diff --git a/alacritty.yml b/alacritty.yml
index abbb275f..14fea928 100644
--- a/alacritty.yml
+++ b/alacritty.yml
@@ -193,3 +193,8 @@ key_bindings:
 mouse_bindings:
   - { mouse: Middle, action: PasteSelection }
 
+
+# Shell
+#
+# You can set this to a path to your favorite shell, e.g. /bin/fish
+shell:
diff --git a/alacritty_macos.yml b/alacritty_macos.yml
index add0c5dd..7a533e56 100644
--- a/alacritty_macos.yml
+++ b/alacritty_macos.yml
@@ -193,3 +193,7 @@ key_bindings:
 mouse_bindings:
   - { mouse: Middle, action: PasteSelection }
 
+# Shell
+#
+# You can set this to a path to your favorite shell, e.g. /bin/fish
+shell:
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index f36859c7..4511b227 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -196,6 +196,9 @@ pub struct Config {
     #[serde(default="default_mouse_bindings")]
     mouse_bindings: Vec<MouseBinding>,
 
+    /// Path to a shell program to run on startup
+    shell: Option<PathBuf>,
+
     /// Path where config was loaded from
     config_path: Option<PathBuf>,
 }
@@ -228,6 +231,7 @@ impl Default for Config {
             colors: Default::default(),
             key_bindings: Vec::new(),
             mouse_bindings: Vec::new(),
+            shell: None,
             config_path: None,
         }
     }
@@ -879,6 +883,12 @@ impl Config {
             .map(|p| p.as_path())
     }
 
+    pub fn shell(&self) -> Option<&Path> {
+        self.shell
+            .as_ref()
+            .map(PathBuf::as_path)
+    }
+
     fn load_from<P: Into<PathBuf>>(path: P) -> Result<Config> {
         let path = path.into();
         let raw = Config::read_file(path.as_path())?;
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index f6ccc966..fb305e7c 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ fn run(mut config: Config, options: cli::Options) -> Result<(), Box<Error>> {
     // The pty forks a process to run the shell on the slave side of the
     // pseudoterminal. A file descriptor for the master side is retained for
     // reading/writing to the shell.
-    let mut pty = tty::new(display.size());
+    let mut pty = tty::new(&config, display.size());
 
     // Create the pseudoterminal I/O loop
     //
diff --git a/src/tty.rs b/src/tty.rs
index 9a4d4237..ad89397d 100644
--- a/src/tty.rs
+++ b/src/tty.rs
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ use libc::{self, winsize, c_int, pid_t, WNOHANG, WIFEXITED, WEXITSTATUS, SIGCHLD
 
 use term::SizeInfo;
 use display::OnResize;
+use config::Config;
 
 /// Process ID of child process
 ///
@@ -202,14 +203,22 @@ fn get_pw_entry(buf: &mut [i8; 1024]) -> Passwd {
 }
 
 /// Exec a shell
-fn execsh() -> ! {
+fn execsh(config: &Config) -> ! {
     let mut buf = [0; 1024];
     let pw = get_pw_entry(&mut buf);
 
+    let shell = match config.shell() {
+        Some(shell) => match shell.to_str() {
+            Some(shell) => shell,
+            None => die!("Invalid shell value")
+        },
+        None => pw.shell
+    };
+
     // setup environment
     env::set_var("LOGNAME", pw.name);
     env::set_var("USER", pw.name);
-    env::set_var("SHELL", pw.shell);
+    env::set_var("SHELL", shell);
     env::set_var("HOME", pw.dir);
     env::set_var("TERM", "xterm-256color"); // sigh
 
@@ -223,7 +232,7 @@ fn execsh() -> ! {
     }
 
     // pw.shell is null terminated
-    let shell = unsafe { CStr::from_ptr(pw.shell.as_ptr() as *const _) };
+    let shell = unsafe { CStr::from_ptr(shell.as_ptr() as *const _) };
 
     let argv = [shell.as_ptr(), ptr::null()];
 
@@ -239,7 +248,7 @@ fn execsh() -> ! {
 }
 
 /// Create a new tty and return a handle to interact with it.
-pub fn new<T: ToWinsize>(size: T) -> Pty {
+pub fn new<T: ToWinsize>(config: &Config, size: T) -> Pty {
     let win = size.to_winsize();
 
     let (master, slave) = openpty(win.ws_row as _, win.ws_col as _);
@@ -265,7 +274,7 @@ pub fn new<T: ToWinsize>(size: T) -> Pty {
             }
 
             // Exec a shell!
-            execsh();
+            execsh(config);
         },
         Relation::Parent(pid) => {
             unsafe {