diff --git a/src/future_feature_flags.cpp b/src/future_feature_flags.cpp
index 4ec30cf09..df287b9af 100644
--- a/src/future_feature_flags.cpp
+++ b/src/future_feature_flags.cpp
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ const features_t::metadata_t features_t::metadata[features_t::flag_count] = {
     {stderr_nocaret, L"stderr-nocaret", L"3.0", L"^ no longer redirects stderr", true},
     {qmark_noglob, L"qmark-noglob", L"3.0", L"? no longer globs", false},
     {string_replace_backslash, L"regex-easyesc", L"3.1", L"string replace -r needs fewer \\'s",
-     false},
+     true},
     {ampersand_nobg_in_token, L"ampersand-nobg-in-token", L"3.4",
      L"& only backgrounds if followed by a separator", false},
 };
diff --git a/tests/checks/status.fish b/tests/checks/status.fish
index 924f1caef..c4659278e 100644
--- a/tests/checks/status.fish
+++ b/tests/checks/status.fish
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ eval test_function
 status features
 #CHECK: stderr-nocaret          on  3.0 ^ no longer redirects stderr
 #CHECK: qmark-noglob            off 3.0 ? no longer globs
-#CHECK: regex-easyesc           off 3.1 string replace -r needs fewer \'s
+#CHECK: regex-easyesc           on  3.1 string replace -r needs fewer \'s
 #CHECK: ampersand-nobg-in-token off 3.4 & only backgrounds if followed by a separator
 status test-feature stderr-nocaret
 echo $status