diff --git a/src/cli/direnv.rs b/src/cli/direnv.rs
index 3ee510b..73aa9a3 100644
--- a/src/cli/direnv.rs
+++ b/src/cli/direnv.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ use crate::module::direnv::DirenvModuleArgs;
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, clap::ValueEnum)]
 pub enum DirenvCliNixValue {
     Flake,
+    Shell,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, clap::Args)]
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ pub struct DirenvModuleCliArgs {
 impl From<DirenvModuleCliArgs> for DirenvModuleArgs {
     fn from(args: DirenvModuleCliArgs) -> Self {
         DirenvModuleArgs {
+            nix_shell: matches!(args.nix, Some(DirenvCliNixValue::Shell)),
             nix_flake: matches!(args.nix, Some(DirenvCliNixValue::Flake)),
             nodejs: args.nodejs,
         }
diff --git a/src/config/direnv.rs b/src/config/direnv.rs
index e5fc12f..24626e2 100644
--- a/src/config/direnv.rs
+++ b/src/config/direnv.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ pub struct DirenvModuleConfig {
 impl From<DirenvModuleConfig> for DirenvModuleArgs {
     fn from(cfg: DirenvModuleConfig) -> Self {
         DirenvModuleArgs {
+            nix_shell: cfg
+                .nix
+                .map(|v| v.to_lowercase() == "shell")
+                .unwrap_or_default(),
             nix_flake: cfg
                 .nix
                 .map(|v| v.to_lowercase() == "flake")
diff --git a/src/module/direnv.rs b/src/module/direnv.rs
index 4d11fbd..a3a61c6 100644
--- a/src/module/direnv.rs
+++ b/src/module/direnv.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ use std::collections::HashMap;
 
 use super::Module;
 
+const NIX_SHELL_PART: &str = "\
+# nix
+use nix";
+
 const NIX_FLAKE_PART: &str = "\
 # nix
 use flake";
@@ -11,12 +15,14 @@ const NODEJS_PART: &str = "\
 layout node";
 
 pub struct DirenvModuleArgs {
+    pub nix_shell: bool,
     pub nix_flake: bool,
     pub nodejs: bool,
 }
 
 fn make_gitignore_content(args: DirenvModuleArgs) -> String {
     [
+        args.nix_shell.then_some(NIX_SHELL_PART),
         args.nix_flake.then_some(NIX_FLAKE_PART),
         args.nodejs.then_some(NODEJS_PART),
     ]