diff --git a/src/sbbs3/main.cpp b/src/sbbs3/main.cpp
index 0b05e13d4b5cc4dafcb1578d1c13115296ebacf5..367c862497867a181e44bb0e4999dae866eb29d0 100644
--- a/src/sbbs3/main.cpp
+++ b/src/sbbs3/main.cpp
@@ -2411,10 +2411,20 @@ bool sbbs_t::init()
 #endif
 		);
 	if(comspec==NULL) {
-#if defined(__unix__) && defined(_PATH_BSHELL)
+		errormsg(WHERE, ERR_CHK, 
+#ifdef __unix__
+		"SHELL"
+#else
+		"COMSPEC"
+#endif
+		" environment variable", 0);
+#if defined(__unix__)
+	#if defined(_PATH_BSHELL)
 		comspec =  _PATH_BSHELL;
+	#else
+		comspec = "/bin/sh";
+	#endif
 #else
-		errormsg(WHERE, ERR_CHK, "SHELL or COMSPEC environment variable", 0);
 		return(false);
 #endif
 	}