diff --git a/rpm/nsd-app-wrap.spec b/rpm/nsd-app-wrap.spec
index 634294f3fa0fbf91fad8d799d4e89d411be915a9..c330d0d30039b0877dc2c7a87641ea494ac271d2 100644
--- a/rpm/nsd-app-wrap.spec
+++ b/rpm/nsd-app-wrap.spec
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name:           nsd-app-wrap
-Version:        2.16
+Version:        2.17
 Release:        1%{?dist}
 Summary:        Wrapper scripts to launch python applications installed via anaconda
 Vendor:         Peter F. Peterson
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ install -m 755 mcstas                                 %{buildroot}%{_bindir}/
 install -m 755 nr_launcher                            %{buildroot}%{_bindir}/
 install -m 755 nsd-app-wrap.sh                        %{buildroot}%{_bindir}/
 install -m 755 nsd-conda-wrap.sh                      %{buildroot}%{_bindir}/
+install -m 755 nsd-pixi-shell.sh                      %{buildroot}%{_bindir}/
 install -m 755 nseplot                                %{buildroot}%{_bindir}/
 install -m 755 nxs2taco                               %{buildroot}%{_bindir}/
 install -m 755 paraview                               %{buildroot}%{_bindir}/
@@ -107,6 +108,9 @@ install -m 644 desktop/ibeatles.desktop                %{buildroot}%{_datadir}/a
 %{_prefix}/share/applications/*
 
 %changelog
+* Mon Jan 05 2026 Pete Peterson
+- Add nsd-pixi-shell.sh for activating an environment
+
 * Tue Dec 16 2025 John Hetrick
 - Added nxs2taco, a pysen utility
 
diff --git a/src/nsd-app-wrap.sh b/src/nsd-app-wrap.sh
index c75a94e32b3af7934f3e07c344a0dd99e3847853..f21218b62d02321dc3efd0426589f69b8d313a66 100755
--- a/src/nsd-app-wrap.sh
+++ b/src/nsd-app-wrap.sh
@@ -19,7 +19,11 @@ _get_pixi_manifest_path() {
   # pixi environment
   PIXI_ENV="${1}"
 
-  echo "${PIXI_PREFIX%/}/${PIXI_ENV}"
+  if [ -d "${PIXI_ENV}" ]; then
+      echo "${PIXI_ENV}"
+  else
+      echo "${PIXI_PREFIX%/}/${PIXI_ENV}"
+  fi
 }
 
 ########## Activate the environment in the central pixi install
@@ -36,6 +40,7 @@ activate_pixi_environment () {
   fi
 
   # activate the environment
+  echo "Activating ${PIXI_ENV} environment. Type 'exit' to exit."
   pixi shell --frozen --manifest-path "${_path_to_manifest}"
 }
 
diff --git a/src/nsd-pixi-shell.sh b/src/nsd-pixi-shell.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..cafbd43486f52604387f24d9cf5e89f9c88f5a96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nsd-pixi-shell.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+_usage() {
+    echo "usage: $0 <environment> [tool arguments]"
+}
+
+# select the environment to use
+if [ -n "$1" ]; then
+    if [ "$1" == "--help" ]; then
+        _usage
+        exit 0
+    elif [ "$1" == "-h" ]; then
+        _usage
+        exit 0
+    fi
+    PIXI_ENVIRON="$1"
+    shift # drop this argument
+else
+    echo "Must specify a conda environment to activate"
+    _usage
+    exit 255
+fi
+
+# import library to do the real work
+# shellcheck disable=SC1091
+. "$(dirname "$(realpath "$0")")/nsd-app-wrap.sh" ||
+    . /bin/nsd-app-wrap.sh
+
+activate_pixi_environment "${PIXI_ENVIRON}"