diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/viewers/explore.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/viewers/explore.rs
index 09186d621e..c459bcb254 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/viewers/explore.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/viewers/explore.rs
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ impl Command for Explore {
 
         let config = engine_state.get_config();
         let color_hm = get_color_config(config);
-        let style = theme_from_config(&config.explore_config);
+        let style = theme_from_config(&config.explore);
 
         let view_cfg = ViewConfig::new(config, &color_hm, &style);
 
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/config.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/config.rs
index fbf0f36d5d..4278cd2972 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/config.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/config.rs
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub show_banner: bool,
     pub show_clickable_links_in_ls: bool,
     pub render_right_prompt_on_last_line: bool,
-    pub explore_config: HashMap<String, Value>,
+    pub explore: HashMap<String, Value>,
 }
 
 impl Default for Config {
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ impl Default for Config {
             show_banner: true,
             show_clickable_links_in_ls: true,
             render_right_prompt_on_last_line: false,
-            explore_config: HashMap::new(),
+            explore: HashMap::new(),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -526,6 +526,13 @@ impl Value {
                             eprintln!("$env.config.{} is not a record", key)
                         }
                     }
+                    "explore" => {
+                        if let Ok(map) = create_map(value, &config) {
+                            config.explore = map;
+                        } else {
+                            eprintln!("$env.config.{} is not a record", key)
+                        }
+                    }
                     // Misc. options
                     "color_config" => {
                         if let Ok(map) = create_map(value, &config) {
@@ -813,13 +820,6 @@ impl Value {
                             eprintln!("$env.config.filesize_format is not a string")
                         }
                     }
-                    "explore_config" => {
-                        if let Ok(map) = create_map(value, &config) {
-                            config.explore_config = map;
-                        } else {
-                            eprintln!("$env.config.explore_config is not a map")
-                        }
-                    }
                     // End legacy options
                     x => {
                         eprintln!("$env.config.{} is an unknown config setting", x)
diff --git a/crates/nu-utils/src/sample_config/default_config.nu b/crates/nu-utils/src/sample_config/default_config.nu
index 8f2cf33748..27deb990b1 100644
--- a/crates/nu-utils/src/sample_config/default_config.nu
+++ b/crates/nu-utils/src/sample_config/default_config.nu
@@ -262,6 +262,20 @@ let-env config = {
       truncating_suffix: "..." # A suffix used by the 'truncating' methodology
     }
   }
+  explore: {
+    highlight: { bg: 'yellow', fg: 'black' }
+    status_bar: { bg: '#C4C9C6', fg: '#1D1F21' }
+    command_bar: { fg: '#C4C9C6' }
+    split_line: '#404040'
+    cursor: true
+    # selected_column: 'blue'
+    # selected_row: { fg: 'yellow', bg: '#C1C2A3' }
+    # selected_cell: { fg: 'white', bg: '#777777' }
+    # line_shift: false,
+    # line_index: false,
+    # line_head_top: false,
+    # line_head_bottom: false,
+  }
   history: {
     max_size: 10000 # Session has to be reloaded for this to take effect
     sync_on_enter: true # Enable to share history between multiple sessions, else you have to close the session to write history to file
@@ -293,22 +307,6 @@ let-env config = {
   show_banner: true # true or false to enable or disable the banner
   render_right_prompt_on_last_line: false # true or false to enable or disable right prompt to be rendered on last line of the prompt.
 
-  # A 'explore' utility config
-  explore_config: {
-    highlight: { bg: 'yellow', fg: 'black' }
-    status_bar: { bg: '#C4C9C6', fg: '#1D1F21' }
-    command_bar: { fg: '#C4C9C6' }
-    split_line: '#404040'
-    cursor: true
-    # selected_column: 'blue'
-    # selected_row: { fg: 'yellow', bg: '#C1C2A3' }
-    # selected_cell: { fg: 'white', bg: '#777777' }
-    # line_shift: false,
-    # line_index: false,
-    # line_head_top: false,
-    # line_head_bottom: false,
-  }
-
   hooks: {
     pre_prompt: [{
       $nothing  # replace with source code to run before the prompt is shown