diff --git a/plugins/action/synchronize.py b/plugins/action/synchronize.py
index a171a2b..baeae50 100644
--- a/plugins/action/synchronize.py
+++ b/plugins/action/synchronize.py
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@
 from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function)
 __metaclass__ = type
 
-import os.path
-
 from ansible import constants as C
 from ansible.module_utils.six import string_types
 from ansible.module_utils.six.moves import shlex_quote
@@ -301,8 +299,6 @@ class ActionModule(ActionBase):
                         break
                 if localhost_shell:
                     break
-            else:
-                localhost_shell = os.path.basename(C.DEFAULT_EXECUTABLE)
             self._play_context.shell = localhost_shell
 
             # Unlike port, there can be only one executable
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic/meta.yaml b/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic/meta.yaml
index 28b7045..b3d9d90 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic/meta.yaml
+++ b/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic/meta.yaml
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ hostvars:
 asserts:
   - hasattr(SAM._connection, 'ismock')
   - SAM._connection.transport == 'local'
-  - self._play_context.shell == 'sh'
+  - self._play_context.shell == None
+  - self._play_context.executable == '/bin/sh'
   - self.execute_called
   - self.final_module_args['_local_rsync_path'] == 'rsync'
   - self.final_module_args['src'] == '/tmp/deleteme'
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_become/meta.yaml b/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_become/meta.yaml
index 1eb0b92..4a62cbe 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_become/meta.yaml
+++ b/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_become/meta.yaml
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ asserts:
   - self.final_module_args['dest'] == 'root@el6host:/tmp/deleteme'
   - self.task.become == True
   - self.task.become_user == None
-  - self._play_context.shell == 'sh'
+  - self._play_context.shell == None
+  - self._play_context.executable == '/bin/sh'
   - self._play_context.remote_addr == 'el6host'
   - self._play_context.remote_user == 'root'
   - self._play_context.become == False
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_become_cli/meta.yaml b/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_become_cli/meta.yaml
index 1bec3b4..e03c0da 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_become_cli/meta.yaml
+++ b/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_become_cli/meta.yaml
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ asserts:
   - self.final_module_args['dest'] == 'root@el6host:/tmp/deleteme'
   - self.task.become == None
   - self.task.become_user == None
-  - self._play_context.shell == 'sh'
+  - self._play_context.shell == None
+  - self._play_context.executable == '/bin/sh'
   - self._play_context.remote_addr == 'el6host'
   - self._play_context.remote_user == 'root'
   - self._play_context.become == False
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_vagrant/meta.yaml b/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_vagrant/meta.yaml
index 574ee6a..b7e38bb 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_vagrant/meta.yaml
+++ b/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_vagrant/meta.yaml
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ asserts:
   - self.final_module_args['dest_port'] == 2202
   - self.final_module_args['src'] == '/tmp/deleteme'
   - self.final_module_args['dest'] == 'vagrant@127.0.0.1:/tmp/deleteme'
-  - self._play_context.shell == 'sh'
+  - self._play_context.shell == None
+  - self._play_context.executable == '/bin/sh'
   - self._play_context.remote_addr == '127.0.0.1'
   - self._play_context.remote_user == 'vagrant'
   - self._play_context.become == False
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_vagrant_become_cli/meta.yaml b/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_vagrant_become_cli/meta.yaml
index eb0d5b1..ca8cb55 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_vagrant_become_cli/meta.yaml
+++ b/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_vagrant_become_cli/meta.yaml
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ asserts:
   - self.final_module_args['dest_port'] == 2202
   - self.final_module_args['src'] == '/tmp/deleteme'
   - self.final_module_args['dest'] == 'vagrant@127.0.0.1:/tmp/deleteme'
-  - self._play_context.shell == 'sh'
+  - self._play_context.shell == None
+  - self._play_context.executable == '/bin/sh'
   - self._play_context.remote_addr == '127.0.0.1'
   - self._play_context.remote_user == 'vagrant'
   - self._play_context.become == False
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_vagrant_sudo/meta.yaml b/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_vagrant_sudo/meta.yaml
index 574ee6a..b7e38bb 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_vagrant_sudo/meta.yaml
+++ b/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_vagrant_sudo/meta.yaml
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ asserts:
   - self.final_module_args['dest_port'] == 2202
   - self.final_module_args['src'] == '/tmp/deleteme'
   - self.final_module_args['dest'] == 'vagrant@127.0.0.1:/tmp/deleteme'
-  - self._play_context.shell == 'sh'
+  - self._play_context.shell == None
+  - self._play_context.executable == '/bin/sh'
   - self._play_context.remote_addr == '127.0.0.1'
   - self._play_context.remote_user == 'vagrant'
   - self._play_context.become == False
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_with_private_key/meta.yaml b/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_with_private_key/meta.yaml
index 7405cb6..9a95dd5 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_with_private_key/meta.yaml
+++ b/tests/unit/plugins/action/fixtures/synchronize/basic_with_private_key/meta.yaml
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ task_args:
 asserts:
   - hasattr(SAM._connection, 'ismock')
   - SAM._connection.transport == 'local'
-  - self._play_context.shell == 'sh'
+  - self._play_context.shell == None
+  - self._play_context.executable == '/bin/sh'
   - self.execute_called
   - self.final_module_args['_local_rsync_path'] == 'rsync'
   - self.final_module_args['src'] == '/tmp/deleteme'