diff --git a/modules/programs/bash.nix b/modules/programs/bash.nix
index 82a9fbe8f..5758cbc11 100644
--- a/modules/programs/bash.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/bash.nix
@@ -82,7 +82,12 @@ in
       shellAliases = mkOption {
         default = {};
         type = types.attrsOf types.str;
-        example = { ll = "ls -l"; ".." = "cd .."; };
+        example = literalExample ''
+          {
+            ll = "ls -l";
+            ".." = "cd ..";
+          }
+        '';
         description = ''
           An attribute set that maps aliases (the top level attribute names in
           this option) to command strings or directly to build outputs.
diff --git a/modules/programs/fish.nix b/modules/programs/fish.nix
index bc8003f32..2c1d5c3e7 100644
--- a/modules/programs/fish.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/fish.nix
@@ -53,10 +53,12 @@ in {
       shellAliases = mkOption {
         type = with types; attrsOf str;
         default = { };
-        example = {
-          ".." = "cd ..";
-          ll = "ls -l";
-        };
+        example = literalExample ''
+          {
+            ll = "ls -l";
+            ".." = "cd ..";
+          }
+        '';
         description = ''
           An attribute set that maps aliases (the top level attribute names
           in this option) to command strings or directly to build outputs.
diff --git a/modules/programs/zsh.nix b/modules/programs/zsh.nix
index c5694e1f7..b6e03a088 100644
--- a/modules/programs/zsh.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/zsh.nix
@@ -183,7 +183,12 @@ in
 
       shellAliases = mkOption {
         default = {};
-        example = { ll = "ls -l"; ".." = "cd .."; };
+        example = literalExample ''
+          {
+            ll = "ls -l";
+            ".." = "cd ..";
+          }
+        '';
         description = ''
           An attribute set that maps aliases (the top level attribute names in
           this option) to command strings or directly to build outputs.