diff --git a/base/client.jl b/base/client.jl
index 7f8c5b11370b2..64c460e545b0f 100644
--- a/base/client.jl
+++ b/base/client.jl
@@ -84,37 +84,64 @@ answer_color() = text_colors[repl_color("JULIA_ANSWER_COLOR", default_color_answ
 stackframe_lineinfo_color() = repl_color("JULIA_STACKFRAME_LINEINFO_COLOR", :bold)
 stackframe_function_color() = repl_color("JULIA_STACKFRAME_FUNCTION_COLOR", :bold)
 
-function repl_cmd(cmd, out)
-    shell = shell_split(get(ENV,"JULIA_SHELL",get(ENV,"SHELL","/bin/sh")))
-    shell_name = Base.basename(shell[1])
+function repl_cmd(line::AbstractString, out)
+    if Sys.iswindows()
+        shell = shell_split(get(ENV, "JULIA_SHELL", "cmd"))
+        shell_name = isempty(shell) ? "" : lowercase(splitext(basename(shell[1]))[1])
+    else
+        shell = shell_split(get(ENV, "JULIA_SHELL", get(ENV,"SHELL","/bin/sh")))
+        shell_name = basename(shell[1])
+    end
 
-    if isempty(cmd.exec)
+    cmd = cmd_gen(eval(Main, shell_parse(line)[1]))
+
+    if isempty(cmd)
         throw(ArgumentError("no cmd to execute"))
-    elseif cmd.exec[1] == "cd"
-        new_oldpwd = pwd()
-        if length(cmd.exec) > 2
-            throw(ArgumentError("cd method only takes one argument"))
-        elseif length(cmd.exec) == 2
-            dir = cmd.exec[2]
-            if dir == "-"
-                if !haskey(ENV, "OLDPWD")
-                    error("cd: OLDPWD not set")
-                end
-                cd(ENV["OLDPWD"])
+    elseif cmd[1] == "cd" && length(cmd) <= 2
+        repl_cd(cmd, shell, out)
+    else
+        local command::Cmd
+        if Sys.iswindows()
+            interpolated_line = eval(Main, parse(string('"', escape_string(line), '"')))::String
+            if shell_name == ""
+                command = cmd
+            elseif shell_name == "cmd"
+                command = Cmd(`$shell /s /c $(string('"', interpolated_line, '"'))`, windows_verbatim=true)
+            elseif shell_name == "powershell"
+                command = `$shell -Command $interpolated_line`
+            elseif shell_name == "busybox"
+                command = `$shell sh -c $interpolated_line`
             else
-                cd(@static Sys.iswindows() ? dir : readchomp(`$shell -c "echo $(shell_escape(dir))"`))
+                command = `$shell $interpolated_line`
             end
         else
-            cd()
+            ttyopt = STDIN isa TTY ? `-i` : ``
+            command = `$shell $ttyopt -c "$(shell_wrap_true(shell_name, cmd))"`
         end
-        ENV["OLDPWD"] = new_oldpwd
-        println(out, pwd())
-    else
-        run(ignorestatus(@static Sys.iswindows() ? cmd : (isa(STDIN, TTY) ? `$shell -i -c "$(shell_wrap_true(shell_name, cmd))"` : `$shell -c "$(shell_wrap_true(shell_name, cmd))"`)))
+        run(ignorestatus(command))
     end
     nothing
 end
 
+function repl_cd(cmd::Cmd, shell, out)
+    new_oldpwd = pwd()
+    if length(cmd) == 2
+        dir = cmd[2]
+        if dir == "-"
+            if !haskey(ENV, "OLDPWD")
+                error("cd: OLDPWD not set")
+            end
+            cd(ENV["OLDPWD"])
+        else
+            cd(@static Sys.iswindows() ? dir : readchomp(`$shell -c "echo $(shell_escape(dir))"`))
+        end
+    else
+        cd()
+    end
+    ENV["OLDPWD"] = new_oldpwd
+    println(out, pwd())
+end
+
 function shell_wrap_true(shell_name, cmd)
     if shell_name == "fish"
         "begin; $(shell_escape(cmd)); and true; end"
diff --git a/base/repl/REPL.jl b/base/repl/REPL.jl
index ed793924fa0c8..71d7a4ff93757 100644
--- a/base/repl/REPL.jl
+++ b/base/repl/REPL.jl
@@ -779,13 +779,9 @@ function setup_interface(
             (repl.envcolors ? Base.input_color : repl.input_color) : "",
         repl = repl,
         complete = ShellCompletionProvider(),
-        # Transform "foo bar baz" into `foo bar baz` (shell quoting)
-        # and pass into Base.repl_cmd for processing (handles `ls` and `cd`
-        # special)
+        # Pass entered line into Base.repl_cmd for processing (handles `cd` special)
         on_done = respond(repl, julia_prompt) do line
-            Expr(:call, :(Base.repl_cmd),
-                :(Base.cmd_gen($(Base.shell_parse(line)[1]))),
-                outstream(repl))
+            Expr(:call, :(Base.repl_cmd), line, outstream(repl))
         end)
 
 
diff --git a/doc/src/manual/environment-variables.md b/doc/src/manual/environment-variables.md
index d2fe606136b76..12e9f8e2872cf 100644
--- a/doc/src/manual/environment-variables.md
+++ b/doc/src/manual/environment-variables.md
@@ -146,10 +146,9 @@ The absolute path of the shell with which Julia should execute external commands
 (via `Base.repl_cmd()`). Defaults to the environment variable `$SHELL`, and
 falls back to `/bin/sh` if `$SHELL` is unset.
 
-!!! note
-
-    On Windows, this environment variable is ignored, and external commands are
-    executed directly.
+On Windows, `$JULIA_SHELL` can be set to `cmd`, `powershell`, `busybox` or `""`.
+If set to `""` external commands are executed directly. Defaults to `cmd` if
+`$JULIA_SHELL` is not set.
 
 ### `JULIA_EDITOR`
 
diff --git a/doc/src/manual/interacting-with-julia.md b/doc/src/manual/interacting-with-julia.md
index 40b68bf8221b3..e83098ffc2ea2 100644
--- a/doc/src/manual/interacting-with-julia.md
+++ b/doc/src/manual/interacting-with-julia.md
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ julia> ; # upon typing ;, the prompt changes (in place) to: shell>
 shell> echo hello
 hello
 ```
+See [JULIA_SHELL](@ref) in the Environment Variables section of the manual.
 
 ### Search modes