diff --git a/tavern/internal/www/src/components/create-shell-button/CreateShellButton.tsx b/tavern/internal/www/src/components/create-shell-button/CreateShellButton.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c906b632f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tavern/internal/www/src/components/create-shell-button/CreateShellButton.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+import React, { useMemo, useCallback } from 'react';
+import { useMutation, useQuery } from '@apollo/client';
+import { Tooltip, useToast } from '@chakra-ui/react';
+import { Terminal } from 'lucide-react';
+import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
+import { add } from 'date-fns';
+
+import Button from '../tavern-base-ui/button/Button';
+import { checkIfBeaconOffline } from '../../utils/utils';
+import { PrincipalAdminTypes } from '../../utils/enums';
+import { CREATE_SHELL_MUTATION, GET_BEACONS_FOR_HOST_QUERY } from './queries';
+
+interface CreateShellButtonProps {
+    hostId?: string;
+    beaconId?: string;
+}
+
+interface BeaconCandidate {
+    id: string;
+    principal: string;
+    interval: number;
+    lastSeenAt: string;
+    nextSeenAt?: string;
+}
+
+export const CreateShellButton: React.FC<CreateShellButtonProps> = ({ hostId, beaconId }) => {
+    const navigate = useNavigate();
+    const toast = useToast();
+
+    // If hostId is provided, fetch beacons
+    const { data: beaconsData, loading: beaconsLoading } = useQuery(GET_BEACONS_FOR_HOST_QUERY, {
+        variables: { hostId },
+        skip: !hostId || !!beaconId,
+        fetchPolicy: 'cache-and-network',
+    });
+
+    const [createShell, { loading: mutationLoading }] = useMutation(CREATE_SHELL_MUTATION, {
+        onCompleted: (data) => {
+            const shellId = data.createShell.id;
+            navigate(`/shellv2/${shellId}`);
+        },
+        onError: (error) => {
+            toast({
+                title: "Error creating shell",
+                description: error.message,
+                status: "error",
+                duration: 5000,
+                isClosable: true,
+            });
+        },
+    });
+
+    const selectedBeaconId = useMemo(() => {
+        if (beaconId) return beaconId;
+        if (!hostId || !beaconsData?.beacons?.edges) return null;
+
+        const beacons: BeaconCandidate[] = beaconsData.beacons.edges.map((edge: any) => edge.node);
+
+        // Filter active beacons
+        const activeBeacons = beacons.filter(beacon => !checkIfBeaconOffline({
+            lastSeenAt: beacon.lastSeenAt,
+            interval: beacon.interval
+        }));
+
+        if (activeBeacons.length === 0) return null;
+
+        // Sort candidates
+        // 1. Principal priority: root, administrator, system
+        // 2. Shortest interval
+        // 3. Soonest nextSeenAt (or lastSeenAt + interval)
+
+        const highPriorityPrincipals = [
+            PrincipalAdminTypes.root,
+            PrincipalAdminTypes.Administrator,
+            PrincipalAdminTypes.SYSTEM
+        ] as string[];
+
+        // Clone array before sorting to avoid mutating read-only objects from Apollo
+        return [...activeBeacons].sort((a, b) => {
+            // 1. Principal Priority
+            const aIsHigh = highPriorityPrincipals.includes(a.principal);
+            const bIsHigh = highPriorityPrincipals.includes(b.principal);
+
+            if (aIsHigh && !bIsHigh) return -1;
+            if (!aIsHigh && bIsHigh) return 1;
+
+            // 2. Shortest Interval
+            if (a.interval !== b.interval) {
+                return a.interval - b.interval;
+            }
+
+            // 3. Soonest Next Check-in
+            const aNext = a.nextSeenAt
+                ? new Date(a.nextSeenAt).getTime()
+                : add(new Date(a.lastSeenAt), { seconds: a.interval }).getTime();
+
+            const bNext = b.nextSeenAt
+                ? new Date(b.nextSeenAt).getTime()
+                : add(new Date(b.lastSeenAt), { seconds: b.interval }).getTime();
+
+            return aNext - bNext;
+        })[0]?.id || null;
+
+    }, [beaconId, hostId, beaconsData]);
+
+    const handleCreateShell = useCallback((e: React.MouseEvent) => {
+        e.stopPropagation();
+        if (selectedBeaconId) {
+            createShell({ variables: { beaconId: selectedBeaconId } });
+        }
+    }, [createShell, selectedBeaconId]);
+
+    if (!selectedBeaconId) {
+        if (hostId && beaconsLoading) {
+             return (
+                 <Button
+                    buttonVariant="ghost"
+                    buttonStyle={{ color: "gray", size: 'xs' }}
+                    disabled
+                    aria-label="Loading shell options"
+                >
+                    <Terminal className="w-4 h-4 animate-pulse" />
+                </Button>
+             );
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    return (
+        <Tooltip label="Create Shell" bg="white" color="black" hasArrow>
+            <span>
+                <Button
+                    buttonVariant="ghost"
+                    buttonStyle={{ color: "gray", size: 'xs' }}
+                    onClick={handleCreateShell}
+                    isLoading={mutationLoading}
+                    aria-label="Create Shell"
+                >
+                    <Terminal className="w-4 h-4" />
+                </Button>
+            </span>
+        </Tooltip>
+    );
+};
diff --git a/tavern/internal/www/src/components/create-shell-button/queries.ts b/tavern/internal/www/src/components/create-shell-button/queries.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5523833fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tavern/internal/www/src/components/create-shell-button/queries.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { gql } from "@apollo/client";
+
+export const GET_BEACONS_FOR_HOST_QUERY = gql`
+    query GetBeaconsForHost($hostId: ID!) {
+        beacons(
+            where: { hasHostWith: { id: $hostId } },
+            first: 100,
+            orderBy: [{ direction: DESC, field: LAST_SEEN_AT }]
+        ) {
+            edges {
+                node {
+                    id
+                    principal
+                    interval
+                    lastSeenAt
+                    nextSeenAt
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+`;
+
+export const CREATE_SHELL_MUTATION = gql`
+    mutation CreateShell($beaconId: ID!) {
+        createShell(input: { beaconID: $beaconId }) {
+            id
+        }
+    }
+`;
diff --git a/tavern/internal/www/src/pages/host-details/beacon-tab/BeaconsTable.tsx b/tavern/internal/www/src/pages/host-details/beacon-tab/BeaconsTable.tsx
index 60a298fbc..80177a069 100644
--- a/tavern/internal/www/src/pages/host-details/beacon-tab/BeaconsTable.tsx
+++ b/tavern/internal/www/src/pages/host-details/beacon-tab/BeaconsTable.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { BeaconDetailQueryResponse } from "./types";
 import { PrincipalAdminTypes, SupportedTransports } from "../../../utils/enums";
 import { BeaconNode } from "../../../utils/interfacesQuery";
 import { checkIfBeaconOffline, getEnumKey } from "../../../utils/utils";
+import { CreateShellButton } from "../../../components/create-shell-button/CreateShellButton";
 
