diff --git a/lisp/eshell/esh-mode.el b/lisp/eshell/esh-mode.el
index a054cd66e27..cae5236d894 100644
--- a/lisp/eshell/esh-mode.el
+++ b/lisp/eshell/esh-mode.el
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ and the hook `eshell-exit-hook'."
     (make-local-variable 'eshell-command-running-string)
     (let ((fmt (copy-sequence mode-line-format)))
       (setq-local mode-line-format fmt))
-    (let ((mode-line-elt (memq 'mode-line-modified mode-line-format)))
+    (let ((mode-line-elt (cdr (memq 'mode-line-front-space mode-line-format))))
       (if mode-line-elt
 	  (setcar mode-line-elt 'eshell-command-running-string))))