diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index 0b34375781..bfb8508a02 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ EXTRA_DIST = $(TESTS) \
   fallback.nix.in \
   user-envs.nix.in user-envs.builder.sh \
   fixed.nix.in fixed.builder1.sh fixed.builder2.sh \
-  gc-runtime.nix.in gc-runtime.builder.sh \
+  gc-runtime.nix.in \
   check-refs.nix.in \
   filter-source.nix.in \
   $(wildcard lang/*.nix) $(wildcard lang/*.exp) $(wildcard lang/*.exp.xml) $(wildcard lang/*.flags) \
diff --git a/tests/gc-runtime.builder.sh b/tests/gc-runtime.builder.sh
deleted file mode 100644
index a8c2d3e091..0000000000
--- a/tests/gc-runtime.builder.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-mkdir $out
-
-cat > $out/program <<EOF
-#! $SHELL
-sleep 10000
-EOF
-
-chmod +x $out/program
diff --git a/tests/gc-runtime.nix.in b/tests/gc-runtime.nix.in
index 5767d0370f..310d44ce8b 100644
--- a/tests/gc-runtime.nix.in
+++ b/tests/gc-runtime.nix.in
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ let {
 mkdir $out
 
 cat > $out/program <<EOF
-#! $SHELL
+#! @shell@
 sleep 10000
 EOF