diff --git a/doc/src/changelog.md b/doc/src/changelog.md
index 76e2c68..174c009 100644
--- a/doc/src/changelog.md
+++ b/doc/src/changelog.md
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@
   configuring the `garden.interactive-shell` value.
   ([#26](https://github.com/davvid/garden/pull/26))
 
+- `garden shell` can now be run without any arguments. The tree query now defaults to
+  `.` so that the tree in the current directory is used when nothing is specified.
+  ([#26](https://github.com/davvid/garden/pull/26))
+
 
 ## v1.2.1
 
diff --git a/src/cmds/shell.rs b/src/cmds/shell.rs
index 094cb43..9b5d536 100644
--- a/src/cmds/shell.rs
+++ b/src/cmds/shell.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ use crate::{cmd, errors, eval, model, query};
 #[command(author, about, long_about)]
 pub struct ShellOptions {
     /// Query for trees to build an environment
+    #[arg(default_value = ".")]
     query: String,
     /// Tree to chdir into
     tree: Option<String>,