diff --git a/crates/project/src/task_inventory.rs b/crates/project/src/task_inventory.rs
index 205232b523cf3773d895368ba0b1b7d2d32a7afe..cbe4a73a654472550673fe54b60974c57e08991d 100644
--- a/crates/project/src/task_inventory.rs
+++ b/crates/project/src/task_inventory.rs
@@ -985,6 +985,10 @@ impl ContextProvider for BasicContextProvider {
             task_variables.insert(VariableName::File, path.to_string_lossy().into_owned());
         }
 
+        if let Some(language) = buffer.language() {
+            task_variables.insert(VariableName::Language, language.name().to_string());
+        }
+
         Task::ready(Ok(task_variables))
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/task/src/task.rs b/crates/task/src/task.rs
index a8eccc9af1d7f8b00fb8557bb02c05281c5bb2e6..e91a0bfb3b54b8780f139a63b342cd58755e6355 100644
--- a/crates/task/src/task.rs
+++ b/crates/task/src/task.rs
@@ -172,6 +172,8 @@ pub enum VariableName {
     Column,
     /// Text from the latest selection.
     SelectedText,
+    /// The language of the currently opened buffer (e.g., "Rust", "Python").
+    Language,
     /// The symbol selected by the symbol tagging system, specifically the @run capture in a runnables.scm
     RunnableSymbol,
     /// Open a Picker to select a process ID to use in place
@@ -209,6 +211,7 @@ impl FromStr for VariableName {
             "SYMBOL" => Self::Symbol,
             "RUNNABLE_SYMBOL" => Self::RunnableSymbol,
             "SELECTED_TEXT" => Self::SelectedText,
+            "LANGUAGE" => Self::Language,
             "ROW" => Self::Row,
             "COLUMN" => Self::Column,
             _ => {
@@ -243,6 +246,7 @@ impl std::fmt::Display for VariableName {
             Self::Row => write!(f, "{ZED_VARIABLE_NAME_PREFIX}ROW"),
             Self::Column => write!(f, "{ZED_VARIABLE_NAME_PREFIX}COLUMN"),
             Self::SelectedText => write!(f, "{ZED_VARIABLE_NAME_PREFIX}SELECTED_TEXT"),
+            Self::Language => write!(f, "{ZED_VARIABLE_NAME_PREFIX}LANGUAGE"),
             Self::RunnableSymbol => write!(f, "{ZED_VARIABLE_NAME_PREFIX}RUNNABLE_SYMBOL"),
             Self::PickProcessId => write!(f, "{ZED_VARIABLE_NAME_PREFIX}PICK_PID"),
             Self::Custom(s) => write!(
diff --git a/crates/tasks_ui/src/tasks_ui.rs b/crates/tasks_ui/src/tasks_ui.rs
index fdacef3b193beb8a656916edb61fbff1a200385b..3da0c78f8070e874187c39fcbd073994028d146a 100644
--- a/crates/tasks_ui/src/tasks_ui.rs
+++ b/crates/tasks_ui/src/tasks_ui.rs
@@ -439,7 +439,10 @@ mod tests {
         let worktree_store = project.read_with(cx, |project, _| project.worktree_store());
         let rust_language = Arc::new(
             Language::new(
-                LanguageConfig::default(),
+                LanguageConfig {
+                    name: "Rust".into(),
+                    ..Default::default()
+                },
                 Some(tree_sitter_rust::LANGUAGE.into()),
             )
             .with_outline_query(
@@ -455,7 +458,10 @@ mod tests {
 
         let typescript_language = Arc::new(
             Language::new(
-                LanguageConfig::default(),
+                LanguageConfig {
+                    name: "TypeScript".into(),
+                    ..Default::default()
+                },
                 Some(tree_sitter_typescript::LANGUAGE_TYPESCRIPT.into()),
             )
             .with_outline_query(
@@ -534,6 +540,7 @@ mod tests {
                     (VariableName::WorktreeRoot, path!("/dir").into()),
                     (VariableName::Row, "1".into()),
                     (VariableName::Column, "1".into()),
+                    (VariableName::Language, "Rust".into()),
                 ]),
                 project_env: HashMap::default(),
             }
@@ -568,6 +575,7 @@ mod tests {
                     (VariableName::Column, "15".into()),
                     (VariableName::SelectedText, "is_i".into()),
                     (VariableName::Symbol, "this_is_a_rust_file".into()),
+                    (VariableName::Language, "Rust".into()),
                 ]),
                 project_env: HashMap::default(),
             }
@@ -596,6 +604,7 @@ mod tests {
                     (VariableName::Row, "1".into()),
                     (VariableName::Column, "1".into()),
                     (VariableName::Symbol, "this_is_a_test".into()),
+                    (VariableName::Language, "TypeScript".into()),
                 ]),
                 project_env: HashMap::default(),
             }
diff --git a/docs/src/tasks.md b/docs/src/tasks.md
index 482ca7b4d5779a4861756332ce2c0f25eaad4ad4..52598e11ad40ecfc125ba6d03860809452ae8e43 100644
--- a/docs/src/tasks.md
+++ b/docs/src/tasks.md
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ These variables allow you to pull information from the current editor and use it
 - `ZED_STEM`: stem (filename without extension) of the currently opened file (e.g. `main`)
 - `ZED_SYMBOL`: currently selected symbol; should match the last symbol shown in a symbol breadcrumb (e.g. `mod tests > fn test_task_contexts`)
 - `ZED_SELECTED_TEXT`: currently selected text
+- `ZED_LANGUAGE`: language of the currently opened buffer (e.g. `Rust`, `Python`, `Shell Script`)
 - `ZED_WORKTREE_ROOT`: absolute path to the root of the current worktree. (e.g. `/Users/my-user/path/to/project`)
 - `ZED_CUSTOM_RUST_PACKAGE`: (Rust-specific) name of the parent package of $ZED_FILE source file.