2 files changed, 13 insertions, 1 deletions
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index d9006fe0..fcc55799 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ extern crate unicode_width;
 extern crate vte;
 extern crate xdg;
 extern crate base64;
+extern crate terminfo;
 
 #[macro_use]
 pub mod macros;
diff --git a/src/tty.rs b/src/tty.rs
index 9f6a2e64..b9d00fa5 100644
--- a/src/tty.rs
+++ b/src/tty.rs
@@ -22,12 +22,14 @@ use std::ptr;
 use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
 
 use libc::{self, winsize, c_int, pid_t, WNOHANG, SIGCHLD, TIOCSCTTY};
+use terminfo::Database;
 
 use term::SizeInfo;
 use display::OnResize;
 use config::{Config, Shell};
 use cli::Options;
 
+
 /// Process ID of child process
 ///
 /// Necessary to put this in static storage for `sigchld` to have access
@@ -210,7 +212,16 @@ pub fn new<T: ToWinsize>(config: &Config, options: &Options, size: &T, window_id
     builder.env("USER", pw.name);
     builder.env("SHELL", shell.program());
     builder.env("HOME", pw.dir);
-    builder.env("TERM", "xterm-256color"); // default term until we can supply our own
+
+    // TERM; default to 'alacritty' if it is available, otherwise
+    // default to 'xterm-256color'. May be overridden by user's config
+    // below.
+    let mut term = "alacritty";
+    if let Err(_) = Database::from_name("alacritty") {
+        term = "xterm-256color";
+    }
+    builder.env("TERM", term);
+
     builder.env("COLORTERM", "truecolor"); // advertise 24-bit support
     if let Some(window_id) = window_id {
         builder.env("WINDOWID", format!("{}", window_id));