diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-shell.yml b/.github/workflows/check-shell.yml
index d148563c4311..3e8df619dbd1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-shell.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-shell.yml
@@ -30,4 +30,4 @@ jobs:
       - uses: cachix/install-nix-action@526118121621777ccd86f79b04685a9319637641 # v31
 
       - name: Build shell
-        run: nix-build shell.nix
+        run: nix-build ci -A shell
diff --git a/ci/default.nix b/ci/default.nix
index 328194b506d3..396fb172df23 100644
--- a/ci/default.nix
+++ b/ci/default.nix
@@ -76,4 +76,5 @@ in
   manual-nixos = (import ../nixos/release.nix { }).manual.${system} or null;
   manual-nixpkgs = (import ../pkgs/top-level/release.nix { }).manual;
   manual-nixpkgs-tests = (import ../pkgs/top-level/release.nix { }).manual.tests;
+  shell = import ../shell.nix { inherit nixpkgs system; };
 }