diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/terminalConfigHelper.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/terminalConfigHelper.ts
index 13075b3c197b3cbd8c0754ce26203aef3a957c40..ff633cbd4871fd05285d09cbca935fa436310e22 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/terminalConfigHelper.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/terminalConfigHelper.ts
@@ -158,15 +158,18 @@ export class TerminalConfigHelper {
 			executable: '',
 			args: []
 		};
-		if (this._platform === Platform.Windows) {
-			shell.executable = config.terminal.integrated.shell.windows;
-			shell.args = config.terminal.integrated.shellArgs.windows;
-		} else if (this._platform === Platform.Mac) {
-			shell.executable = config.terminal.integrated.shell.osx;
-			shell.args = config.terminal.integrated.shellArgs.osx;
-		} else if (this._platform === Platform.Linux) {
-			shell.executable = config.terminal.integrated.shell.linux;
-			shell.args = config.terminal.integrated.shellArgs.linux;
+		const integrated = config && config.terminal && config.terminal.integrated;
+		if (integrated && integrated.shell && integrated.shellArgs) {
+			if (this._platform === Platform.Windows) {
+				shell.executable = integrated.shell.windows;
+				shell.args = integrated.shellArgs.windows;
+			} else if (this._platform === Platform.Mac) {
+				shell.executable = integrated.shell.osx;
+				shell.args = integrated.shellArgs.osx;
+			} else if (this._platform === Platform.Linux) {
+				shell.executable = integrated.shell.linux;
+				shell.args = integrated.shellArgs.linux;
+			}
 		}
 		return shell;
 	}
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/test/terminalConfigHelper.test.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/test/terminalConfigHelper.test.ts
index 79e26ff261686391e56307746b431597ebf572ce..c1f629054900abbc18a0c7c796a5f7b9d6b88717 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/test/terminalConfigHelper.test.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/test/terminalConfigHelper.test.ts
@@ -210,6 +210,9 @@ suite('Workbench - TerminalConfigHelper', () => {
 				integrated: {
 					shell: {
 						windows: 'foo'
+					},
+					shellArgs: {
+						windows: []
 					}
 				}
 			}