diff --git a/pkg/cmd/hello/hello_test.go b/pkg/cmd/hello/hello_test.go
index cd35a48c4..8a3fad622 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/hello/hello_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/hello/hello_test.go
@@ -1 +1,39 @@
 package hello
+
+import "testing"
+
+type shellOnboardingPollDoneCase struct {
+	name string
+	res  *OnboardingObject
+	want bool
+}
+
+var shellOnboardingPollDoneCases = []shellOnboardingPollDoneCase{
+	{
+		name: "hasRunBrevShell",
+		res:  &OnboardingObject{HasRunBrevShell: true},
+		want: true,
+	},
+	{
+		name: "brevOpenOnly",
+		res:  &OnboardingObject{HasRunBrevOpen: true, HasRunBrevShell: false},
+		want: false,
+	},
+	{
+		name: "nil",
+		res:  nil,
+		want: false,
+	},
+}
+
+func TestShellOnboardingPollDone(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	for _, c := range shellOnboardingPollDoneCases {
+		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			if got := shellOnboardingPollDone(c.res); got != c.want {
+				t.Fatalf("got %v, want %v", got, c.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/hello/onboarding_utils.go b/pkg/cmd/hello/onboarding_utils.go
index 7ea80b2fc..5165b38df 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/hello/onboarding_utils.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/hello/onboarding_utils.go
@@ -123,6 +123,10 @@ type OnboardingObject struct {
 	HasRunBrevOpen  bool `json:"hasRunBrevOpen"`
 }
 
+func shellOnboardingPollDone(res *OnboardingObject) bool {
+	return res != nil && res.HasRunBrevShell
+}
+
 func SetupDefaultOnboardingFile() error {
 	// get path
 	path, err := GetOnboardingFilePath()
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/hello/steps.go b/pkg/cmd/hello/steps.go
index a49406b86..4c1f7a493 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/hello/steps.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/hello/steps.go
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ func doBrevShellOnboarding(
 		if err1 != nil {
 			return breverrors.WrapAndTrace(err1)
 		}
-		if res.HasRunBrevOpen {
+		if shellOnboardingPollDone(res) {
 			spinner.Suffix = spinnerSuffix
 			time.Sleep(250 * time.Millisecond)
 			spinner.Stop()