diff --git a/src/utils/__tests__/shell.spec.ts b/src/utils/__tests__/shell.spec.ts
index 8f370e4d7f..828e7b62a2 100644
--- a/src/utils/__tests__/shell.spec.ts
+++ b/src/utils/__tests__/shell.spec.ts
@@ -173,23 +173,27 @@ describe("Shell Detection Tests", () => {
 			expect(getShell()).toBe("C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe")
 		})
 
-		it("respects userInfo() if no VS Code config is available and shell is allowed", () => {
+		it("defaults to Windows PowerShell when VS Code has no configured profile", () => {
+			// Modern VS Code launches PowerShell by default on Windows (issue #82), so
+			// getShell() should report PowerShell rather than falling through to cmd.exe.
 			vscode.workspace.getConfiguration = () => ({ get: () => undefined }) as any
 			vi.mocked(userInfo).mockReturnValue({ shell: "C:\\Program Files\\PowerShell\\7\\pwsh.exe" } as any)
 
-			expect(getShell()).toBe("C:\\Program Files\\PowerShell\\7\\pwsh.exe")
+			expect(getShell()).toBe("C:\\Windows\\System32\\WindowsPowerShell\\v1.0\\powershell.exe")
 		})
 
-		it("falls back to safe shell when userInfo() returns non-allowlisted shell", () => {
-			vscode.workspace.getConfiguration = () => ({ get: () => undefined }) as any
-			vi.mocked(userInfo).mockReturnValue({ shell: "C:\\Custom\\PowerShell.exe" } as any)
+		it("falls back to safe shell when the configured profile path is non-allowlisted", () => {
+			mockVsCodeConfig("windows", "Custom", {
+				Custom: { path: "C:\\Custom\\evil.exe" },
+			})
 
 			expect(getShell()).toBe("C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe")
 		})
 
-		it("falls back to safe shell when COMSPEC is non-allowlisted", () => {
-			vscode.workspace.getConfiguration = () => ({ get: () => undefined }) as any
-			process.env.COMSPEC = "D:\\CustomCmd\\cmd.exe"
+		it("uses cmd.exe when a Command Prompt profile is explicitly configured", () => {
+			mockVsCodeConfig("windows", "Command Prompt", {
+				"Command Prompt": { path: "C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe" },
+			})
 
 			expect(getShell()).toBe("C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe")
 		})
diff --git a/src/utils/shell.ts b/src/utils/shell.ts
index 45253c31b0..d39395ade3 100644
--- a/src/utils/shell.ts
+++ b/src/utils/shell.ts
@@ -188,7 +188,13 @@ function normalizeShellPath(path: string | string[] | undefined): string | null
 function getWindowsShellFromVSCode(): string | null {
 	const { defaultProfileName, profiles } = getWindowsTerminalConfig()
 	if (!defaultProfileName) {
-		return null
+		// No explicit Windows terminal profile is configured. VS Code's built-in
+		// default on modern Windows is PowerShell (not cmd.exe), and that is the
+		// shell the integrated terminal actually launches. Mirror it here so the
+		// system prompt advertises the real shell instead of falling through to
+		// COMSPEC (cmd.exe). Windows PowerShell is always present, so it is a safe
+		// allowlisted default. See issue #82.
+		return SHELL_PATHS.POWERSHELL_LEGACY
 	}
 
 	const profile = profiles[defaultProfileName]