diff --git a/src/extension/notebook.ts b/src/extension/notebook.ts
index f1918d9f4..02371d1f2 100644
--- a/src/extension/notebook.ts
+++ b/src/extension/notebook.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import type { ParsedDocument } from '../types'
 import executor from './executors'
 import Languages from './languages'
 import { PLATFORM_OS } from './constants'
+import { normalizeLanguage } from './utils'
 
 declare var globalThis: any
 
@@ -87,13 +88,13 @@ export class Serializer implements vscode.NotebookSerializer {
       const isSupported = Object.keys(executor).includes(s.language || '')
       if (s.lines && isSupported) {
         const lines = s.lines.join('\n')
-        const language = s.language === 'shell' ? 'sh' : s.language
+        const language = normalizeLanguage(s.language)
         const cell = new vscode.NotebookCellData(
           vscode.NotebookCellKind.Code,
           /**
            * for JS content we want to keep indentation
            */
-           LANGUAGES_WITH_INDENTATION.includes(s.language || '')
+           LANGUAGES_WITH_INDENTATION.includes(language || '')
             ? (s.content || '').trim()
             : lines.trim(),
           /**
diff --git a/src/extension/utils.ts b/src/extension/utils.ts
index f051647ce..67a31ee65 100644
--- a/src/extension/utils.ts
+++ b/src/extension/utils.ts
@@ -81,3 +81,13 @@ export function getCmdShellSeq(cellText: string, os: string): string {
 
   return `set -e; ${trimmed}`
 }
+
+export function normalizeLanguage(l?: string) {
+  switch (l) {
+    case 'zsh':
+    case 'shell':
+      return 'sh'
+    default:
+      return l
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/extension/utilts.test.ts b/tests/extension/utilts.test.ts
index 702766e02..0a17073bd 100644
--- a/tests/extension/utilts.test.ts
+++ b/tests/extension/utilts.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
   resetEnv,
   getKey,
   getCmdShellSeq,
+  normalizeLanguage,
 } from '../../src/extension/utils'
 import { ENV_STORE, DEFAULT_ENV } from '../../src/extension/constants'
 
@@ -124,3 +125,19 @@ suite('getCmdShellSeq', () => {
   })
 })
 
+suite('normalizeLanguage', () => {
+  test('with zsh', () => {
+    const lang = normalizeLanguage('zsh')
+    expect(lang).toBe('sh')
+  })
+
+  test('with shell', () => {
+    const lang = normalizeLanguage('shell')
+    expect(lang).toBe('sh')
+  })
+
+  test('with sh', () => {
+    const lang = normalizeLanguage('sh')
+    expect(lang).toBe('sh')
+  })
+})