diff --git a/modules/ui/vc-gutter/config.el b/modules/ui/vc-gutter/config.el
index 4dcc1f2a3..688d803d0 100644
--- a/modules/ui/vc-gutter/config.el
+++ b/modules/ui/vc-gutter/config.el
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@
     (defun +vc-gutter-enable-maybe-h ()
       "Conditionally enable `diff-hl-dired-mode' in dired buffers.
 Respects `diff-hl-disable-on-remote'."
-      (unless (and diff-hl-disable-on-remote
+      (unless (and (bound-and-true-p diff-hl-disable-on-remote)
                    (file-remote-p default-directory))
         (diff-hl-dired-mode +1))))