diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 1261f71..6973cbb 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ v.0.5dev (ongoing development)
  * ged rid of global variables buffer & tmp in lcdproc client
  + add init-script templates for LSB 3.x conforming systems
  * fix cellwidth & hbar in iMon driver
+ * try harder to find a shell in lcdexec
 
 v.0.5.1
  + config file support in lcdproc client (Andrew Foss)
diff --git a/clients/lcdexec/lcdexec.c b/clients/lcdexec/lcdexec.c
index 97dd751..71575d6 100644
--- a/clients/lcdexec/lcdexec.c
+++ b/clients/lcdexec/lcdexec.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ char * help_text =
 "    -s <0|1>            Report to syslog (1) or stderr (0, default)\n"
 "    -h                  Show this help\n";
 
-char * progname = "lcdexec";
+char *progname = "lcdexec";
 
 /* Variables set by config */
 #define UNSET_INT -1
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ int foreground_mode = UNSET_INT;
 static int report_level = UNSET_INT;
 static int report_dest = UNSET_INT;
 char *displayname = NULL;
+char *default_shell = NULL;
 
 MenuEntry *main_menu;
 
@@ -206,6 +207,21 @@ int process_configfile(char *configfile)
 	if ((tmp = config_get_string(progname, "DisplayName", 0, NULL)) != NULL)
 		displayname = strdup(tmp);
 
+	/* try to find a shell that understands the -c COMMAND syntax */
+	if ((tmp = config_get_string(progname, "Shell", 0, NULL)) != NULL)
+		default_shell = strdup(tmp);
+	else {
+		/* 1st fallback: SHELL environment variable */
+		report(RPT_WARNING, "Shell not set in configuration, falling back to variable SHELL");
+		default_shell = getenv("SHELL");
+
+		/* 2nd fallback: /bin/sh */
+		if (default_shell == NULL) {
+			report(RPT_WARNING, "variable SHELL not set, falling back to /bin/sh");
+			default_shell = "/bin/sh";
+		}
+	}
+
 	main_menu = menu_read(NULL, "MainMenu");
 #if defined(DEBUG)
 	menu_dump(main_menu);
@@ -316,16 +332,11 @@ int exec_command(MenuEntry *cmd)
 
 		report(RPT_NOTICE, "Executing: %s", command);
 
-		argv[0] = getenv("SHELL");
+		argv[0] = default_shell;
 		argv[1] = "-c";
 		argv[2] = command;
 		argv[3] = NULL;
 
-		if (!argv[0]) {
-			report(RPT_ERR, "SHELL environment variable not set.");
-			return -1;
-		}
-
 		switch (fork()) {
 		  case 0:
 			/* We're the child. Execute the command. */
diff --git a/clients/lcdexec/lcdexec.conf b/clients/lcdexec/lcdexec.conf
index 65b3688..feef29e 100644
--- a/clients/lcdexec/lcdexec.conf
+++ b/clients/lcdexec/lcdexec.conf
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ ReportToSyslog=false
 # run in foreground [default: false; legal: true, false]
 Foreground=false
 
+# shell to use for executing programsi
+# [default: $SHELL or /bin/sh; legal: any shell that understands: -c COMMAND]
+#Shell=/bin/sh
+
 # display name for the main menu [default: lcdexec HOST]
 #DisplayName=lcdexec
 
diff --git a/clients/lcdexec/menu.h b/clients/lcdexec/menu.h
index 818df30..872fd68 100644
--- a/clients/lcdexec/menu.h
+++ b/clients/lcdexec/menu.h
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ typedef struct menu_entry {
 } MenuEntry;
 
 
-MenuEntry *menu_read(MenuEntry *parent, const char *ame);
+MenuEntry *menu_read(MenuEntry *parent, const char *name);
 int menu_sock_send(MenuEntry *me, MenuEntry *parent, int sock);
 MenuEntry *menu_find_by_id(MenuEntry *me, int id);
 const char *menu_command(MenuEntry *me);
diff --git a/docs/lcdexec.1 b/docs/lcdexec.1
index c29f913..f2b561f 100644
--- a/docs/lcdexec.1
+++ b/docs/lcdexec.1
@@ -87,8 +87,15 @@ If not given, the default is FALSE for daemon mode.
 .TP 8
 .B DisplayName=\fIDisplay\fP
 Set the display name for the main menu.
-If not given it defaults to \fBlcdexec\fI \fIHOST\fP, where \fIHOST\fP
+If not given it defaults to \fBlcdexec\fP \fIHOST\fP, where \fIHOST\fP
 is the hostname of the system \fIlcdexec\fP is running on.
+.TP 8
+.B Shell=\fI/path/to/shell\fP
+Set the shell to use when executing programs.
+If not given, \fBlcdexec\fP tries to read the environment variable \fISHELL\fP.
+If that fails, it defaults to \fB/bin/sh\fP.
+Please note that the shell given here must understand the option \fB-c\fP 
+followed by the command line to execute.
 .PP
 
 The \fB[MainMenu]\fP section and the sections it refers to define the menu hierarchy