diff --git a/src/builtins.mk b/src/builtins.mk
index b9307fb..c810361 100644
--- a/src/builtins.mk
+++ b/src/builtins.mk
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ tconfirm = $(call py,confirm_py,$(1))
 .PHONY: h help _help _print-ansi _update-task.mk
 TASK_MAKEFILE_LIST := $(filter-out $(word $(words $(MAKEFILE_LIST)),$(MAKEFILE_LIST)),$(MAKEFILE_LIST))
 export MAKEFILE_LIST MAKE TASK_MAKEFILE_LIST
-ifndef INHERIT_SHELL
-SHELL := $(shell which bash)
-endif
+# ifndef INHERIT_SHELL
+# SHELL := $(shell which bash)
+# endif
 ifdef PHONIFY
 $(shell $(call py-verbose,phonify_py))
 endif
diff --git a/src/runners.mk b/src/runners.mk
index a7d2f7a..dafef23 100644
--- a/src/runners.mk
+++ b/src/runners.mk
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 # ---- [python/bash script runner] ---- #
 ###-- modified from https://unix.stackexchange.com/a/223093 -###
+###- 
+# possible posix process substitions solution:
+# https://unix.stackexchange.com/a/639752 
+# -### 
+SHELL_CHECK ?= $(shell /bin/sh --version | grep 'bash|zsh|ksh')
+ifndef SHELL_CHECK
+$(error task.mk requires a process substition compatible shell)
+endif
 define _newline
 
 
diff --git a/task.mk b/task.mk
index 168a271..a389da9 100644
--- a/task.mk
+++ b/task.mk
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # }> [github.com/daylinmorgan/task.mk] <{ #
 # Copyright (c) 2022 Daylin Morgan
 # MIT License
-TASKMK_VERSION ?= v23.1.1-6-ga980d51-dev
+TASKMK_VERSION ?= v23.1.1-7-gb411303-dev
 # task.mk should be included at the bottom of your Makefile with `-include .task.mk`
 # See below for the standard configuration options that should be set prior to including this file.
 # You can update your .task.mk with `make _update-task.mk`
@@ -389,6 +389,11 @@ def parseargs(argstring):
     return parser.parse_args(argstring.split())
 endef
 # ---- [python/bash script runner] ---- #
+ 
+SHELL_CHECK ?= $(shell /bin/sh --version | grep 'bash|zsh|ksh')
+ifndef SHELL_CHECK
+$(error task.mk requires a process substition compatible shell)
+endif
 define _newline
 
 
@@ -440,9 +445,9 @@ tconfirm = $(call py,confirm_py,$(1))
 .PHONY: h help _help _print-ansi _update-task.mk
 TASK_MAKEFILE_LIST := $(filter-out $(word $(words $(MAKEFILE_LIST)),$(MAKEFILE_LIST)),$(MAKEFILE_LIST))
 export MAKEFILE_LIST MAKE TASK_MAKEFILE_LIST
-ifndef INHERIT_SHELL
-SHELL := $(shell which bash)
-endif
+# ifndef INHERIT_SHELL
+# SHELL := $(shell which bash)
+# endif
 ifdef PHONIFY
 $(shell $(call py-verbose,phonify_py))
 endif