diff --git a/packages/exec/__tests__/exec.test.ts b/packages/exec/__tests__/exec.test.ts
index 387c83f5..e7ee60c8 100644
--- a/packages/exec/__tests__/exec.test.ts
+++ b/packages/exec/__tests__/exec.test.ts
@@ -153,6 +153,23 @@ describe('@actions/exec', () => {
     expect(output.trim()).toBe(`hello`)
   })
 
+  it('Runs exec successfully with shell wildcard substitution', async () => {
+    let tool: string
+    let args: string[]
+    let opts: im.ExecOptions
+    if (IS_WINDOWS) {
+      tool = 'cmd'
+      args = ['/c', 'echo', 'hello']
+      opts = {shell: process.env.ComSpec}
+    } else {
+      tool = 'ls'
+      args = ['-l', '*.md']
+      opts = {shell: '/bin/sh'}
+    }
+    const exitCode = await exec.exec(tool, args, opts)
+    expect(exitCode).toBe(0)
+  })
+
   it('Exec fails with error on bad call', async () => {
     const _testExecOptions = getExecOptions()
 
@@ -286,7 +303,7 @@ describe('@actions/exec', () => {
     expect(stderrCalled).toBeTruthy()
   })
 
-  it('Handles child process holding streams open', async function() {
+  it('Handles child process holding streams open', async function () {
     const semaphorePath = path.join(
       getTestTemp(),
       'child-process-semaphore.txt'
@@ -332,7 +349,7 @@ describe('@actions/exec', () => {
     fs.unlinkSync(semaphorePath)
   }, 10000) // this was timing out on some slower hosted macOS runs at default 5s
 
-  it('Handles child process holding streams open and non-zero exit code', async function() {
+  it('Handles child process holding streams open and non-zero exit code', async function () {
     const semaphorePath = path.join(
       getTestTemp(),
       'child-process-semaphore.txt'
@@ -386,7 +403,7 @@ describe('@actions/exec', () => {
     fs.unlinkSync(semaphorePath)
   }, 10000) // this was timing out on some slower hosted macOS runs at default 5s
 
-  it('Handles child process holding streams open and stderr', async function() {
+  it('Handles child process holding streams open and stderr', async function () {
     const semaphorePath = path.join(
       getTestTemp(),
       'child-process-semaphore.txt'
@@ -654,16 +671,16 @@ describe('@actions/exec', () => {
       expect(exitCode).toBe(0)
       expect(outStream.getContents().split(os.EOL)[0]).toBe(
         `[command]${exePath} /c echo` +
-          ` helloworld` +
-          ` "hello world"` +
-          ` "hello:\\"world again\\""` +
-          ` hello,world`
+        ` helloworld` +
+        ` "hello world"` +
+        ` "hello:\\"world again\\""` +
+        ` hello,world`
       )
       expect(output.trim()).toBe(
         'helloworld' +
-          ' "hello world"' +
-          ' "hello:\\"world again\\""' +
-          ' hello,world'
+        ' "hello world"' +
+        ' "hello:\\"world again\\""' +
+        ' hello,world'
       )
     })
 
@@ -752,7 +769,7 @@ describe('@actions/exec', () => {
       )
       expect(output.trim()).toBe(
         'args[0]: "<quote>my arg 1<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[1]: "<quote>my arg 2<quote>"'
+        'args[1]: "<quote>my arg 2<quote>"'
       )
     })
 
