diff --git a/cdist/exec/local.py b/cdist/exec/local.py
index e078dbd2..d30bc146 100644
--- a/cdist/exec/local.py
+++ b/cdist/exec/local.py
@@ -237,8 +237,14 @@ class Local(object):
         Return the output as a string.
 
         """
-        command = [os.environ.get('CDIST_LOCAL_SHELL', "/bin/sh"), "-e"]
-        command.append(script)
+        if os.access(script, os.X_OK):
+            self.log.debug('%s is executable, running it', script)
+            command=[script]
+        else:
+            command = [os.environ.get('CDIST_LOCAL_SHELL', "/bin/sh"), "-e"]
+            self.log.debug('%s is NOT executable, running it with %s',
+                      script, " ".join(command))
+            command.append(script)
 
         return self.run(command=command, env=env, return_output=return_output,
                         message_prefix=message_prefix, save_output=save_output)
diff --git a/docs/src/cdist-type.rst b/docs/src/cdist-type.rst
index 2c5f9f6a..59423332 100644
--- a/docs/src/cdist-type.rst
+++ b/docs/src/cdist-type.rst
@@ -79,6 +79,12 @@ two underscores (__) to prevent collisions with other executables in $PATH.
 
 To implement a new type, create the directory **cdist/conf/type/__NAME**.
 
+Type manifest and gencode can be written in any language. They just need to be
+executable and have a proper shebang. If they are not executable then cdist assumes
+they are written in shell so they are executed using '/bin/sh -e' or 'CDIST_LOCAL_SHELL'.
+
+For executable shell code it is suggested that shebang is '#!/bin/sh -e'.
+
 
 Defining parameters
 -------------------