diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b4ac7e35..a3e16670 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -93,9 +93,10 @@ Execute a shell command to notify of a failed release.
 
 ### Options
 
-| Options | Description                                    |
-|---------|------------------------------------------------|
-| `cmd`   | The shell command to execute. See [cmd](#cmd). |
+| Options | Description                                                                                          |
+|---------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
+| `cmd`   | The shell command to execute. See [cmd](#cmd).                                                       |
+| `shell` | The shell to use to run the command. See [execa#shell](https://github.com/sindresorhus/execa#shell). |
 
 #### `cmd`
 
diff --git a/lib/exec-script.js b/lib/exec-script.js
index 18ee529c..f6207ba9 100644
--- a/lib/exec-script.js
+++ b/lib/exec-script.js
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 const {template} = require('lodash');
 const execa = require('execa');
 
-module.exports = async ({cmd, ...config}, {cwd, env, stdout, stderr, logger, ...context}) => {
+module.exports = async ({cmd, shell, ...config}, {cwd, env, stdout, stderr, logger, ...context}) => {
   const script = template(cmd)({config, ...context});
 
   logger.log('Call script %s', script);
 
-  const result = execa.shell(script, {cwd, env});
+  const result = execa.shell(script, {shell, cwd, env});
 
   result.stdout.pipe(
     stdout,
diff --git a/lib/verify-config.js b/lib/verify-config.js
index 8b594d16..72fb8693 100644
--- a/lib/verify-config.js
+++ b/lib/verify-config.js
@@ -1,11 +1,18 @@
-const {isString} = require('lodash');
+const {isUndefined, isString} = require('lodash');
 const SemanticReleaseError = require('@semantic-release/error');
 
-module.exports = config => {
-  if (!isString(config.cmd) || !config.cmd.trim()) {
+module.exports = ({cmd, shell}) => {
+  if (!isString(cmd) || !cmd.trim()) {
     throw new SemanticReleaseError(
-      'The script plugin must be configured with the shell command to execute in the a "cmd" option.',
+      'The exec plugin must be configured with the shell command to execute in the a "cmd" option.',
       'EINVALIDCMD'
     );
   }
+
+  if (!isUndefined(shell) && (!isString(shell) || !shell.trim())) {
+    throw new SemanticReleaseError(
+      'The "shell" option, if specified, must be a non empty String or the value "true".',
+      'EINVALIDSHELL'
+    );
+  }
 };
diff --git a/test/analyze-commits.test.js b/test/analyze-commits.test.js
index ea83868c..0fc81d18 100644
--- a/test/analyze-commits.test.js
+++ b/test/analyze-commits.test.js
@@ -52,6 +52,16 @@ test('Throw "SemanticReleaseError" if "cmd" options is empty', async t => {
   t.is(error.code, 'EINVALIDCMD');
 });
 
+test('Throw "SemanticReleaseError" if "shell" options is invalid', async t => {
+  const pluginConfig = {cmd: './test/fixtures/echo-args.sh', shell: '   '};
+  const context = {stdout: t.context.stdout, stderr: t.context.stderr, logger: t.context.logger, options: {}};
+
+  const error = await t.throws(analyzeCommits(pluginConfig, context));
+
+  t.is(error.name, 'SemanticReleaseError');
+  t.is(error.code, 'EINVALIDSHELL');
+});
+
 test('Throw Error if if the analyzeCommits script does not returns 0', async t => {
   const pluginConfig = {cmd: 'exit 1'};
   const context = {stdout: t.context.stdout, stderr: t.context.stderr, logger: t.context.logger};
diff --git a/test/exec-script.test.js b/test/exec-script.test.js
index cb745f14..73d1d030 100644
--- a/test/exec-script.test.js
+++ b/test/exec-script.test.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ test.beforeEach(t => {
   t.context.logger = {log: t.context.log, error: t.context.error};
 });
 
-test.serial('Pipe script output to stdout and stderr', async t => {
+test('Pipe script output to stdout and stderr', async t => {
   const pluginConfig = {cmd: '>&2 echo "write to stderr" && echo "write to stdout"'};
   const context = {stdout: t.context.stdout, stderr: t.context.stderr, logger: t.context.logger, options: {}};
 
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ test.serial('Pipe script output to stdout and stderr', async t => {
   t.is(t.context.stderr.getContentsAsString('utf8').trim(), 'write to stderr');
 });
 
