diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index a30f9892..fe318e7c 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2004-12-01  Paul D. Smith  <psmith@gnu.org>
+
+	* main.c (main): Change char* env_shell to struct variable shell_var.
+	* variable.c (target_environment): Use new shell_var.
+
 2004-11-30  Paul D. Smith  <psmith@gnu.org>
 
 	* configure.in: The old way we avoided creating build.sh from
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 763fd546..10869085 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ int rebuilding_makefiles = 0;
 
 /* Remember the original value of the SHELL variable, from the environment.  */
 
-const char *env_shell = 0;
+struct variable shell_var;
 
 
 /* The usage output.  We write it this way to make life easier for the
@@ -1084,7 +1084,8 @@ main (int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
           if (strncmp (envp[i], "SHELL=", 6) == 0)
             {
               v->export = v_noexport;
-              env_shell = xstrdup (ep + 1);
+              shell_var.name = "SHELL";
+              shell_var.value = xstrdup (ep + 1);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/make.h b/make.h
index 55dcc215..ad46e1f8 100644
--- a/make.h
+++ b/make.h
@@ -496,8 +496,6 @@ extern int print_version_flag, print_directory_flag;
 extern int warn_undefined_variables_flag, posix_pedantic, not_parallel;
 extern int clock_skew_detected, rebuilding_makefiles;
 
-extern const char *env_shell;
-
 /* can we run commands via 'sh -c xxx' or must we use batch files? */
 extern int batch_mode_shell;
 
diff --git a/variable.c b/variable.c
index 8398d18b..495aef45 100644
--- a/variable.c
+++ b/variable.c
@@ -807,11 +807,6 @@ target_environment (struct file *file)
   struct variable makelevel_key;
   char **result_0;
   char **result;
-  struct variable ev;
-
-  /* Set up a fake variable struct for the original SHELL value.  */
-  ev.name = "SHELL";
-  ev.value = env_shell;
 
   if (file == 0)
     set_list = current_variable_set_list;
@@ -868,12 +863,15 @@ target_environment (struct file *file)
 		break;
 
 	      case v_noexport:
-                if (!streq (v->name, "SHELL"))
-                  continue;
                 /* If this is the SHELL variable and it's not exported, then
                    add the value from our original environment.  */
-                v = &ev;
-                break;
+                if (streq (v->name, "SHELL"))
+                  {
+                    extern struct variable shell_var;
+                    v = &shell_var;
+                    break;
+                  }
+                continue;
 
 	      case v_ifset:
 		if (v->origin == o_default)