 interface BeaconsTableProps {
     beaconIds: string[];
@@ -144,23 +145,26 @@ export const BeaconsTable = ({ beaconIds, hasMore = false, onLoadMore }: Beacons
                 const isOffline = checkIfBeaconOffline(beacon);
                 const id = beacon.id;
                 return (
-                    <div className="flex flex-row justify-end">
-                        {!isOffline &&
-                            <Button
-                                buttonStyle={{ color: "gray", size: 'md' }}
-                                buttonVariant="ghost"
-                                onClick={(e) => {
-                                    e.stopPropagation();
-                                    navigate("/createQuest", {
-                                        state: {
-                                            step: 1,
-                                            beacons: [id]
-                                        }
-                                    });
-                                }}>
-                                New quest
-                            </Button>
-                        }
+                    <div className="flex flex-row justify-end items-center gap-2">
+                        {!isOffline && (
+                            <>
+                                <CreateShellButton beaconId={id} />
+                                <Button
+                                    buttonStyle={{ color: "gray", size: 'md' }}
+                                    buttonVariant="ghost"
+                                    onClick={(e) => {
+                                        e.stopPropagation();
+                                        navigate("/createQuest", {
+                                            state: {
+                                                step: 1,
+                                                beacons: [id]
+                                            }
+                                        });
+                                    }}>
+                                    New quest
+                                </Button>
+                            </>
+                        )}
                     </div>
                 );
             },
diff --git a/tavern/internal/www/src/pages/hosts/HostsTable.tsx b/tavern/internal/www/src/pages/hosts/HostsTable.tsx
index 7a16c54cd..0b284351c 100644
--- a/tavern/internal/www/src/pages/hosts/HostsTable.tsx
+++ b/tavern/internal/www/src/pages/hosts/HostsTable.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { HostDetailQueryResponse } from "./types";
 import { getOfflineOnlineStatus, getFormatForPrincipal } from "../../utils/utils";
 import { PrincipalAdminTypes } from "../../utils/enums";
 import { HostNode } from "../../utils/interfacesQuery";
+import { CreateShellButton } from "../../components/create-shell-button/CreateShellButton";
 
 interface HostsTableProps {
     hostIds: string[];
@@ -125,6 +126,21 @@ export const HostsTable = ({ hostIds, hasMore = false, onLoadMore }: HostsTableP
                 </div>
             ),
         },
+        {
+            key: 'actions',
+            label: '',
+            width: 'minmax(40px,1fr)',
+            render: (host) => (
+                <div className="flex justify-end pr-4">
+                    <CreateShellButton hostId={host.id} />
+                </div>
+            ),
+            renderSkeleton: () => (
+                <div className="flex justify-end pr-4">
+                    <div className="h-8 w-8 bg-gray-200 rounded animate-pulse"></div>
+                </div>
+            ),
+        },
     ], [currentDate, principalColors]);
 
     return (