diff --git a/doc/http.mkd b/doc/http.mkd
index bfc7544..3b9809e 100644
--- a/doc/http.mkd
+++ b/doc/http.mkd
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ Please adjust the instructions below to reflect your setup (users and paths).
 
 Edit your .gitolite.rc and add
 
-    $ENV{GIT_HTTP_BACKEND} = "/usr/libexec/git-core/git-http-backend";
     $ENV{PATH} .= ":/opt/git/bin";
 
 at the very top (as described in `t/smart-http.root-setup`).
diff --git a/src/gitolite-shell b/src/gitolite-shell
index 07e2cd5..af03a36 100755
--- a/src/gitolite-shell
+++ b/src/gitolite-shell
@@ -121,11 +121,13 @@ sub main {
         gl_log( "pre_git", $repo, $user, $aa, 'any', "-> $ret" );
     }
 
-    exec $ENV{GIT_HTTP_BACKEND} if $ENV{REQUEST_URI};
-
     trigger( 'PRE_GIT', $repo, $user, $aa, 'any', $verb );
-    my $repodir = "'$rc{GL_REPO_BASE}/$repo.git'";
-    _system( "git", "shell", "-c", "$verb $repodir" );
+    if ($ENV{REQUEST_URI}) {
+        _system( "git", "http-backend" );
+    } else {
+        my $repodir = "'$rc{GL_REPO_BASE}/$repo.git'";
+        _system( "git", "shell", "-c", "$verb $repodir" );
+    }
     trigger( 'POST_GIT', $repo, $user, $aa, 'any', $verb );
 }
 
diff --git a/t/smart-http.root-setup b/t/smart-http.root-setup
index ed3d413..dd42ad9 100755
--- a/t/smart-http.root-setup
+++ b/t/smart-http.root-setup
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ cd $GITOLITE_HTTP_HOME
 HOME=$GITOLITE_HTTP_HOME gitolite setup -a admin
 
 # insert some essential lines at the beginning of the rc file
-echo '$ENV{GIT_HTTP_BACKEND} = "/usr/libexec/git-core/git-http-backend";' > 1
 echo '$ENV{PATH} .= ":$ENV{GITOLITE_HTTP_HOME}/bin";'  >> 1
 echo >> 1
 cat .gitolite.rc >> 1