diff --git a/etc/emacs-vterm-bash.sh b/etc/emacs-vterm-bash.sh
index 15bf3530..69bbade0 100644
--- a/etc/emacs-vterm-bash.sh
+++ b/etc/emacs-vterm-bash.sh
@@ -53,4 +53,6 @@ PROMPT_COMMAND='echo -ne "\033]0;\h:\w\007"'
 vterm_prompt_end(){
     vterm_printf "51;A$(whoami)@$(hostname):$(pwd)"
 }
-PS1=$PS1'\[$(vterm_prompt_end)\]'
+if [[ "$INSIDE_EMACS" = 'vterm' ]]; then
+    PS1=$PS1'\[$(vterm_prompt_end)\]'
+fi
diff --git a/etc/emacs-vterm-zsh.sh b/etc/emacs-vterm-zsh.sh
index b01f52de..bf0a4157 100644
--- a/etc/emacs-vterm-zsh.sh
+++ b/etc/emacs-vterm-zsh.sh
@@ -52,4 +52,6 @@ vterm_prompt_end() {
     vterm_printf "51;A$(whoami)@$(hostname):$(pwd)";
 }
 setopt PROMPT_SUBST
-PROMPT=$PROMPT'%{$(vterm_prompt_end)%}'
+if [[ "$INSIDE_EMACS" = 'vterm' ]]; then
+    PROMPT=$PROMPT'%{$(vterm_prompt_end)%}'
+fi
diff --git a/etc/emacs-vterm.fish b/etc/emacs-vterm.fish
index 25169a64..c866449a 100644
--- a/etc/emacs-vterm.fish
+++ b/etc/emacs-vterm.fish
@@ -56,13 +56,15 @@ function vterm_prompt_end;
     vterm_printf '51;A'(whoami)'@'(hostname)':'(pwd)
 end
 
-# We are going to add a portion to the prompt, so we copy the old one
-functions --copy fish_prompt vterm_old_fish_prompt
+if [ "$INSIDE_EMACS" = 'vterm' ]
+    # We are going to add a portion to the prompt, so we copy the old one
+    functions --copy fish_prompt vterm_old_fish_prompt
 
-function fish_prompt --description 'Write out the prompt; do not replace this. Instead, put this at end of your file.'
-    # Remove the trailing newline from the original prompt. This is done
-    # using the string builtin from fish, but to make sure any escape codes
-    # are correctly interpreted, use %b for printf.
-    printf "%b" (string join "\n" (vterm_old_fish_prompt))
-    vterm_prompt_end
-end
+    function fish_prompt --description 'Write out the prompt; do not replace this. Instead, put this at end of your file.'
+        # Remove the trailing newline from the original prompt. This is done
+        # using the string builtin from fish, but to make sure any escape codes
+        # are correctly interpreted, use %b for printf.
+        printf "%b" (string join "\n" (vterm_old_fish_prompt))
+        vterm_prompt_end
+    end
+fi