diff --git a/cdist/exec/remote.py b/cdist/exec/remote.py
index af9e70cb..ac416651 100644
--- a/cdist/exec/remote.py
+++ b/cdist/exec/remote.py
@@ -216,18 +216,46 @@ class Remote:
             _wrap_addr(self.target_host[0]), destination)])
         self._run_command(command)
 
+    def check_if_executable(self, path):
+        """Check if the given remote resource is "executable",
+        (i.e. has its execute bit set).
+        Return True/False
+
+        """
+        self.log.trace("Remote check if executable : %s", path)
+
+        # XXX: Too bad we can't just check the returned status.
+        # Hence the dance with "echo TRUE/FALSE"
+        chk = " ".join([
+                'if [ -f "{path}" ] && [ -x "{path}" ] ',
+                '; then echo TRUE ; else echo FALSE ; fi']).format(path=path)
+
+        out = self.run(['/bin/sh', '-c', "'" + chk + "'"],
+                    env=None, return_output=True) or ""
+        return out.strip() == 'TRUE'
+
     def run_script(self, script, env=None, return_output=False, stdout=None,
                    stderr=None):
         """Run the given script with the given environment on the remote side.
         Return the output as a string.
 
         """
+        command = [script]
 
-        command = [
-            self.configuration.get('remote_shell', "/bin/sh"),
-            "-e"
-        ]
-        command.append(script)
+        if self.check_if_executable(script):
+            # Allow transparent shebang support for "executable" scripts
+            self.log.debug(
+                '%-70s : Remote script is executable, '
+                        + 'running it directly', script)
+        else:
+            # FIXME: Who knows what "-e" means for an arbitrary remote_shell ?
+            # Keeping the old behavior (of always adding "-e") for the moment.
+            shell = [self.configuration.get('remote_shell', "/bin/sh"), "-e"]
+
+            command = shell + command
+            self.log.debug(
+                '%-70s : Remote script is NOT executable, '
+                        + 'running it with %s', script, " ".join(shell))
 
         return self.run(command, env=env, return_output=return_output,
                         stdout=stdout, stderr=stderr)