-test.serial('Generate command with template', async t => {
+test('Generate command with template', async t => {
   const pluginConfig = {cmd: `./test/fixtures/echo-args.sh \${config.conf} \${lastRelease.version}`, conf: 'confValue'};
   const context = {
     stdout: t.context.stdout,
@@ -35,3 +35,13 @@ test.serial('Generate command with template', async t => {
   const result = await execScript(pluginConfig, context);
   t.is(result, 'confValue 1.0.0');
 });
+
+test('Execute the script with the specified "shell"', async t => {
+  const context = {stdout: t.context.stdout, stderr: t.context.stderr, logger: t.context.logger};
+
+  let result = await execScript({cmd: 'echo $0', shell: 'bash'}, context);
+  t.is(result, 'bash');
+
+  result = await execScript({cmd: 'echo $0', shell: 'sh'}, context);
+  t.is(result, 'sh');
+});
diff --git a/test/fail.test.js b/test/fail.test.js
index 23a9cd66..b3a51c97 100644
--- a/test/fail.test.js
+++ b/test/fail.test.js
@@ -39,6 +39,16 @@ test('Throw "SemanticReleaseError" if "cmd" options is empty', async t => {
   t.is(error.code, 'EINVALIDCMD');
 });
 
+test('Throw "SemanticReleaseError" if "shell" options is invalid', async t => {
+  const pluginConfig = {cmd: './test/fixtures/echo-args.sh', shell: '   '};
+  const context = {stdout: t.context.stdout, stderr: t.context.stderr, logger: t.context.logger, options: {}};
+
+  const error = await t.throws(fail(pluginConfig, context));
+
+  t.is(error.name, 'SemanticReleaseError');
+  t.is(error.code, 'EINVALIDSHELL');
+});
+
 test('Throw "Error" if the fail script does not returns 0', async t => {
   const pluginConfig = {cmd: 'exit 1'};
   const context = {stdout: t.context.stdout, stderr: t.context.stderr, logger: t.context.logger};
diff --git a/test/generate-notes.test.js b/test/generate-notes.test.js
index d4341401..c77619fd 100644
--- a/test/generate-notes.test.js
+++ b/test/generate-notes.test.js
@@ -42,6 +42,16 @@ test('Throw "SemanticReleaseError" if "cmd" options is empty', async t => {
   t.is(error.code, 'EINVALIDCMD');
 });
 
+test('Throw "SemanticReleaseError" if "shell" options is invalid', async t => {
+  const pluginConfig = {cmd: './test/fixtures/echo-args.sh', shell: '   '};
+  const context = {stdout: t.context.stdout, stderr: t.context.stderr, logger: t.context.logger, options: {}};
+
+  const error = await t.throws(generateNotes(pluginConfig, context));
+
+  t.is(error.name, 'SemanticReleaseError');
+  t.is(error.code, 'EINVALIDSHELL');
+});
+
 test('Throw "Error" if if the generateNotes script does not returns 0', async t => {
   const pluginConfig = {cmd: 'exit 1'};
   const context = {stdout: t.context.stdout, stderr: t.context.stderr, logger: t.context.logger};
diff --git a/test/prepare.test.js b/test/prepare.test.js
index 9c17d6ab..b3d55a55 100644
--- a/test/prepare.test.js
+++ b/test/prepare.test.js
@@ -39,6 +39,16 @@ test('Throw "SemanticReleaseError" if "cmd" options is empty', async t => {
   t.is(error.code, 'EINVALIDCMD');
 });
 
+test('Throw "SemanticReleaseError" if "shell" options is invalid', async t => {
+  const pluginConfig = {cmd: './test/fixtures/echo-args.sh', shell: '   '};
+  const context = {stdout: t.context.stdout, stderr: t.context.stderr, logger: t.context.logger, options: {}};
+
+  const error = await t.throws(prepare(pluginConfig, context));
+
+  t.is(error.name, 'SemanticReleaseError');
+  t.is(error.code, 'EINVALIDSHELL');
+});
+
 test('Throw "Error" if the prepare script does not returns 0', async t => {
   const pluginConfig = {cmd: 'exit 1'};
   const context = {stdout: t.context.stdout, stderr: t.context.stderr, logger: t.context.logger};
diff --git a/test/publish.test.js b/test/publish.test.js
index 3e8c0eea..8fd177fb 100644
--- a/test/publish.test.js
+++ b/test/publish.test.js
@@ -63,6 +63,16 @@ test('Throw "SemanticReleaseError" if "cmd" options is empty', async t => {
   t.is(error.code, 'EINVALIDCMD');
 });
 
