diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index fa4e7c02e4bb..343a0c6a87c7 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -10,4 +10,3 @@ npm-debug.log
 # optional dev config file and plugins directory
 .hyper.js
 .hyper_plugins
-
diff --git a/app/index.js b/app/index.js
index e4456b1c39fa..03287d29bdca 100644
--- a/app/index.js
+++ b/app/index.js
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ const isDev = require('electron-is-dev');
 // Ours
 const AutoUpdater = require('./auto-updater');
 const toElectronBackgroundColor = require('./utils/to-electron-background-color');
-const createMenu = require('./menu');
 const createRPC = require('./rpc');
 const notify = require('./notify');
 const fetchNotifications = require('./notifications');
@@ -61,6 +60,7 @@ const config = require('./config');
 
 config.init();
 
+const createMenu = require('./menu');
 const plugins = require('./plugins');
 const Session = require('./session');
 
@@ -198,7 +198,8 @@ app.on('ready', () => installDevExtensions(isDev).then(() => {
       // If no callback is passed to createWindow,
       // a new session will be created by default.
       if (!fn) {
-        fn = win => win.rpc.emit('termgroup add req');
+        const shellOpts = options.shellOpts || {};
+        fn = win => win.rpc.emit('termgroup add req', {shellOpts});
       }
 
       // app.windowCallback is the createWindow callback
@@ -217,9 +218,9 @@ app.on('ready', () => installDevExtensions(isDev).then(() => {
       }
     });
 
-    rpc.on('new', ({rows = 40, cols = 100, cwd = process.argv[1] && isAbsolute(process.argv[1]) ? process.argv[1] : homedir(), splitDirection}) => {
-      const shell = cfg.shell;
-      const shellArgs = cfg.shellArgs && Array.from(cfg.shellArgs);
+    rpc.on('new', ({rows = 40, cols = 100, shellOpts = {}, cwd = process.argv[1] && isAbsolute(process.argv[1]) ? process.argv[1] : homedir(), splitDirection}) => {
+      const shell = shellOpts.path || cfg.shell;
+      const shellArgs = shellOpts.args || (cfg.shellArgs && Array.from(cfg.shellArgs));
 
       initSession({rows, cols, cwd, shell, shellArgs}, (uid, session) => {
         sessions.set(uid, session);
diff --git a/app/menu.js b/app/menu.js
index cca978575aac..5ecd5864aebc 100644
--- a/app/menu.js
+++ b/app/menu.js
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
+'use strict';
+
 const os = require('os');
 const path = require('path');
 const {app, shell, dialog} = require('electron');
 
 const {accelerators} = require('./accelerators');
-const {getConfigDir} = require('./config');
+const {getConfig,getConfigDir} = require('./config');
 
 const isMac = process.platform === 'darwin';
 const appName = app.getName();
+const shells = getConfig().shells || {};
+const shellKeys = Object.keys(shells);
 
 // based on and inspired by
 // https://github.com/sindresorhus/anatine/blob/master/menu.js
@@ -59,6 +63,56 @@ module.exports = ({createWindow, updatePlugins}) => {
     ]
   };
 
+  const otherShellsMenu = {
+    label: 'Other Shells',
+    submenu: []
+  };
+
+  for (const shellName of shellKeys) {
+    const shellOpts = shells[shellName];
+
+    otherShellsMenu.submenu.push({
+      label: shellName,
+      submenu: [
+        {
+          label: 'New Window',
+          click() {
+            createWindow(null, {shellOpts});
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          label: 'New Tab',
+          click(item, focusedWindow) {
+            if (focusedWindow) {
+              focusedWindow.rpc.emit('termgroup add req', {shellOpts});
+            } else {
+              createWindow(null, {shellOpts});
+            }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          type: 'separator'
+        },
+        {
+          label: 'Split Vertically',
+          click(item, focusedWindow) {
+            if (focusedWindow) {
+              focusedWindow.rpc.emit('split request vertical', {shellOpts});
+            }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          label: 'Split Horizontally',
+          click(item, focusedWindow) {
+            if (focusedWindow) {
+              focusedWindow.rpc.emit('split request horizontal', {shellOpts});
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    });
+  }
+
   const shellOrFileMenu = {
     label: isMac ? 'Shell' : 'File',
     submenu: [
@@ -101,6 +155,11 @@ module.exports = ({createWindow, updatePlugins}) => {
           }
         }
       },
+      ...(
+        shellKeys.length > 0 ?
+          [{type: 'separator'}, otherShellsMenu] :
+          []
+      ),
       {
         type: 'separator'
       },
diff --git a/lib/actions/term-groups.js b/lib/actions/term-groups.js
index 15f7bfac9c9d..e9ab28f7fe16 100644
--- a/lib/actions/term-groups.js
+++ b/lib/actions/term-groups.js
@@ -12,14 +12,16 @@ import getRootGroups from '../selectors';
 import {setActiveSession, ptyExitSession, userExitSession} from './sessions';
 
 function requestSplit(direction) {
-  return () => (dispatch, getState) => {
+  return options => (dispatch, getState) => {
+    const {shellOpts} = options || {};
     const {ui} = getState();
     dispatch({
       type: SESSION_REQUEST,
       effect: () => {
         rpc.emit('new', {
           splitDirection: direction,
-          cwd: ui.cwd
+          cwd: ui.cwd,
+          shellOpts
         });
       }
     });
@@ -37,8 +39,9 @@ export function resizeTermGroup(uid, sizes) {
   };
 }
 
-export function requestTermGroup() {
+export function requestTermGroup(options) {
   return (dispatch, getState) => {
+    const {shellOpts} = options || {};
     const {ui} = getState();
     const {cols, rows, cwd} = ui;
     dispatch({
@@ -48,7 +51,8 @@ export function requestTermGroup() {
           isNewGroup: true,
           cols,
           rows,
-          cwd
+          cwd,
+          shellOpts
         });
       }
     });
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 093ace47767b..dc9f95881b2b 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -86,16 +86,16 @@ rpc.on('session clear req', () => {
   store_.dispatch(sessionActions.clearActiveSession());
 });
 
-rpc.on('termgroup add req', () => {
-  store_.dispatch(termGroupActions.requestTermGroup());
+rpc.on('termgroup add req', options => {
+  store_.dispatch(termGroupActions.requestTermGroup(options));
 });
 
-rpc.on('split request horizontal', () => {
-  store_.dispatch(termGroupActions.requestHorizontalSplit());
+rpc.on('split request horizontal', options => {
+  store_.dispatch(termGroupActions.requestHorizontalSplit(options));
 });
 
-rpc.on('split request vertical', () => {
-  store_.dispatch(termGroupActions.requestVerticalSplit());
+rpc.on('split request vertical', options => {
+  store_.dispatch(termGroupActions.requestVerticalSplit(options));
 });
 
 rpc.on('reset fontSize req', () => {