diff --git a/compiler/test-resources/scripting/showArgs.sc b/compiler/test-resources/scripting/showArgs.sc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..28f16a9022b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/test-resources/scripting/showArgs.sc
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env scala
+
+// precise output format expected by BashScriptsTests.scala
+def main(args: Array[String]): Unit =
+  for (a,i) <- args.zipWithIndex do
+    printf(s"arg %2d:[%s]\n",i,a)
diff --git a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/scripting/BashScriptsTests.scala b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/scripting/BashScriptsTests.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..cadf86467ae7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/scripting/BashScriptsTests.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+package dotty
+package tools
+package scripting
+
+import java.io.File
+import java.nio.file.{Path, Paths, Files}
+import scala.sys.process._
+
+import org.junit.Test
+
+import vulpix.TestConfiguration
+
+
+/** Runs all tests contained in `compiler/test-resources/scripting/` */
+class BashScriptsTests:
+  // classpath tests managed by scripting.ClasspathTests.scala
+  def testFiles = scripts("/scripting").filter { ! _.getName.startsWith("classpath") }
+
+  lazy val expectedOutput = List(
+    "arg  0:[a]", 
+    "arg  1:[b]", 
+    "arg  2:[c]", 
+    "arg  3:[-repl]", 
+    "arg  4:[-run]", 
+    "arg  5:[-script]", 
+    "arg  6:[-debug]", 
+  )
+  lazy val testScriptArgs = Seq(
+    "a", "b", "c", "-repl", "-run", "-script", "-debug"
+  )
+  lazy val (bashExe,bashPath) =
+    val bexe = getBashPath
+    val bpath = Paths.get(bexe)
+    printf("bashExe: [%s]\n", bexe)
+    (bexe, bpath)
+
+  val showArgsScript = testFiles.find(_.getName == "showArgs.sc").get.absPath
+
+  val scalacPath = which("scalac")
+  val scalaPath = which("scala")
+
+  /* verify `dist/bin/scalac` */
+  @Test def verifyScalacArgs =
+    val commandline = (Seq(scalacPath, "-script", showArgsScript) ++ testScriptArgs).mkString(" ")
+    if bashPath.toFile.exists then
+      var cmd = Array(bashExe, "-c", commandline)
+      val output = for {
+        line <- Process(cmd).lazyLines_!
+      } yield line
+      var fail = false
+      printf("\n")
+      for (line, expect) <- output zip expectedOutput do
+        printf("expected: %-17s| actual: %s\n", line, expect)
+        if line != expect then
+          fail = true
+
+      if fail then
+        assert(output == expectedOutput)
+
+  /* verify `dist/bin/scala` */
+  @Test def verifyScalaArgs =
+    val commandline = (Seq(scalaPath, showArgsScript) ++ testScriptArgs).mkString(" ")
+    if bashPath.toFile.exists then
+      var cmd = Array(bashExe, "-c", commandline)
+      val output = for {
+        line <- Process(cmd).lazyLines_!
+      } yield line
+      var fail = false
+      printf("\n")
+      for (line, expect) <- output zip expectedOutput do
+        printf("expected: %-17s| actual: %s\n", line, expect)
+        if line != expect then
+          fail = true
+
+      if fail then
+        assert(output == expectedOutput)
+
+  extension (str: String) def dropExtension =
+    str.reverse.dropWhile(_ != '.').drop(1).reverse
+
+  extension(f: File) def absPath =
+    f.getAbsolutePath.replace('\\', '/')
+
+  lazy val osname = Option(sys.props("os.name")).getOrElse("").toLowerCase
+
+  def getBashPath: String =
+    var whichBash = ""
+    printf("osname[%s]\n", osname)
+    if osname.startsWith("windows") then
+      whichBash = which("bash.exe")
+    else
+      whichBash = which("bash")
+
+    whichBash
+
+  def execCmd(command: String, options: String *): Seq[String] =
+    val cmd = (command :: options.toList).toSeq
+    for {
+      line <- Process(cmd).lazyLines_!
+    } yield line
diff --git a/dist/bin/scala b/dist/bin/scala
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 83e7720ef43d..3c6720d9b94f
--- a/dist/bin/scala
+++ b/dist/bin/scala
@@ -118,34 +118,35 @@ while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
       shift ;;
 
     *)
-      if [ "${execute_mode-}" == 'script' ]; then
-        addScript "$1"
-      else
-        # script if extension .scala or .sc, or if has scala hashbang line
-
-        # no -f test, issue meaningful error message (file not found)
-        if [[ "$1" == *.scala || "$1" == *.sc ]]; then
-          setExecuteMode 'script' # execute_script=true
-
-        # -f test needed before we examine the hashbang line
-        elif [[ (-f "$1" && `head -n 1 -- "$1" | grep '#!.*scala'`) ]]; then
-          setExecuteMode 'script' # execute_script=true
-        fi
+      # script if extension .scala or .sc, or if has scala hashbang line
+      # no -f test, issue meaningful error message (file not found)
+      if [[ "$1" == *.scala || "$1" == *.sc ]]; then
+        setExecuteMode 'script' # execute_script=true
+
+      # -f test needed before we examine the hashbang line
+      elif [[ (-f "$1" && `head -n 1 -- "$1" | grep '#!.*scala'`) ]]; then
+        setExecuteMode 'script' # execute_script=true
+      fi
 
-        if [ "${execute_mode-}" == 'script' ]; then
-          target_script="$1"
-          if [ ! -f $target_script ]; then
-            # likely a typo or missing script file, quit early
-            echo "not found: $target_script" 1>&2
-            scala_exit_status=2
-            onExit
-          fi
-        else
-          # all unrecognized args appearing prior to a script name
-          addResidual "$1"
+      if [ "${execute_mode-}" == 'script' ]; then
+        target_script="$1"
+        shift
+        if [ ! -f $target_script ]; then
+          # likely a typo or missing script file, quit early
+          echo "not found: $target_script" 1>&2
+          scala_exit_status=2
+          onExit
         fi
+        # all are script args
+        while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+          addScript "${1}"
+          shift
+        done
+      else
+        # all unrecognized args appearing prior to a script name
+        addResidual "$1"
+        shift
       fi
-      shift
       ;;
 
   esac
diff --git a/dist/bin/scalac b/dist/bin/scalac
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 14a3998215c6..9a168316d16f
--- a/dist/bin/scalac
+++ b/dist/bin/scalac
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ case "$1" in
     -Oshort) addJava "-XX:+TieredCompilation -XX:TieredStopAtLevel=1" && shift ;;
         -repl) PROG_NAME="$ReplMain" && shift ;;
       -script) PROG_NAME="$ScriptingMain" && target_script="$2" && shift && shift
-               while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do addScripting "$1" && shift ; done ;;
+               while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do addScript "$1" && shift ; done ;;
      -compile) PROG_NAME="$CompilerMain" && shift ;;
    -decompile) PROG_NAME="$DecompilerMain" && shift ;;
  -print-tasty) PROG_NAME="$DecompilerMain" && addScala "-print-tasty" && shift ;;
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ compilerJavaClasspathArgs
 
 if [ "$PROG_NAME" == "$ScriptingMain" ]; then
   setScriptName="-Dscript.path=$target_script"
-  scripting_string="-script $target_script ${scripting_args[@]}"
+  scripting_string="-script $target_script ${script_args[@]}"
 fi
 
 [ -n "$script_trace" ] && set -x