@@ -782,7 +799,7 @@ describe('@actions/exec', () => {
         )
         expect(output.trim()).toBe(
           'args[0]: "<quote>my arg 1<quote>"\r\n' +
-            'args[1]: "<quote>my arg 2<quote>"'
+          'args[1]: "<quote>my arg 2<quote>"'
         )
       } catch (err) {
         process.env['Path'] = originalPath
@@ -838,57 +855,57 @@ describe('@actions/exec', () => {
       expect(exitCode).toBe(0)
       expect(outStream.getContents().split(os.EOL)[0]).toBe(
         `[command]${process.env.ComSpec} /D /S /C ""${cmdPath}"` +
-          ` helloworld` +
-          ` "hello world"` +
-          ` "hello\tworld"` +
-          ` "hello&world"` +
-          ` "hello(world"` +
-          ` "hello)world"` +
-          ` "hello[world"` +
-          ` "hello]world"` +
-          ` "hello{world"` +
-          ` "hello}world"` +
-          ` "hello^world"` +
-          ` "hello=world"` +
-          ` "hello;world"` +
-          ` "hello!world"` +
-          ` "hello'world"` +
-          ` "hello+world"` +
-          ` "hello,world"` +
-          ` "hello\`world"` +
-          ` "hello~world"` +
-          ` "hello|world"` +
-          ` "hello<world"` +
-          ` "hello>world"` +
-          ` "hello:""world again"""` +
-          ` "hello world\\\\"` +
-          `"`
+        ` helloworld` +
+        ` "hello world"` +
+        ` "hello\tworld"` +
+        ` "hello&world"` +
+        ` "hello(world"` +
+        ` "hello)world"` +
+        ` "hello[world"` +
+        ` "hello]world"` +
+        ` "hello{world"` +
+        ` "hello}world"` +
+        ` "hello^world"` +
+        ` "hello=world"` +
+        ` "hello;world"` +
+        ` "hello!world"` +
+        ` "hello'world"` +
+        ` "hello+world"` +
+        ` "hello,world"` +
+        ` "hello\`world"` +
+        ` "hello~world"` +
+        ` "hello|world"` +
+        ` "hello<world"` +
+        ` "hello>world"` +
+        ` "hello:""world again"""` +
+        ` "hello world\\\\"` +
+        `"`
       )
       expect(output.trim()).toBe(
         'args[0]: "helloworld"\r\n' +
-          'args[1]: "<quote>hello world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[2]: "<quote>hello\tworld<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[3]: "<quote>hello&world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[4]: "<quote>hello(world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[5]: "<quote>hello)world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[6]: "<quote>hello[world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[7]: "<quote>hello]world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[8]: "<quote>hello{world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[9]: "<quote>hello}world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[10]: "<quote>hello^world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[11]: "<quote>hello=world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[12]: "<quote>hello;world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[13]: "<quote>hello!world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[14]: "<quote>hello\'world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[15]: "<quote>hello+world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[16]: "<quote>hello,world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[17]: "<quote>hello`world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[18]: "<quote>hello~world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[19]: "<quote>hello|world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[20]: "<quote>hello<world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[21]: "<quote>hello>world<quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[22]: "<quote>hello:<quote><quote>world again<quote><quote><quote>"\r\n' +
-          'args[23]: "<quote>hello world\\\\<quote>"'
+        'args[1]: "<quote>hello world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[2]: "<quote>hello\tworld<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[3]: "<quote>hello&world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[4]: "<quote>hello(world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[5]: "<quote>hello)world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[6]: "<quote>hello[world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[7]: "<quote>hello]world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[8]: "<quote>hello{world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[9]: "<quote>hello}world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[10]: "<quote>hello^world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[11]: "<quote>hello=world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[12]: "<quote>hello;world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[13]: "<quote>hello!world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[14]: "<quote>hello\'world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[15]: "<quote>hello+world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[16]: "<quote>hello,world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[17]: "<quote>hello`world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[18]: "<quote>hello~world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[19]: "<quote>hello|world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[20]: "<quote>hello<world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[21]: "<quote>hello>world<quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[22]: "<quote>hello:<quote><quote>world again<quote><quote><quote>"\r\n' +
+        'args[23]: "<quote>hello world\\\\<quote>"'
       )
     })
   }
diff --git a/packages/exec/src/interfaces.ts b/packages/exec/src/interfaces.ts
index e9219b0b..95b3c48b 100644
--- a/packages/exec/src/interfaces.ts
+++ b/packages/exec/src/interfaces.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ export interface ExecOptions {
   /** optional.  defaults to false */
   silent?: boolean
 
+  /** optional. Runs command inside of a shell. A different shell can be specified as a string. Defaults to false */
+  shell?: boolean | string
+
   /** optional out stream to use. Defaults to process.stdout */
   outStream?: stream.Writable
 
diff --git a/packages/exec/src/toolrunner.ts b/packages/exec/src/toolrunner.ts
index c578b258..1bcaf0e6 100644
--- a/packages/exec/src/toolrunner.ts
+++ b/packages/exec/src/toolrunner.ts
@@ -377,6 +377,7 @@ export class ToolRunner extends events.EventEmitter {
     const result = <child.SpawnOptions>{}
     result.cwd = options.cwd
     result.env = options.env
+    result.shell = options.shell
     result['windowsVerbatimArguments'] =
       options.windowsVerbatimArguments || this._isCmdFile()
     if (options.windowsVerbatimArguments) {