diff --git a/internal/config/render.go b/internal/config/render.go
index 5a8a2d4f1..c2701e3ab 100644
--- a/internal/config/render.go
+++ b/internal/config/render.go
@@ -302,6 +302,18 @@ func RenderTOMLForScope(c *Config, scope RenderScope) string {
 	}
 	fmt.Fprintf(&b, "bash_timeout_seconds = %d   # foreground safety cap; set 0 for no tool-local cap\n\n", c.BashTimeoutSeconds())
 
+	b.WriteString("[tools.shell]\n")
+	if c.Tools.Shell.Prefer != "" {
+		fmt.Fprintf(&b, "prefer = %q\n", c.Tools.Shell.Prefer)
+	} else {
+		b.WriteString("# prefer = \"\"   # auto | bash | powershell | pwsh\n")
+	}
+	if c.Tools.Shell.Path != "" {
+		fmt.Fprintf(&b, "path   = %q\n", c.Tools.Shell.Path)
+	} else {
+		b.WriteString("# path   = \"\"   # empty = probe standard locations\n")
+	}
+	b.WriteString("\n")
 	b.WriteString("[tools.background_jobs]\n")
 	fmt.Fprintf(&b, "stalled_warning_seconds = %d   # warn once per background job after this many quiet seconds; 0 disables\n\n", c.BackgroundJobStalledWarningSeconds())