diff --git a/Documentation/git-var.txt b/Documentation/git-var.txt
index f40202b8e3ab52..f0f647e14ab2aa 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-var.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-var.txt
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ endif::git-default-pager[]
 GIT_DEFAULT_BRANCH::
     The name of the first branch created in newly initialized repositories.
 
+GIT_SHELL_PATH::
+    The path of the binary providing the POSIX shell for commands which use the shell.
+
 SEE ALSO
 --------
 linkgit:git-commit-tree[1]
diff --git a/builtin/var.c b/builtin/var.c
index 10ee62f84c4848..bd340c5717dcab 100644
--- a/builtin/var.c
+++ b/builtin/var.c
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ static const char *default_branch(int ident_flag UNUSED)
 	return git_default_branch_name(1);
 }
 
+static const char *shell_path(int ident_flag UNUSED)
+{
+	return SHELL_PATH;
+}
+
 struct git_var {
 	const char *name;
 	const char *(*read)(int);
@@ -47,6 +52,7 @@ static struct git_var git_vars[] = {
 	{ "GIT_SEQUENCE_EDITOR", sequence_editor },
 	{ "GIT_PAGER", pager },
 	{ "GIT_DEFAULT_BRANCH", default_branch },
+	{ "GIT_SHELL_PATH", shell_path },
 	{ "", NULL },
 };
 
diff --git a/t/t0007-git-var.sh b/t/t0007-git-var.sh
index eeb8539c1bcb2d..e35f07afcb97b6 100755
--- a/t/t0007-git-var.sh
+++ b/t/t0007-git-var.sh
@@ -147,6 +147,21 @@ test_expect_success 'get GIT_SEQUENCE_EDITOR with configuration and environment
 	)
 '
 
+test_expect_success POSIXPERM 'GIT_SHELL_PATH points to a valid executable' '
+	shellpath=$(git var GIT_SHELL_PATH) &&
+	test_path_is_executable "$shellpath"
+'
+
+# We know in this environment that our shell will be one of a few fixed values
+# that all end in "sh".
+test_expect_success MINGW 'GIT_SHELL_PATH points to a suitable shell' '
+	shellpath=$(git var GIT_SHELL_PATH) &&
+	case "$shellpath" in
+	*sh) ;;
+	*) return 1;;
+	esac
+'
+
 # For git var -l, we check only a representative variable;
 # testing the whole output would make our test too brittle with
 # respect to unrelated changes in the test suite's environment.