diff --git a/run-command.c b/run-command.c
index 59e433bf91..60a79db8f0 100644
--- a/run-command.c
+++ b/run-command.c
@@ -274,12 +274,14 @@ int sane_execvp(const char *file, char * const argv[])
 	return -1;
 }
 
-static const char *git_shell_path(void)
+static char *git_shell_path(void)
 {
 #ifndef GIT_WINDOWS_NATIVE
-	return SHELL_PATH;
+	return xstrdup(SHELL_PATH);
 #else
-	return "sh";
+	char *p = locate_in_PATH("sh");
+	convert_slashes(p);
+	return p;
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -289,7 +291,7 @@ static const char **prepare_shell_cmd(struct strvec *out, const char **argv)
 		BUG("shell command is empty");
 
 	if (strcspn(argv[0], "|&;<>()$`\\\"' \t\n*?[#~=%") != strlen(argv[0])) {
-		strvec_push(out, git_shell_path());
+		strvec_push_nodup(out, git_shell_path());
 		strvec_push(out, "-c");
 
 		/*