diff --git a/src/vs/base/node/processes.ts b/src/vs/base/node/processes.ts
index 3f2248935a1a143da9b61a55d291359a4662d5e6..5b194467cee34ff4c5bd18c6ea23b221e7b7d25b 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/node/processes.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/node/processes.ts
@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@ export function terminateProcess(process: ChildProcess, cwd?: string): Terminate
 	return { success: true };
 }
 
+export function getWindowsShell(): string {
+	return process.env['comspec'] || 'cmd.exe';
+}
+
 export abstract class AbstractProcess<TProgressData> {
 	private cmd: string;
 	private module: string;
@@ -233,7 +237,7 @@ export abstract class AbstractProcess<TProgressData> {
 					} else {
 						args.push(commandLine.join(' '));
 					}
-					childProcess = spawn('cmd.exe', args, options);
+					childProcess = spawn(getWindowsShell(), args, options);
 				} else {
 					if (this.cmd) {
 						childProcess = spawn(this.cmd, this.args, this.options);
@@ -321,7 +325,7 @@ export abstract class AbstractProcess<TProgressData> {
 			if (!this.shell || !Platform.isWindows) {
 				c(false);
 			}
-			let cmdShell = spawn('cmd.exe', ['/s', '/c']);
+			let cmdShell = spawn(getWindowsShell(), ['/s', '/c']);
 			cmdShell.on('error', (error:Error) => {
 				c(true);
 			});
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/execution/electron-browser/executionService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/execution/electron-browser/executionService.ts
index 62aa1f9776f00c1443b8e8e12f25c7061fa3a115..a10feecd52d85172bd8b1ba2f79ca81a1538fe1d 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/execution/electron-browser/executionService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/execution/electron-browser/executionService.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import exec = require('vs/workbench/parts/execution/common/execution');
 import uri from 'vs/base/common/uri';
 
 import cp = require('child_process');
+import processes = require('vs/base/node/processes');
 
 export class AbstractExecutionService implements exec.IExecutionService {
 	public serviceId = exec.IExecutionService;
@@ -66,12 +67,14 @@ export class WinExecutionService extends AbstractExecutionService {
 
 		return new TPromise<any>((c, e, p) => {
 
-			// we use `start` to get another cmd.exe where `& pause` can be handled
+			const shell = processes.getWindowsShell();
+
+			// we use `start` to get another shell where `& pause` can be handled
 			args = [
 				'/c',
 				'start',
 				'/wait',
-				'cmd.exe',
+				shell,
 				'/c',
 				strings.format('"{0} {1} & pause"', file, args.join(' '))
 			];
@@ -79,7 +82,7 @@ export class WinExecutionService extends AbstractExecutionService {
 			options = options || <any>{};
 			(<any>options).windowsVerbatimArguments = true;
 
-			childProcess = cp.spawn('cmd.exe', args, options);
+			childProcess = cp.spawn(shell, args, options);
 
 			childProcess.on('exit', c);
 			childProcess.on('error', e);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/execution/electron-browser/terminalService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/execution/electron-browser/terminalService.ts
index be2df4c492cc0cc9c7e72b7fef33e334df85a940..1b381b5d9977b937f6f105a92c931c007f8cb725 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/execution/electron-browser/terminalService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/execution/electron-browser/terminalService.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {IConfigurationService} from 'vs/platform/configuration/common/configurat
 import {IMessageService} from 'vs/platform/message/common/message';
 
 import cp = require('child_process');
+import processes = require('vs/base/node/processes');
 
 export class WinTerminalService implements ITerminalService {
 	public serviceId = ITerminalService;
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ export class WinTerminalService implements ITerminalService {
 	}
 
 	public openTerminal(path: string): void {
-		cp.spawn('cmd.exe', ['/c', 'start', '/wait'], { cwd: path });
+		cp.spawn(processes.getWindowsShell(), ['/c', 'start', '/wait'], { cwd: path });
 	}
 }