diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8d0e2b8552..caca851365 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -46,12 +46,7 @@ HOSTARCH := $(shell uname -m | \
 HOSTOS := $(shell uname -s | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' | \
 	    sed -e 's/\(cygwin\).*/cygwin/')
 
-# Set shell to bash if possible, otherwise fall back to sh
-SHELL := $(shell if [ -x "$$BASH" ]; then echo $$BASH; \
-	else if [ -x /bin/bash ]; then echo /bin/bash; \
-	else echo sh; fi; fi)
-
-export	HOSTARCH HOSTOS SHELL
+export	HOSTARCH HOSTOS
 
 # Deal with colliding definitions from tcsh etc.
 VENDOR=
diff --git a/config.mk b/config.mk
index 4e6a19bd8a..1fd109f1bd 100644
--- a/config.mk
+++ b/config.mk
@@ -23,6 +23,13 @@
 
 #########################################################################
 
+# Set shell to bash if possible, otherwise fall back to sh
+SHELL := $(shell if [ -x "$$BASH" ]; then echo $$BASH; \
+	else if [ -x /bin/bash ]; then echo /bin/bash; \
+	else echo sh; fi; fi)
+
+export	SHELL
+
 ifeq ($(CURDIR),$(SRCTREE))
 dir :=
 else