diff --git a/builtin/var.c b/builtin/var.c
index 5dc384810c0969..e30ff45be1ce73 100644
--- a/builtin/var.c
+++ b/builtin/var.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "refs.h"
 #include "path.h"
 #include "strbuf.h"
+#include "run-command.h"
 
 static const char var_usage[] = "git var (-l | <variable>)";
 
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@ static char *default_branch(int ident_flag UNUSED)
 
 static char *shell_path(int ident_flag UNUSED)
 {
-	return xstrdup(SHELL_PATH);
+	return git_shell_path();
 }
 
 static char *git_attr_val_system(int ident_flag UNUSED)
diff --git a/t/t0007-git-var.sh b/t/t0007-git-var.sh
index ff4fd9348cca64..9fc5882387390a 100755
--- a/t/t0007-git-var.sh
+++ b/t/t0007-git-var.sh
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ test_expect_success POSIXPERM 'GIT_SHELL_PATH points to a valid executable' '
 test_expect_success MINGW 'GIT_SHELL_PATH points to a suitable shell' '
 	shellpath=$(git var GIT_SHELL_PATH) &&
 	case "$shellpath" in
-	*sh) ;;
+	[A-Z]:/*/sh.exe) test -f "$shellpath";;
 	*) return 1;;
 	esac
 '