diff --git a/contrib/shell/README.org b/contrib/shell/README.org
index ead2d5a3b..bb7ff3d2a 100644
--- a/contrib/shell/README.org
+++ b/contrib/shell/README.org
@@ -113,12 +113,13 @@ work sensibly. E.g. you can press ~cc~ in normal state i.e.
 =evil-change-whole-line= to kill the current input and start typing a new
 command. In Eshell you also kill the prompt, which is often unintended.
 
-To enable a the same behavior as in Comint mode you can enable the following
-variable:
+By default this layer also protects the =ehsell= prompt. If you want to
+disable this protection you can set the variable =shell-protect-eshell-prompt=
+to nil.
 
 #+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
   (setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers
-    '(shell :variables shell-protect-eshell-prompt t))
+    '(shell :variables shell-protect-eshell-prompt nil))
 #+END_SRC
 
 * Eshell
diff --git a/contrib/shell/config.el b/contrib/shell/config.el
index 5d56f6c08..fe6352ef6 100644
--- a/contrib/shell/config.el
+++ b/contrib/shell/config.el
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
   "If non-nil then `em-smart' is enabled. `em-smart' allows to quickly review
 commands, modify old commands or enter a new one.")
 
-(defvar shell-protect-eshell-prompt nil
+(defvar shell-protect-eshell-prompt t
   "If non-nil then eshell's prompt is protected. This means that
-  that movement to the prompt is inhibited like for `comint-mode'
-  prompts and the prompt is made read-only")
+movement to the prompt is inhibited like for `comint-mode'
+prompts and the prompt is made read-only")
diff --git a/contrib/shell/packages.el b/contrib/shell/packages.el
index 60d08cc1a..abd36d1a4 100644
--- a/contrib/shell/packages.el
+++ b/contrib/shell/packages.el
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ the user activate the completion manually."
           (end-of-buffer)))
 
       (when shell-protect-eshell-prompt
-        (defun protect-eshell-prompt ()
+        (defun spacemacs//protect-eshell-prompt ()
           "Protect Eshell's prompt like Comint's prompts.
 
 E.g. `evil-change-whole-line' won't wipe the prompt. This
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ is achieved by adding the relevant text properties."
                field output
                read-only t
                front-sticky (field inhibit-line-move-field-capture)))))
-        (add-hook 'eshell-after-prompt-hook 'protect-eshell-prompt))
+        (add-hook 'eshell-after-prompt-hook 'spacemacs//protect-eshell-prompt))
 
       (defun spacemacs//init-eshell ()
         "Stuff to do when enabling eshell."