+test('Throw "SemanticReleaseError" if "shell" options is invalid', async t => {
+  const pluginConfig = {cmd: './test/fixtures/echo-args.sh', shell: '   '};
+  const context = {stdout: t.context.stdout, stderr: t.context.stderr, logger: t.context.logger, options: {}};
+
+  const error = await t.throws(publish(pluginConfig, context));
+
+  t.is(error.name, 'SemanticReleaseError');
+  t.is(error.code, 'EINVALIDSHELL');
+});
+
 test('Throw "Error" if the publish script does not returns 0', async t => {
   const pluginConfig = {cmd: 'exit 1'};
   const context = {stdout: t.context.stdout, stderr: t.context.stderr, logger: t.context.logger, options: {}};
diff --git a/test/success.test.js b/test/success.test.js
index a9909641..278c0032 100644
--- a/test/success.test.js
+++ b/test/success.test.js
@@ -39,6 +39,16 @@ test('Throw "SemanticReleaseError" if "cmd" options is empty', async t => {
   t.is(error.code, 'EINVALIDCMD');
 });
 
+test('Throw "SemanticReleaseError" if "shell" options is invalid', async t => {
+  const pluginConfig = {cmd: './test/fixtures/echo-args.sh', shell: '   '};
+  const context = {stdout: t.context.stdout, stderr: t.context.stderr, logger: t.context.logger, options: {}};
+
+  const error = await t.throws(success(pluginConfig, context));
+
+  t.is(error.name, 'SemanticReleaseError');
+  t.is(error.code, 'EINVALIDSHELL');
+});
+
 test('Throw "Error" if the success script does not returns 0', async t => {
   const pluginConfig = {cmd: 'exit 1'};
   const context = {stdout: t.context.stdout, stderr: t.context.stderr, logger: t.context.logger};
diff --git a/test/verify-confitions.test.js b/test/verify-confitions.test.js
index 57d987c3..6bce0ddb 100644
--- a/test/verify-confitions.test.js
+++ b/test/verify-confitions.test.js
@@ -39,6 +39,16 @@ test('Throw "SemanticReleaseError" if "cmd" options is empty', async t => {
   t.is(error.code, 'EINVALIDCMD');
 });
 
+test('Throw "SemanticReleaseError" if "shell" options is invalid', async t => {
+  const pluginConfig = {cmd: './test/fixtures/echo-args.sh', shell: '   '};
+  const context = {stdout: t.context.stdout, stderr: t.context.stderr, logger: t.context.logger, options: {}};
+
+  const error = await t.throws(verifyConditions(pluginConfig, context));
+
+  t.is(error.name, 'SemanticReleaseError');
+  t.is(error.code, 'EINVALIDSHELL');
+});
+
 test('Return if the verifyConditions script returns 0', async t => {
   const pluginConfig = {cmd: 'exit 0'};
   const context = {stdout: t.context.stdout, stderr: t.context.stderr, logger: t.context.logger, options: {}};
diff --git a/test/verify-release.test.js b/test/verify-release.test.js
index 24418162..1e29d9ce 100644
--- a/test/verify-release.test.js
+++ b/test/verify-release.test.js
@@ -39,6 +39,16 @@ test('Throw "SemanticReleaseError" if "cmd" options is empty', async t => {
   t.is(error.code, 'EINVALIDCMD');
 });
 
+test('Throw "SemanticReleaseError" if "shell" options is invalid', async t => {
+  const pluginConfig = {cmd: './test/fixtures/echo-args.sh', shell: '   '};
+  const context = {stdout: t.context.stdout, stderr: t.context.stderr, logger: t.context.logger, options: {}};
+
+  const error = await t.throws(verifyRelease(pluginConfig, context));
+
+  t.is(error.name, 'SemanticReleaseError');
+  t.is(error.code, 'EINVALIDSHELL');
+});
+
 test('Throw "SemanticReleaseError" if the verifyRelease script does not returns 0', async t => {
   const pluginConfig = {cmd: 'exit 1'};
   const context = {stdout: t.context.stdout, stderr: t.context.stderr, logger: t.context.logger, options: {}};