diff --git a/cli/app/cmd.go b/cli/app/cmd.go
index eb4ebcc0..0ada275a 100644
--- a/cli/app/cmd.go
+++ b/cli/app/cmd.go
@@ -87,7 +87,12 @@ Example:
 				sourceAndExec = fmt.Sprintf("TARGET=local; APP_NAME=%s; STACK_NAME=%s; %s . %s; %s", app.Name, app.StackName(), exportEnv, abraSh, cmdName)
 			}
 
-			cmd := exec.Command("/bin/sh", "-c", sourceAndExec)
+			shell := "/bin/bash"
+			if _, err := os.Stat(shell); errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+				logrus.Debugf("%s does not exist locally, use /bin/sh as fallback", shell)
+				shell = "/bin/sh"
+			}
+			cmd := exec.Command(shell, "-c", sourceAndExec)
 
 			if err := internal.RunCmd(cmd); err != nil {
 				logrus.Fatal(err)
@@ -192,34 +197,44 @@ func runCmdRemote(app config.App, abraSh, serviceName, cmdName, cmdArgs string)
 		return err
 	}
 
-	var cmd []string
-	if cmdArgs != "" {
-		cmd = []string{"/bin/sh", "-c", fmt.Sprintf("TARGET=%s; APP_NAME=%s; STACK_NAME=%s; . /tmp/abra.sh; %s %s", serviceName, app.Name, app.StackName(), cmdName, cmdArgs)}
-	} else {
-		cmd = []string{"/bin/sh", "-c", fmt.Sprintf("TARGET=%s; APP_NAME=%s; STACK_NAME=%s; . /tmp/abra.sh; %s", serviceName, app.Name, app.StackName(), cmdName)}
+	// FIXME: avoid instantiating a new CLI
+	dcli, err := command.NewDockerCli()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
-	logrus.Debugf("running command: %s", strings.Join(cmd, " "))
-
+	shell := "/bin/bash"
+	findShell := []string{"test", "-e", shell}
 	execCreateOpts := types.ExecConfig{
 		AttachStderr: true,
 		AttachStdin:  true,
 		AttachStdout: true,
-		Cmd:          cmd,
+		Cmd:          findShell,
 		Detach:       false,
-		Tty:          true,
+		Tty:          false,
 	}
 
+	if err := container.RunExec(dcli, cl, targetContainer.ID, &execCreateOpts); err != nil {
+		logrus.Infof("%s does not exist for %s, use /bin/sh as fallback", shell, app.Name)
+		shell = "/bin/sh"
+	}
+
+	var cmd []string
+	if cmdArgs != "" {
+		cmd = []string{shell, "-c", fmt.Sprintf("TARGET=%s; APP_NAME=%s; STACK_NAME=%s; . /tmp/abra.sh; %s %s", serviceName, app.Name, app.StackName(), cmdName, cmdArgs)}
+	} else {
+		cmd = []string{shell, "-c", fmt.Sprintf("TARGET=%s; APP_NAME=%s; STACK_NAME=%s; . /tmp/abra.sh; %s", serviceName, app.Name, app.StackName(), cmdName)}
+	}
+
+	logrus.Debugf("running command: %s", strings.Join(cmd, " "))
+
 	if internal.RemoteUser != "" {
 		logrus.Debugf("running command with user %s", internal.RemoteUser)
 		execCreateOpts.User = internal.RemoteUser
 	}
 
-	// FIXME: avoid instantiating a new CLI
-	dcli, err := command.NewDockerCli()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+	execCreateOpts.Cmd = cmd
+	execCreateOpts.Tty = true
 
 	if err := container.RunExec(dcli, cl, targetContainer.ID, &execCreateOpts); err != nil {
 		return err