diff --git a/crates/rattler_shell/src/shell/mod.rs b/crates/rattler_shell/src/shell/mod.rs
index 32632fa7e0..c1ec86a75f 100644
--- a/crates/rattler_shell/src/shell/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/rattler_shell/src/shell/mod.rs
@@ -273,8 +273,18 @@ pub struct Bash;
 impl Shell for Bash {
     fn set_env_var(&self, f: &mut impl Write, env_var: &str, value: &str) -> ShellResult {
         validate_env_var_name(env_var)?;
-        let quoted_value = shlex::try_quote(value).unwrap_or_default();
-        Ok(writeln!(f, "export {env_var}={quoted_value}")?)
+
+        // Check if the value contains variable references ($)
+        // If so, use double quotes to allow variable expansion, otherwise use shlex quoting
+        if value.contains('$') {
+            // Use double quotes to allow variable expansion, but escape any existing double quotes
+            let escaped_value = value.replace('"', "\\\"");
+            Ok(writeln!(f, "export {env_var}=\"{escaped_value}\"")?)
+        } else {
+            // Use shlex quoting for values that don't need variable expansion
+            let quoted_value = shlex::try_quote(value).unwrap_or_else(|_| value.into());
+            Ok(writeln!(f, "export {env_var}={quoted_value}")?)
+        }
     }
 
     fn unset_env_var(&self, f: &mut impl Write, env_var: &str) -> ShellResult {
diff --git a/crates/rattler_shell/src/shell/snapshots/rattler_shell__shell__tests__bash.snap b/crates/rattler_shell/src/shell/snapshots/rattler_shell__shell__tests__bash.snap
index 2d68ab4e35..09d9a46599 100644
--- a/crates/rattler_shell/src/shell/snapshots/rattler_shell__shell__tests__bash.snap
+++ b/crates/rattler_shell/src/shell/snapshots/rattler_shell__shell__tests__bash.snap
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ expression: script.to_string()
 export FOO=bar
 export FOO2='a b'
 export FOO3="a\\b"
-export FOO4='${UNEXPANDED_VAR}'
+export FOO4="${UNEXPANDED_VAR}"
 unset FOO
 export PATH="${PATH}:bar:a/b"
 export PATH="bar:a/b:${PATH}"