diff --git a/src/libcmd/repl-interacter.cc b/src/libcmd/repl-interacter.cc
index 93d060e30..18c1cad0f 100644
--- a/src/libcmd/repl-interacter.cc
+++ b/src/libcmd/repl-interacter.cc
@@ -124,7 +124,18 @@ ReadlineLikeInteracter::Guard ReadlineLikeInteracter::init(detail::ReplCompleter
     return restoreRepl;
 }
 
-bool ReadlineLikeInteracter::getLine(std::string & input, const std::string & prompt)
+static constexpr const char * promptForType(ReplPromptType promptType)
+{
+    switch (promptType) {
+    case ReplPromptType::ReplPrompt:
+        return "nix-repl> ";
+    case ReplPromptType::ContinuationPrompt:
+        return "          ";
+    }
+    assert(false);
+}
+
+bool ReadlineLikeInteracter::getLine(std::string & input, ReplPromptType promptType)
 {
     struct sigaction act, old;
     sigset_t savedSignalMask, set;
@@ -150,7 +161,7 @@ bool ReadlineLikeInteracter::getLine(std::string & input, const std::string & pr
     };
 
     setupSignals();
-    char * s = readline(prompt.c_str());
+    char * s = readline(promptForType(promptType));
     Finally doFree([&]() { free(s); });
     restoreSignals();
 
diff --git a/src/libcmd/repl-interacter.hh b/src/libcmd/repl-interacter.hh
index e549bab36..cc70efd07 100644
--- a/src/libcmd/repl-interacter.hh
+++ b/src/libcmd/repl-interacter.hh
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ public:
 
     virtual Guard init(detail::ReplCompleterMixin * repl) = 0;
     /** Returns a boolean of whether the interacter got EOF */
-    virtual bool getLine(std::string & input, const std::string & prompt) = 0;
+    virtual bool getLine(std::string & input, ReplPromptType promptType) = 0;
     virtual ~ReplInteracter(){};
 };
 
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ public:
     {
     }
     virtual Guard init(detail::ReplCompleterMixin * repl) override;
-    virtual bool getLine(std::string & input, const std::string & prompt) override;
+    virtual bool getLine(std::string & input, ReplPromptType promptType) override;
     virtual ~ReadlineLikeInteracter() override;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/libcmd/repl.cc b/src/libcmd/repl.cc
index 243324c61..5809ab285 100644
--- a/src/libcmd/repl.cc
+++ b/src/libcmd/repl.cc
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ ReplExitStatus NixRepl::mainLoop()
         logger->pause();
         // When continuing input from previous lines, don't print a prompt, just align to the same
         // number of chars as the prompt.
-        if (!interacter->getLine(input, input.empty() ? "nix-repl> " : "          ")) {
+        if (!interacter->getLine(input, input.empty() ? ReplPromptType::ReplPrompt : ReplPromptType::ContinuationPrompt)) {
             // Ctrl-D should exit the debugger.
             state->debugStop = false;
             logger->cout("");