePatched }