diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/bash_kernel/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/bash_kernel/default.nix
index 191f03426746..9ac72a21fa7d 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/bash_kernel/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/bash_kernel/default.nix
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 , isPy27
 , python
 , pexpect
+, bash
 }:
 
 buildPythonPackage rec {
@@ -26,6 +27,12 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
     })
   ];
 
+  postPatch = ''
+    substituteInPlace bash_kernel/kernel.py \
+      --replace "'bash'" "'${bash}/bin/bash'" \
+      --replace "\"bash\"" "'${bash}/bin/bash'"
+  '';
+
   propagatedBuildInputs = [ ipykernel pexpect ];
 
   # no tests
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
index d59ef53af274..d41f56d52cba 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
@@ -509,7 +509,9 @@ in {
 
   baselines = callPackage ../development/python-modules/baselines { };
 
-  bash_kernel = callPackage ../development/python-modules/bash_kernel { };
+  bash_kernel = callPackage ../development/python-modules/bash_kernel {
+    inherit (pkgs) bash;
+  };
 
   bashlex = callPackage ../development/python-modules/bashlex { };