diff --git a/host-shell.sh b/host-shell.sh
index 129a6d2..da5bc02 100755
--- a/host-shell.sh
+++ b/host-shell.sh
@@ -15,7 +15,10 @@
 # controlling terminal, tools that open /dev/tty break). script(1) allocates a
 # second, host-side PTY for the shell and relays through the forwarded one;
 # util-linux >= 2.35 also passes window-size changes along.
-exec flatpak-spawn --host /bin/sh -c '
+# flatpak-spawn --host does not forward the caller's environment: without
+# --env the host shell starts with no TERM at all (login scripts then fail
+# in tput and in integer tests on the empty LINES/COLUMNS).
+exec flatpak-spawn --host --env=TERM="${TERM:-xterm-256color}" --env=COLORTERM=truecolor /bin/sh -c '
     shell="$(getent passwd "$(id -un)" | cut -d: -f7)"
     [ -x "$shell" ] || shell=/bin/sh
     export SHELL="$shell"