diff --git a/src/Spago/Cmd.purs b/src/Spago/Cmd.purs
index 5359adfb0..5da5f687b 100644
--- a/src/Spago/Cmd.purs
+++ b/src/Spago/Cmd.purs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import Node.Library.Execa as Execa
 import Node.Platform as Platform
 import Node.Process as Process
 import Partial.Unsafe (unsafeCrashWith, unsafePartial)
+import Unsafe.Coerce (unsafeCoerce)
 
 data StdinConfig
   = StdinPipeParent
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ type ExecOptions =
   , pipeStdout :: Boolean
   , pipeStderr :: Boolean
   , cwd :: Maybe FilePath
+  , shell :: Boolean
   }
 
 defaultExecOptions :: ExecOptions
@@ -85,6 +87,7 @@ defaultExecOptions =
   , pipeStdout: true
   , pipeStderr: true
   , cwd: Nothing
+  , shell: false
   }
 
 spawn :: forall m. MonadAff m => String -> Array String -> ExecOptions -> m Execa.ExecaProcess
@@ -94,7 +97,18 @@ spawn cmd args opts = liftAff do
       StdinPipeParent -> Just inherit
       StdinWrite _ -> Just pipe
       StdinNewPipe -> Just pipe
-  subprocess <- Execa.execa cmd args (_ { cwd = opts.cwd, stdin = stdinOpt, stdout = Just pipe, stderr = Just pipe })
+  subprocess <- Execa.execa cmd args
+    ( _
+        { cwd = opts.cwd
+        , stdin = stdinOpt
+        , stdout = Just pipe
+        , stderr = Just pipe
+        , shell = case opts.shell of
+            -- TODO: execa doesn't support the boolean option yet
+            true -> Just (unsafeCoerce true)
+            false -> Nothing
+        }
+    )
 
   case opts.pipeStdin of
     StdinWrite s | Just { writeUtf8End } <- subprocess.stdin -> writeUtf8End s
@@ -189,22 +203,22 @@ getExecutable command =
     Just Platform.Win32 -> do
       -- On Windows, we often need to call the `.cmd` version
       let cmd1 = mkCmd command (Just "cmd")
-      askVersion cmd1 >>= case _ of
+      askVersion cmd1 true >>= case _ of
         Right r -> pure { cmd: cmd1, output: r.stdout }
         Left r -> do
           let cmd2 = mkCmd command Nothing
           logDebug [ "Failed to find purs.cmd. Trying with just purs...", show r.message ]
-          askVersion cmd2 >>= case _ of
+          askVersion cmd2 false >>= case _ of
             Right r' -> pure { cmd: cmd2, output: r'.stdout }
             Left r' -> complain r'
     _ -> do
       -- On other platforms, we just call `purs`
       let cmd1 = mkCmd command Nothing
-      askVersion cmd1 >>= case _ of
+      askVersion cmd1 false >>= case _ of
         Right r -> pure { cmd: cmd1, output: r.stdout }
         Left r -> complain r
   where
-  askVersion cmd = exec cmd [ "--version" ] defaultExecOptions { pipeStdout = false, pipeStderr = false }
+  askVersion cmd shell = exec cmd [ "--version" ] defaultExecOptions { pipeStdout = false, pipeStderr = false, shell = shell }
 
   mkCmd cmd maybeExtension = cmd <> maybe "" (append ".") maybeExtension