diff --git a/spec/update-process-env-spec.js b/spec/update-process-env-spec.js
index 3501bfebf..41c80c842 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 from '../src/update-process-env'
+import {updateProcessEnv, shellShouldBePatched} from '../src/update-process-env'
 import dedent from 'dedent'
 
 describe('updateProcessEnv(launchEnv)', function () {
@@ -84,5 +84,41 @@ describe('updateProcessEnv(launchEnv)', function () {
         expect(process.env).toEqual({FOO: 'bar'})
       })
     })
+
+    describe('shells on osx', function () {
+      it('shellShouldBePatched() 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)
+        }
+      })
+
+      it('shellShouldBePatched() 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)
+        }
+      })
+    })
   })
 })
diff --git a/src/initialize-application-window.coffee b/src/initialize-application-window.coffee
index f85207153..9787977e2 100644
--- a/src/initialize-application-window.coffee
+++ b/src/initialize-application-window.coffee
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.
 module.exports = ({blobStore}) ->
-  updateProcessEnv = require('./update-process-env')
+  {updateProcessEnv} = require('./update-process-env')
   path = require 'path'
   require './window'
   {getWindowLoadSettings} = require './window-load-settings-helpers'
diff --git a/src/update-process-env.js b/src/update-process-env.js
index 63dc601bb..dd9ec6299 100644
--- a/src/update-process-env.js
+++ b/src/update-process-env.js
@@ -8,7 +8,14 @@ const ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLES_TO_PRESERVE = new Set([
   'ATOM_HOME'
 ])
 
-export default function updateProcessEnv (launchEnv) {
+const OSX_SHELLS_TO_PATCH = new Set([
+  '/sh',
+  '/bash',
+  '/zsh',
+  '/fish'
+])
+
+function updateProcessEnv (launchEnv) {
   let envToAssign
   if (launchEnv && launchEnv.PWD) {
     envToAssign = launchEnv
@@ -33,9 +40,23 @@ export default function updateProcessEnv (launchEnv) {
   }
 }
 
-function getEnvFromShell () {
+function shellShouldBePatched () {
   let shell = process.env.SHELL
-  if (shell && (shell.endsWith('/bash') || shell.endsWith('/sh'))) {
+  if (!shell) {
+    return false
+  }
+  for (let s of OSX_SHELLS_TO_PATCH) {
+    if (shell.endsWith(s)) {
+      return shell
+    }
+  }
+
+  return false
+}
+
+function getEnvFromShell () {
+  let shell = shellShouldBePatched()
+  if (shell) {
     let {stdout} = spawnSync(shell, ['-ilc', 'command env'], {encoding: 'utf8'})
     if (stdout) {
       let result = {}
@@ -51,3 +72,5 @@ function getEnvFromShell () {
     }
   }
 }
+
+export default { updateProcessEnv, shellShouldBePatched }