diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi
index 841bc2a34f..aeac5aaa81 100644
--- a/doc/guix.texi
+++ b/doc/guix.texi
@@ -5464,7 +5464,7 @@ denoting the target file.  Here's an example:
             `(("hosts" ,(plain-file "hosts"
                                     "127.0.0.1 localhost"))
               ("bashrc" ,(plain-file "bashrc"
-                                     "alias ls='ls --color'"))))
+                                     "alias ls='ls --color=auto'"))))
 @end example
 
 This yields an @code{etc} directory containing these two files.
diff --git a/gnu/system/shadow.scm b/gnu/system/shadow.scm
index 28d399f2b1..b4db69f068 100644
--- a/gnu/system/shadow.scm
+++ b/gnu/system/shadow.scm
@@ -178,9 +178,9 @@ then
 else
     PS1='\\u@\\h \\w\\$ '
 fi
-alias ls='ls -p --color'
+alias ls='ls -p --color=auto'
 alias ll='ls -l'
-alias grep='grep --color'\n"))
+alias grep='grep --color=auto'\n"))
         (zlogin    (plain-file "zlogin" "\
 # Honor system-wide environment variables
 source /etc/profile\n"))