diff --git a/software/theia/buildout.hash.cfg b/software/theia/buildout.hash.cfg
index cd11b25e339af25ad4bf3626b3a30bb565a09483..318c78bbdea0fc9538ca2f3ef9deb8a35d5b93d7 100644
--- a/software/theia/buildout.hash.cfg
+++ b/software/theia/buildout.hash.cfg
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 
 [instance]
 filename = instance.cfg.in
-md5sum = 0cd7d44974b568dbb7b880d6c103dfdf
+md5sum = d8ad39bc93c492026a93c28b33a5dc3a
 
 [yarn.lock]
 filename = yarn.lock
diff --git a/software/theia/instance.cfg.in b/software/theia/instance.cfg.in
index 52eb62a44957fe1b2ab1953b555e14dff329fd1b..f747d0d425e33374ed12018e466b8bbddfd4efe9 100644
--- a/software/theia/instance.cfg.in
+++ b/software/theia/instance.cfg.in
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ recipe = slapos.cookbook:userinfo
 recipe = slapos.cookbook:wrapper
 wrapper-path = $${directory:services}/$${:_buildout_section_name_}
 command-line =
-  env LC_ALL=C.UTF-8 TMP=$${directory:tmp} THEIA_WEBVIEW_EXTERNAL_ENDPOINT='{{hostname}}' THEIA_SHELL=$${theia-shell:wrapper-path} ${theia-wrapper:rendered} --hostname=$${:hostname} --port=$${:port} $${directory:project}
+  env LC_ALL=C.UTF-8 TMP=$${directory:tmp} THEIA_WEBVIEW_EXTERNAL_ENDPOINT='{{hostname}}' THEIA_SHELL=$${theia-shell:rendered} ${theia-wrapper:rendered} --hostname=$${:hostname} --port=$${:port} $${directory:project}
 
 ip =  $${instance-parameter:ipv4-random}
 hostname =  $${:ip}
@@ -132,12 +132,18 @@ hash-existing-files =
   ${theia-wrapper:rendered}
 
 [theia-shell]
-recipe = slapos.cookbook:wrapper
-wrapper-path = $${directory:bin}/$${:_buildout_section_name_}
-# reset GIT_EXEC_PATH to workaround https://github.com/eclipse-theia/theia/issues/7555
-# activate slapos configuration
-command-line =
-  ${bash:location}/bin/bash -c ". $${slapos-standalone-activate:rendered} && exec env GIT_EXEC_PATH= ${bash:location}/bin/bash"
+recipe = slapos.recipe.template:jinja2
+rendered = $${directory:bin}/$${:_buildout_section_name_}
+mode = 0700
+template = inline:
+  #!${python:location}/bin/python
+  import sys
+  import os
+  args = sys.argv[1:]
+  # when running interactively, activate slapos configuration and reset GIT_EXEC_PATH to workaround https://github.com/eclipse-theia/theia/issues/7555
+  if not args: args = ["-c", ". $${slapos-standalone-activate:rendered} && exec env GIT_EXEC_PATH= ${bash:location}/bin/bash", ]
+  os.execv('${bash:location}/bin/bash', ['${bash:location}/bin/bash']  + args)
+
 
 [slapos-standalone-activate]
 recipe = slapos.recipe.template:jinja2
diff --git a/software/theia/test/test.py b/software/theia/test/test.py
index 43cd3f10435fe63a53c9856f9db12f19e19db064..23a97dacb746bc95f654d29f08776c374abaf6b8 100644
--- a/software/theia/test/test.py
+++ b/software/theia/test/test.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import os
 import textwrap
 import logging
+import subprocess
 import tempfile
 import time
 from six.moves.urllib.parse import urlparse, urljoin
@@ -131,3 +132,13 @@ class TestTheia(SlapOSInstanceTestCase):
 
     process.terminate()
     process.wait()
+
+  def test_theia_shell_execute_tasks(self):
+    # shell needs to understand -c "comamnd" arguments for theia tasks feature
+    test_file = '{}/test file'.format(self.computer_partition_root_path)
+    subprocess.check_call([
+        '{}/bin/theia-shell'.format(self.computer_partition_root_path),
+        '-c',
+        'touch "{}"'.format(test_file)
+    ])
+    self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(test_file))