diff --git a/modules/programs/bash/bash.nix b/modules/programs/bash/bash.nix
index f2b0ac46b06a..9d52eeebf8e9 100644
--- a/modules/programs/bash/bash.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/bash/bash.nix
@@ -58,6 +58,18 @@ let
       type = with pkgs.lib.types; bool;
     };
 
+    environment.binsh = mkOption {
+      default = "${config.system.build.binsh}/bin/sh";
+      example = "\${pkgs.dash}/bin/dash";
+      type = with pkgs.lib.types; path;
+      description = ''
+        Select the shell executable that is linked system-wide to
+        <literal>/bin/sh</literal>. Please note that NixOS assumes all
+        over the place that shell to be Bash, so override the default
+        setting only if you know exactly what you're doing.
+      '';
+    };
+
   };
 
 in
@@ -99,7 +111,7 @@ in
       # Create the required /bin/sh symlink; otherwise lots of things
       # (notably the system() function) won't work.
       mkdir -m 0755 -p /bin
-      ln -sfn ${config.system.build.binsh}/bin/sh /bin/.sh.tmp
+      ln -sfn "${config.environment.binsh}" /bin/.sh.tmp
       mv /bin/.sh.tmp /bin/sh # atomically replace /bin/sh
     '';