diff --git a/core/core-editor.el b/core/core-editor.el
index f78e9993e..a60e0322e 100644
--- a/core/core-editor.el
+++ b/core/core-editor.el
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ modes are active and the buffer is read-only.")
 indentation settings or not. This should be set by editorconfig if it
 successfully sets indent_style/indent_size.")
 
+(defvar doom-detect-indentation-excluded-modes '(fundamental-mode)
+  "A list of major modes in which indentation should be automatically
+detected.")
+
 (setq-default
  large-file-warning-threshold 30000000
  vc-follow-symlinks t
@@ -185,6 +189,23 @@ savehist file."
 
   (smartparens-global-mode +1))
 
+;; Automatic detection of indent settings
+(def-package! dtrt-indent
+  :unless noninteractive
+  :defer t
+  :init
+  (defun doom|detect-indentation ()
+    (unless (or (not after-init-time)
+                doom-inhibit-indent-detection
+                (member (substring (buffer-name) 0 1) '(" " "*"))
+                (memq major-mode doom-detect-indentation-excluded-modes))
+      (dtrt-indent-mode +1)))
+  (add-hook! '(change-major-mode-after-body-hook read-only-mode-hook)
+    #'doom|detect-indentation)
+  :config
+  (setq dtrt-indent-verbosity (if doom-debug-mode 2 0))
+  (add-to-list 'dtrt-indent-hook-generic-mapping-list '(t tab-width)))
+
 ;; Branching undo
 (def-package! undo-tree
   :after-call (doom-exit-buffer-hook after-find-file)
@@ -206,22 +227,6 @@ savehist file."
 (setq command-log-mode-auto-show t
       command-log-mode-open-log-turns-on-mode t)
 
-(def-package! dtrt-indent
-  :unless noninteractive
-  :defer t
-  :init
-  (defun doom|detect-indentation ()
-    (unless (or doom-inhibit-indent-detection
-                buffer-read-only
-                (memq major-mode '(fundamental-mode org-mode))
-                (not (derived-mode-p 'prog-mode 'text-mode 'conf-mode)))
-      (require 'dtrt-indent)
-      (dtrt-indent-mode +1)))
-  (add-hook 'after-change-major-mode-hook #'doom|detect-indentation)
-  :config
-  (setq dtrt-indent-verbosity (if doom-debug-mode 2 0))
-  (add-to-list 'dtrt-indent-hook-generic-mapping-list '(t tab-width)))
-
 (def-package! expand-region
   :commands (er/contract-region er/mark-symbol er/mark-word)
   :config
diff --git a/modules/emacs/eshell/config.el b/modules/emacs/eshell/config.el
index eaaabf92b..60c3ccd8c 100644
--- a/modules/emacs/eshell/config.el
+++ b/modules/emacs/eshell/config.el
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ You should use `det-eshell-alias!' to change this.")
         eshell-glob-case-insensitive t
         eshell-error-if-no-glob t)
 
+  (add-to-list 'doom-detect-indentation-excluded-modes 'eshell-mode nil #'eq)
+
   ;; Consider eshell buffers real
   (add-hook 'eshell-mode-hook #'doom|mark-buffer-as-real)
 
diff --git a/modules/emacs/term/config.el b/modules/emacs/term/config.el
index c70417601..bc1f88337 100644
--- a/modules/emacs/term/config.el
+++ b/modules/emacs/term/config.el
@@ -8,4 +8,5 @@
 (after! term
   (set-env! "SHELL")
 
-  (add-hook 'term-mode-hook #'doom|mark-buffer-as-real))
+  (add-hook 'term-mode-hook #'doom|mark-buffer-as-real)
+  (add-to-list 'doom-detect-indentation-excluded-modes 'term-mode nil #'eq))
diff --git a/modules/lang/emacs-lisp/config.el b/modules/lang/emacs-lisp/config.el
index 44213cafe..2f2a3b441 100644
--- a/modules/lang/emacs-lisp/config.el
+++ b/modules/lang/emacs-lisp/config.el
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@
                ("add-hook" "remove-hook")
                ("add-hook!" "remove-hook!")))
 
+  ;; variable-width indentation is superior in elisp
+  (add-to-list 'doom-detect-indentation-excluded-modes 'emacs-lisp-mode nil #'eq)
+
   (add-hook! 'emacs-lisp-mode-hook
     #'(;; 3rd-party functionality
        auto-compile-on-save-mode doom|enable-delete-trailing-whitespace
diff --git a/modules/lang/org/config.el b/modules/lang/org/config.el
index d9b884fe1..f11ac9f46 100644
--- a/modules/lang/org/config.el
+++ b/modules/lang/org/config.el
@@ -191,6 +191,9 @@ unfold to point on startup."
    org-preview-latex-image-directory (concat doom-cache-dir "org-latex/")
    org-format-latex-options (plist-put org-format-latex-options :scale 1.5))
 
+  ;; Don't do automatic indent detection in org files
+  (add-to-list 'doom-detect-indentation-excluded-modes 'org-mode nil #'eq)
+
   ;; Previews are usually rendered with light backgrounds, so ensure their
   ;; background (and foreground) match the current theme.
   (defun +org|update-latex-preview-background-color ()