After their 15-match unbeaten league run came to an end at fellow play-off hopefuls Swindon Town last Saturday, Shrewsbury were anxious to quickly get back on the promotion trail.
But Chris Casper's Bury side were worthy winners of this often untidy game with victory allowing them to move further away from the lower reaches of the table.
Andy Bishop fired the visitors into a first minute lead and, although Derek Asamoah fired Shrewsbury level on the stroke of half-time, Bury were quickly back in front when Bishop netted his second six minutes into the second half.
In the 65th minute former Shrewsbury striker Glynn Hurst - who left Gay Meadow for Gigg Lane earlier in the season - secured the points for Bury and, despite some late Shrewsbury pressure, the outcome was rarely in doubt.
Making one change from the side which lost at Swindon at the weekend, Sagi Burton was recalled to the Shrewsbury rearguard in place of the axed Richard Hope.
But inside the opening 60 seconds the defensive stability that has been a mark of their climb up the table was nowhere to be seen as Bishop pounced on some hesitancy to fire Bury ahead from 12 yards.
Shrewsbury hit back to dominate the rest of the half despite not being at their most fluent and midfielder Stewart Drummond and the lively Asamoah both went close to finding an equaliser before Asamoah levelled in first-half stoppage time by pouncing on a through ball to fire over the advancing Andy Warrington.
But after Asamoah was denied by Warrington five minutes after the break, play switched to the other end where Bishop was on hand to score with a neat angled drive.
Fourteen minutes later the points were secure for Bury as Hurst met William Mocquet's free-kick to score with a well-placed glancing header.
Substitute Michael Symes almost reduced the deficit with a late effort that struck the outside of a post, but Bury safely held out to record a second straight win while Shrewsbury suffered consecutive defeats for the first time since December.