diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/workspace-runtime.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/workspace-runtime.test.ts
index 3f93ccf6..8bf008bd 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/workspace-runtime.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/workspace-runtime.test.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import {
   realizeExecutionWorkspace,
   releaseRuntimeServicesForRun,
   resetRuntimeServicesForTests,
+  resolveShell,
   sanitizeRuntimeServiceBaseEnv,
   stopRuntimeServicesForExecutionWorkspace,
   type RealizedExecutionWorkspace,
@@ -1345,6 +1346,60 @@ describe("ensureRuntimeServicesForRun", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("resolveShell (shell fallback)", () => {
+  const originalShell = process.env.SHELL;
+  const originalPlatform = process.platform;
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    if (originalShell !== undefined) {
+      process.env.SHELL = originalShell;
+    } else {
+      delete process.env.SHELL;
+    }
+    Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", { value: originalPlatform });
+  });
+
+  it("returns process.env.SHELL when set", () => {
+    process.env.SHELL = "/usr/bin/zsh";
+    expect(resolveShell()).toBe("/usr/bin/zsh");
+  });
+
+  it("trims whitespace from SHELL env var", () => {
+    process.env.SHELL = "  /usr/bin/fish  ";
+    expect(resolveShell()).toBe("/usr/bin/fish");
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to /bin/sh on non-Windows when SHELL is unset", () => {
+    delete process.env.SHELL;
+    Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", { value: "linux" });
+    expect(resolveShell()).toBe("/bin/sh");
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to sh (bare) on Windows when SHELL is unset", () => {
+    delete process.env.SHELL;
+    Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", { value: "win32" });
+    expect(resolveShell()).toBe("sh");
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to /bin/sh on darwin when SHELL is unset", () => {
+    delete process.env.SHELL;
+    Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", { value: "darwin" });
+    expect(resolveShell()).toBe("/bin/sh");
+  });
+
+  it("treats empty SHELL as unset and uses platform fallback", () => {
+    process.env.SHELL = "";
+    Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", { value: "linux" });
+    expect(resolveShell()).toBe("/bin/sh");
+  });
+
+  it("treats whitespace-only SHELL as unset and uses platform fallback", () => {
+    process.env.SHELL = "   ";
+    Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", { value: "win32" });
+    expect(resolveShell()).toBe("sh");
+  });
+});
+
 describeEmbeddedPostgres("workspace runtime startup reconciliation", () => {
   let db!: ReturnType<typeof createDb>;
   let tempDb: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof startEmbeddedPostgresTestDatabase>> | null = null;
diff --git a/server/src/services/workspace-runtime.ts b/server/src/services/workspace-runtime.ts
index f191ece4..a100242e 100644
--- a/server/src/services/workspace-runtime.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/workspace-runtime.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ import type { WorkspaceOperationRecorder } from "./workspace-operations.js";
 import { readExecutionWorkspaceConfig } from "./execution-workspaces.js";
 import { readProjectWorkspaceRuntimeConfig } from "./project-workspace-runtime-config.js";
 
+export function resolveShell(): string {
+  return process.env.SHELL?.trim() || (process.platform === "win32" ? "sh" : "/bin/sh");
+}
+
 export interface ExecutionWorkspaceInput {
   baseCwd: string;
   source: "project_primary" | "task_session" | "agent_home";
@@ -379,7 +383,7 @@ async function runWorkspaceCommand(input: {
   env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
   label: string;
 }) {
-  const shell = process.env.SHELL?.trim() || "/bin/sh";
+  const shell = resolveShell();
   const proc = await executeProcess({
     command: shell,
     args: ["-c", input.command],
@@ -475,7 +479,7 @@ async function recordWorkspaceCommandOperation(
     cwd: input.cwd,
     metadata: input.metadata ?? null,
     run: async () => {
-      const shell = process.env.SHELL?.trim() || "/bin/sh";
+      const shell = resolveShell();
       const result = await executeProcess({
         command: shell,
         args: ["-c", input.command],
@@ -1285,6 +1289,7 @@ async function startLocalRuntimeService(input: {
     const portEnvKey = asString(portConfig.envKey, "PORT");
     env[portEnvKey] = String(port);
   }
+
   const expose = parseObject(input.service.expose);
   const readiness = parseObject(input.service.readiness);
   const urlTemplate =
@@ -1359,7 +1364,8 @@ async function startLocalRuntimeService(input: {
       );
     }
   }
-  const shell = process.env.SHELL?.trim() || "/bin/sh";
+  
+  const shell = resolveShell();
   const child = spawn(shell, ["-lc", command], {
     cwd: serviceCwd,
     env,