diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/docker/default.nix b/pkgs/build-support/docker/default.nix
index 7f63664dadd..6bc9b7475e1 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/docker/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/docker/default.nix
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ rec {
     export PATH=${shadow}/bin:$PATH
     mkdir -p /etc/pam.d
     if [[ ! -f /etc/passwd ]]; then
-      echo "root:x:0:0::/root:/bin/sh" > /etc/passwd
+      echo "root:x:0:0::/root:${stdenv.shell}" > /etc/passwd
       echo "root:!x:::::::" > /etc/shadow
     fi
     if [[ ! -f /etc/group ]]; then
diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/release/ant-build.nix b/pkgs/build-support/release/ant-build.nix
index c77db30a81c..5ab24132290 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/release/ant-build.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/release/ant-build.nix
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (
 
       mkdir -p $out/bin
       cat >> $out/bin/${w.name} <<EOF
-      #! /bin/sh
+      #!${stdenv.shell}
       export JAVA_HOME=$jre
       $jre/bin/java ${cp w} ${if w ? mainClass then w.mainClass else "-jar ${w.jar}"} \$@
       EOF
diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/vm/windows/default.nix b/pkgs/build-support/vm/windows/default.nix
index c668e7569a4..f1575219982 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/vm/windows/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/vm/windows/default.nix
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#note: the hardcoded /bin/sh is required for the VM's cygwin shell
 pkgs:
 
 let
diff --git a/pkgs/servers/nosql/eventstore/default.nix b/pkgs/servers/nosql/eventstore/default.nix
index d58005f7be2..572cfe1f17d 100644
--- a/pkgs/servers/nosql/eventstore/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/servers/nosql/eventstore/default.nix
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     mkdir -p $out/{bin,lib/eventstore/clusternode}
     cp -r bin/clusternode/* $out/lib/eventstore/clusternode/
     cat > $out/bin/clusternode << EOF
-    #!/bin/sh
+    #!${stdenv.shell}
     exec ${mono}/bin/mono $out/lib/eventstore/clusternode/EventStore.ClusterNode.exe "\$@"
     EOF
     chmod +x $out/bin/clusternode
diff --git a/pkgs/servers/xmpp/pyIRCt/default.nix b/pkgs/servers/xmpp/pyIRCt/default.nix
index 2a87eeb7cb5..ebdc73aec30 100644
--- a/pkgs/servers/xmpp/pyIRCt/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/servers/xmpp/pyIRCt/default.nix
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sed -e '/configFiles/iimport os' -i config.py
     cp * $out/share/${name}
     cat > $out/bin/pyIRCt <<EOF
-      #! /bin/sh
+      #!${stdenv.shell}
       cd $out/share/${name}
       ./irc.py \"$@\"
     EOF
diff --git a/pkgs/servers/xmpp/pyMAILt/default.nix b/pkgs/servers/xmpp/pyMAILt/default.nix
index deb8b8ce7d1..aeed7484f82 100644
--- a/pkgs/servers/xmpp/pyMAILt/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/servers/xmpp/pyMAILt/default.nix
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sed -e '/configFiles/iimport os' -i config.py
     cp * $out/share/$name
     cat > $out/bin/pyMAILt <<EOF
-      #! /bin/sh
+      #!${stdenv.shell}
       cd $out/share/${name}
       ./mail.py \"$@\"
     EOF