diff --git a/README.org b/README.org
index 83092b56..2860cdb3 100644
--- a/README.org
+++ b/README.org
@@ -185,8 +185,8 @@ Let's also turn on =recentf-mode=.
 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
 (recentf-mode +1)
 (savehist-mode +1)
-(add-to-list savehist-additional-variables 'register-alist)
-(add-to-list savehist-additional-variables kill-ring)
+(add-to-list 'savehist-additional-variables 'register-alist)
+(add-to-list 'savehist-additional-variables kill-ring)
 #+end_src
 
 Finally this is not part of the UI but let's do this early and start the server so I can use emacsclient from my WM.
diff --git a/init.el b/init.el
index 32a95e76..0ac5c662 100644
--- a/init.el
+++ b/init.el
@@ -83,8 +83,8 @@
 
 (recentf-mode +1)
 (savehist-mode +1)
-(add-to-list savehist-additional-variables 'register-alist)
-(add-to-list savehist-additional-variables kill-ring)
+(add-to-list 'savehist-additional-variables 'register-alist)
+(add-to-list 'savehist-additional-variables kill-ring)
 
 (add-to-list 'exec-path "/home/chris/bin")