diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index c1abe5bc..26a8f300 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
     if ((wayl = wayl_init(fdm)) == NULL)
         goto out;
 
-    if (!as_server && (term = term_init(&conf, fdm, wayl, argc, argv,
+    if (!as_server && (term = term_init(&conf, fdm, wayl, conf.term, argc, argv,
                                         &term_shutdown_cb, &shutdown_ctx)) == NULL)
         goto out;
 
diff --git a/server.c b/server.c
index ae6d678e..f48ed262 100644
--- a/server.c
+++ b/server.c
@@ -117,8 +117,8 @@ fdm_client(struct fdm *fdm, int fd, int events, void *data)
 
     assert(client->term == NULL);
     client->term = term_init(
-        server->conf, server->fdm, server->wayl, client->argc, client->argv,
-        &term_shutdown_handler, client);
+        server->conf, server->fdm, server->wayl, server->conf->term,
+        client->argc, client->argv, &term_shutdown_handler, client);
 
     if (client->term == NULL) {
         LOG_ERR("failed to instantiate new terminal");
diff --git a/terminal.c b/terminal.c
index d6aaf4ff..f71d90a6 100644
--- a/terminal.c
+++ b/terminal.c
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ initialize_fonts(struct terminal *term, const struct config *conf)
 
 struct terminal *
 term_init(const struct config *conf, struct fdm *fdm, struct wayland *wayl,
-          int argc, char *const *argv,
+          const char *term_env, int argc, char *const *argv,
           void (*shutdown_cb)(void *data, int exit_code), void *shutdown_data)
 {
     int ptmx = -1;
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ term_init(const struct config *conf, struct fdm *fdm, struct wayland *wayl,
     LOG_INFO("cell width=%d, height=%d", term->cell_width, term->cell_height);
 
     /* Start the slave/client */
-    if ((term->slave = slave_spawn(term->ptmx, argc, argv, conf->term, conf->shell)) == -1)
+    if ((term->slave = slave_spawn(term->ptmx, argc, argv, term_env, conf->shell)) == -1)
         goto err;
 
     /* Initiailze the Wayland window backend */
diff --git a/terminal.h b/terminal.h
index 3ec2802c..11571519 100644
--- a/terminal.h
+++ b/terminal.h
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ struct terminal {
 struct config;
 struct terminal *term_init(
     const struct config *conf, struct fdm *fdm, struct wayland *wayl,
-    int argc, char *const *argv,
+    const char *term_env, int argc, char *const *argv,
     void (*shutdown_cb)(void *data, int exit_code), void *shutdown_data);
 
 bool term_shutdown(struct terminal *term);