diff --git a/system/activate-configuration.sh b/system/activate-configuration.sh
index d7360f27486..2a39e5649a5 100644
--- a/system/activate-configuration.sh
+++ b/system/activate-configuration.sh
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ done
 # Create the required /bin/sh symlink; otherwise lots of things
 # (notably the system() function) won't work.
 mkdir -m 0755 -p $mountPoint/bin
-ln -sfn @shell@ $mountPoint/bin/sh
+ln -sfn @bash@/bin/sh $mountPoint/bin/sh
 
 
 # Allow the kernel to find our wrapped modprobe (which searches in the
diff --git a/system/system.nix b/system/system.nix
index 6b2c8000010..bec3adb943b 100644
--- a/system/system.nix
+++ b/system/system.nix
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ rec {
   # The packages you want in the boot environment.
   systemPathList = [
     modprobe # must take precedence over module_init_tools
-    pkgs.bash
+    pkgs.bashInteractive # bash with ncurses support
     pkgs.bzip2
     pkgs.coreutils
     pkgs.cpio
@@ -242,6 +242,8 @@ rec {
       pkgs.glibc # needed for getent
       pkgs.pwdutils
     ];
+
+    bash = pkgs.bashInteractive;
   };