diff --git a/export.sh b/export.sh
index 38a8cece0e..6bea2c4824 100644
--- a/export.sh
+++ b/export.sh
@@ -19,15 +19,19 @@ fi
 # Attempt to identify the ESP-IDF directory
 idf_path="."
 
+shell_type="detect"
+
 # shellcheck disable=SC2128,SC2169,SC2039,SC3054,SC3028 # ignore array expansion warning
 if test -n "${BASH_SOURCE-}"
 then
     # shellcheck disable=SC3028,SC3054 # unreachable with 'dash'
     idf_path=$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")
+    shell_type="bash"
 elif test -n "${ZSH_VERSION-}"
 then
     # shellcheck disable=SC2296  # ignore parameter starts with '{' because it's zsh
     idf_path=$(dirname "${(%):-%x}")
+    shell_type="zsh"
 elif test -n "${IDF_PATH-}"
 then
     idf_path=$IDF_PATH
@@ -46,7 +50,7 @@ fi
 . "${idf_path}/tools/detect_python.sh"
 
 # Evaluate the ESP-IDF environment set up by the activate.py script.
-idf_exports=$("$ESP_PYTHON" "${idf_path}/tools/activate.py" --export)
+idf_exports=$("$ESP_PYTHON" "${idf_path}/tools/activate.py" --export --shell $shell_type)
 eval "${idf_exports}"
 unset idf_path
 return 0
diff --git a/tools/export_utils/activate_venv.py b/tools/export_utils/activate_venv.py
index 8949943afc..fa3ed05145 100644
--- a/tools/export_utils/activate_venv.py
+++ b/tools/export_utils/activate_venv.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def parse_arguments() -> argparse.Namespace:
                                      epilog='On Windows, run `python activate.py` to execute this script in the current terminal window.')
     parser.add_argument('-s', '--shell',
                         metavar='SHELL',
-                        default=os.environ.get('ESP_IDF_SHELL', None),
+                        default=os.environ.get('ESP_IDF_SHELL', 'detect'),
                         help='Explicitly specify shell to start. For example bash, zsh, powershell.exe, cmd.exe')
     parser.add_argument('-l', '--list',
                         action='store_true',
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ def parse_arguments() -> argparse.Namespace:
                         help=('Disable ANSI color escape sequences.'))
     parser.add_argument('-d', '--debug',
                         action='store_true',
+                        default=bool(os.environ.get('ESP_IDF_EXPORT_DEBUG')),
                         help=('Enable debug information.'))
     parser.add_argument('-q', '--quiet',
                         action='store_true',
@@ -100,17 +101,21 @@ def get_idf_env() -> Dict[str,str]:
 def detect_shell(args: Any) -> str:
     import psutil
 
-    if args.shell is not None:
+    if args.shell != 'detect':
+        debug(f'Shell explicitly stated: "{args.shell}"')
         return str(args.shell)
 
     current_pid = os.getpid()
     detected_shell_name = ''
     while True:
         parent_pid = psutil.Process(current_pid).ppid()
-        parent_name = os.path.basename(psutil.Process(parent_pid).exe())
+        parent = psutil.Process(parent_pid)
+        parent_cmdline = parent.cmdline()
+        parent_exe = parent_cmdline[0].lstrip('-')
+        parent_name = os.path.basename(parent_exe)
+        debug(f'Parent: pid: {parent_pid}, cmdline: {parent_cmdline}, exe: {parent_exe}, name: {parent_name}')
         if not parent_name.lower().startswith('python'):
             detected_shell_name = parent_name
-            conf.DETECTED_SHELL_PATH = psutil.Process(parent_pid).exe()
             break
         current_pid = parent_pid
 
@@ -143,6 +148,7 @@ def main() -> None:
     # Fill config global holder
     conf.ARGS = args
 
+    debug(f'command line: {sys.argv}')
     if conf.ARGS.list:
         oprint(SUPPORTED_SHELLS)
         sys.exit()
diff --git a/tools/export_utils/console_output.py b/tools/export_utils/console_output.py
index 03d8cb8453..af06abdc32 100644
--- a/tools/export_utils/console_output.py
+++ b/tools/export_utils/console_output.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ CONSOLE_STDERR = Console(stderr=True, width=255)
 CONSOLE_STDOUT = Console(width=255)
 
