diff --git a/platform/util/src/com/intellij/util/EnvironmentUtil.java b/platform/util/src/com/intellij/util/EnvironmentUtil.java
index 27e4077b6d52..66c9a1012ecf 100644
--- a/platform/util/src/com/intellij/util/EnvironmentUtil.java
+++ b/platform/util/src/com/intellij/util/EnvironmentUtil.java
@@ -187,25 +187,44 @@ public class EnvironmentUtil {
 
         LOG.info("loading shell env: " + StringUtil.join(command, " "));
 
-        return runProcessAndReadEnvs(command, envFile, "\0");
+        return dumpProcessEnvToFile(command, envFile, "\0");
       }
       finally {
         FileUtil.delete(envFile);
       }
     }
 
+    @NotNull
+    protected Map<String, String> dumpProcessEnvToFile(@NotNull List<String> command, @NotNull File envFile, String lineSeparator)
+      throws Exception {
+      return runProcessAndReadEnvs(command, envFile, lineSeparator);
+    }
+
     @NotNull
     protected static Map<String, String> runProcessAndReadEnvs(@NotNull List<String> command, @NotNull File envFile, String lineSeparator)
       throws Exception {
       return runProcessAndReadEnvs(command, null, envFile, lineSeparator);
     }
-    
-    @NotNull                                                                                  
+
+    @NotNull
     protected static Map<String, String> runProcessAndReadEnvs(@NotNull List<String> command,
-                                                               @Nullable File workingDir, 
-                                                               @NotNull File envFile, 
+                                                               @Nullable File workingDir,
+                                                               @NotNull File envFile,
+                                                               String lineSeparator) throws Exception {
+      return runProcessAndReadEnvs(command, workingDir, null, envFile, lineSeparator);
+    }
+
+    @NotNull
+    protected static Map<String, String> runProcessAndReadEnvs(@NotNull List<String> command,
+                                                               @Nullable File workingDir,
+                                                               @Nullable Map<String, String> envs,
+                                                               @NotNull File envFile,
                                                                String lineSeparator) throws Exception {
       ProcessBuilder builder = new ProcessBuilder(command).redirectErrorStream(true);
+      if (envs != null) {
+        // we might need default environment for the process to launch correctly
+        builder.environment().putAll(envs);
+      }
       if (workingDir != null) builder.directory(workingDir);
       builder.environment().put(DISABLE_OMZ_AUTO_UPDATE, "true");
       Process process = builder.start();
diff --git a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/run/PyVirtualEnvReader.kt b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/run/PyVirtualEnvReader.kt
index e0e6c1dd5f55..29402cbca2b0 100644
--- a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/run/PyVirtualEnvReader.kt
+++ b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/run/PyVirtualEnvReader.kt
@@ -67,6 +67,11 @@ class PyVirtualEnvReader(val virtualEnvSdkPath: String) : EnvironmentUtil.ShellE
     }
   }
 
+  override fun dumpProcessEnvToFile(command: MutableList<String>, envFile: File, lineSeparator: String?): MutableMap<String, String> {
+    // pass shell environment for correct virtualenv environment setup (virtualenv expects to be executed from the terminal)
+    return runProcessAndReadEnvs(command, null, EnvironmentUtil.getEnvironmentMap(), envFile, lineSeparator)
+  }
+
   private fun readVirtualEnvOnWindows(activate: Pair<String, String?>): MutableMap<String, String> {
     val activateFile = FileUtil.createTempFile("pycharm-virualenv-activate.", ".bat", false)
     val envFile = FileUtil.createTempFile("pycharm-virualenv-envs.", ".tmp", false)