diff --git a/modules/programs/zsh/default.nix b/modules/programs/zsh/default.nix
index 0bdb0f02..bbc3a846 100644
--- a/modules/programs/zsh/default.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/zsh/default.nix
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ in
 
           highlighters = mkOption {
             type = types.listOf types.str;
-            default = [ ];
+            default = [ "main" ];
             example = [ "brackets" ];
             description = ''
               Highlighters to enable
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ in
                 # https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting#faq
                 ''
                   source ${cfg.syntaxHighlighting.package}/share/zsh-syntax-highlighting/zsh-syntax-highlighting.zsh
-                  ZSH_HIGHLIGHT_HIGHLIGHTERS+=(${lib.concatStringsSep " " (map lib.escapeShellArg cfg.syntaxHighlighting.highlighters)})
+                  ZSH_HIGHLIGHT_HIGHLIGHTERS=(${lib.concatStringsSep " " (map lib.escapeShellArg cfg.syntaxHighlighting.highlighters)})
                   ${lib.concatStringsSep "\n" (
                     lib.mapAttrsToList (
                       name: value: "ZSH_HIGHLIGHT_STYLES[${lib.escapeShellArg name}]=${lib.escapeShellArg value}"
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/zsh/syntax-highlighting.nix b/tests/modules/programs/zsh/syntax-highlighting.nix
index d014d85a..4e7d3fde 100644
--- a/tests/modules/programs/zsh/syntax-highlighting.nix
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/zsh/syntax-highlighting.nix
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
       enable = true;
       package = pkgs.hello;
       highlighters = [
+        "main"
         "brackets"
         "pattern"
         "cursor"
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@
 
   nmt.script = ''
     assertFileContains home-files/.zshrc "source ${pkgs.hello}/share/zsh-syntax-highlighting/zsh-syntax-highlighting.zsh"
-    assertFileContains home-files/.zshrc "ZSH_HIGHLIGHT_HIGHLIGHTERS+=(brackets pattern cursor)"
+    assertFileContains home-files/.zshrc "ZSH_HIGHLIGHT_HIGHLIGHTERS=(main brackets pattern cursor)"
     assertFileContains home-files/.zshrc "ZSH_HIGHLIGHT_STYLES[comment]='fg=#6c6c6c'"
   '';
 }