 
-def status_message(msg: str, rv_on_ok: bool=False, die_on_err: bool=True) -> Callable:
+def status_message(msg: str, msg_result: str='', rv_on_ok: bool=False, die_on_err: bool=True) -> Callable:
     def inner(func: Callable) -> Callable:
         def wrapper(*args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> Any:
             eprint(f'[dark_orange]*[/dark_orange] {msg} ... ', end='')
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ def status_message(msg: str, rv_on_ok: bool=False, die_on_err: bool=True) -> Cal
 
             if rv_on_ok:
                 eprint(f'[green]{rv}[/green]')
+            elif msg_result:
+                eprint(f'[green]{msg_result}[/green]')
             else:
                 eprint('[green]OK[/green]')
 
diff --git a/tools/export_utils/shell_types.py b/tools/export_utils/shell_types.py
index 9daf91774e..bb0d0c5ff5 100644
--- a/tools/export_utils/shell_types.py
+++ b/tools/export_utils/shell_types.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import os
 import re
 import shutil
 import sys
+import textwrap
 from pathlib import Path
 from subprocess import run
 from tempfile import gettempdir
@@ -92,26 +93,23 @@ class UnixShell(Shell):
 
 
 class BashShell(UnixShell):
-    def get_bash_major_minor(self) -> float:
-        env = self.expanded_env()
-        bash_interpreter = conf.DETECTED_SHELL_PATH if conf.DETECTED_SHELL_PATH else 'bash'
-        stdout = run_cmd([bash_interpreter, '-c', 'echo ${BASH_VERSINFO[0]}.${BASH_VERSINFO[1]}'], env=env)
-        bash_maj_min = float(stdout)
-        return bash_maj_min
-
-    @status_message('Shell completion', die_on_err=False)
+    @status_message('Shell completion', msg_result='Autocompletion code generated')
     def autocompletion(self) -> str:
-        bash_maj_min = self.get_bash_major_minor()
-        # Click supports bash version >= 4.4
-        # https://click.palletsprojects.com/en/8.1.x/changes/#version-8-0-0
-        if bash_maj_min < 4.4:
-            raise RuntimeError('Autocompletion not supported')
+        bash_source = 'bash_source' if self.click_ver() >= 8 else 'source_bash'
+        autocom = textwrap.dedent(f"""
+            WARNING_MSG="WARNING: Failed to load shell autocompletion for bash version: $BASH_VERSION!"
+            if test ${{BASH_VERSINFO[0]}} -lt 4
+            then
+                echo "$WARNING_MSG"
+            else
+                if ! eval "$(env LANG=en _IDF.PY_COMPLETE={bash_source} idf.py)"
+                then
+                    echo "$WARNING_MSG"
+                fi
+            fi
+            """)
 
-        env = self.expanded_env()
-        env['LANG'] = 'en'
-        env['_IDF.PY_COMPLETE'] = 'bash_source' if self.click_ver() >= 8 else 'source_bash'
-        stdout: str = run_cmd([sys.executable, conf.IDF_PY], env=env)
-        return stdout
+        return autocom
 
     def init_file(self) -> None:
         with open(self.script_file_path, 'w') as fd:
@@ -130,13 +128,19 @@ class BashShell(UnixShell):
 
 
 class ZshShell(UnixShell):
-    @status_message('Shell completion', die_on_err=False)
+    @status_message('Shell completion', msg_result='Autocompletion code generated')
     def autocompletion(self) -> str:
-        env = self.expanded_env()
-        env['LANG'] = 'en'
-        env['_IDF.PY_COMPLETE'] = 'zsh_source' if self.click_ver() >= 8 else 'source_zsh'
-        stdout = run_cmd([sys.executable, conf.IDF_PY], env=env)
-        return f'autoload -Uz compinit && compinit -u\n{stdout}'
+        zsh_source = 'zsh_source' if self.click_ver() >= 8 else 'source_zsh'
+        autocom = textwrap.dedent(f"""
+            WARNING_MSG="WARNING: Failed to load shell autocompletion for zsh version: $ZSH_VERSION!"
+            autoload -Uz compinit && compinit -u
+            if ! eval "$(env _IDF.PY_COMPLETE={zsh_source} idf.py)"
+            then
+                echo "$WARNING_MSG"
+            fi
+            """)
+
+        return autocom
 
     def init_file(self) -> None:
         # If ZDOTDIR is unset, HOME is used instead.
diff --git a/tools/export_utils/utils.py b/tools/export_utils/utils.py
index 53ba07a852..bd1d60ba45 100644
--- a/tools/export_utils/utils.py
+++ b/tools/export_utils/utils.py
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ class Config:
         self.IDF_TOOLS_PY = os.path.join(self.IDF_PATH, 'tools', 'idf_tools.py')
         self.IDF_PY = os.path.join(self.IDF_PATH, 'tools', 'idf.py')
         self.ARGS: Optional[argparse.Namespace] = None
-        self.DETECTED_SHELL_PATH: str = ''
 
 
 # Global variable instance