diff --git a/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json b/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
index 44126b813..74b64738a 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
+++ b/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@
     "ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/docker-in-docker:2": {},
     "./zsh": {
       "theme": "agnoster",
-      "plugins": "git docker"
+      "plugins": "git docker",
+      "defaultUser": "true"
     }
   },
   "remoteUser": "node",
diff --git a/.devcontainer/zsh/devcontainer-feature.json b/.devcontainer/zsh/devcontainer-feature.json
index 1cbf9d8c1..22762be42 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/zsh/devcontainer-feature.json
+++ b/.devcontainer/zsh/devcontainer-feature.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "zsh",
   "id": "zsh",
-  "version": "0.0.5",
+  "version": "0.0.6",
   "description": "A feature to install and configure zsh with OhMyZsh",
   "licenseURL": "https://github.com/nils-geistmann/devcontainers-features/blob/main/LICENSE",
   "options": {
@@ -14,6 +14,15 @@
         "agnoster"
       ]
     },
+    "defaultUser": {
+      "description": "The defaultUser to set in .zshrc",
+      "type": "string",
+      "default": "",
+      "proposals": [
+        "vscode",
+        "root"
+      ]
+    },
     "plugins": {
       "description": "A space separated list of plugins to activate",
       "type": "string",
diff --git a/.devcontainer/zsh/functions.sh b/.devcontainer/zsh/functions.sh
index 6ba0c325f..3de6add07 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/zsh/functions.sh
+++ b/.devcontainer/zsh/functions.sh
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ check_and_install() {
   done
 }
 
+# Cleans APT's cache to keep devcontainer layers small
+clean_package_cache() {
+  apt-get clean
+}
+
 upsert_config_option() {
   if grep -E -q "$1" "$3"; then
     sed -i -e "s/$1/$2/" "$3"
diff --git a/.devcontainer/zsh/install.sh b/.devcontainer/zsh/install.sh
index c50865050..569b4342e 100755
--- a/.devcontainer/zsh/install.sh
+++ b/.devcontainer/zsh/install.sh
@@ -43,5 +43,12 @@ fi
 # set the theme
 upsert_config_option "^ZSH_THEME=.*$" "ZSH_THEME=\"$THEME\"" "$ZSH_RC_FILE"
 
+# set the default user
+if [ "$DEFAULTUSER" = "true" ]; then
+  upsert_config_option "^DEFAULT_USER=.*$" "DEFAULT_USER=\"$_REMOTE_USER\"" "$ZSH_RC_FILE"
+fi
+
 # configure the plugins
 upsert_config_option "^plugins=\\(.*\\)$" "plugins=($PLUGINS)" "$ZSH_RC_FILE"
+
+clean_package_cache
diff --git a/src/zsh/devcontainer-feature.json b/src/zsh/devcontainer-feature.json
index 22762be42..3b84d918a 100644
--- a/src/zsh/devcontainer-feature.json
+++ b/src/zsh/devcontainer-feature.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "zsh",
   "id": "zsh",
-  "version": "0.0.6",
+  "version": "0.0.7",
   "description": "A feature to install and configure zsh with OhMyZsh",
   "licenseURL": "https://github.com/nils-geistmann/devcontainers-features/blob/main/LICENSE",
   "options": {
@@ -15,13 +15,9 @@
       ]
     },
     "defaultUser": {
-      "description": "The defaultUser to set in .zshrc",
-      "type": "string",
-      "default": "",
-      "proposals": [
-        "vscode",
-        "root"
-      ]
+      "description": "When set to true the ZSH default user will be set to the remote user",
+      "type": "boolean",
+      "default": false
     },
     "plugins": {
       "description": "A space separated list of plugins to activate",
diff --git a/src/zsh/install.sh b/src/zsh/install.sh
index fa32d7fdd..569b4342e 100755
--- a/src/zsh/install.sh
+++ b/src/zsh/install.sh
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ fi
 upsert_config_option "^ZSH_THEME=.*$" "ZSH_THEME=\"$THEME\"" "$ZSH_RC_FILE"
 
 # set the default user
-if [[ -n "$DEFAULTUSER" ]]; then
-  upsert_config_option "^DEFAULT_USER=.*$" "DEFAULT_USER=\"$DEFAULTUSER\"" "$ZSH_RC_FILE"
+if [ "$DEFAULTUSER" = "true" ]; then
+  upsert_config_option "^DEFAULT_USER=.*$" "DEFAULT_USER=\"$_REMOTE_USER\"" "$ZSH_RC_FILE"
 fi
 
 # configure the plugins
diff --git a/test/zsh/scenarios.json b/test/zsh/scenarios.json
index d3c1fb364..2ab9f56e3 100644
--- a/test/zsh/scenarios.json
+++ b/test/zsh/scenarios.json
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
     "features": {
       "zsh": {
         "theme": "agnoster",
-        "defaultUser": "vscode"
+        "defaultUser": "true"
       }
     }
   },
diff --git a/test/zsh/test_functions.sh b/test/zsh/test_functions.sh
index 40c97f834..b087c1e5f 100644
--- a/test/zsh/test_functions.sh
+++ b/test/zsh/test_functions.sh
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ assert_configured_theme_is() {
 }
 
 assert_configured_default_user_is() {
-  theme=$1
-  if ! grep -E -q "^DEFAULT_USER=\"$theme\"" ~/.zshrc; then
+  userName=$1
+  if ! grep -E -q "^DEFAULT_USER=\"$userName\"" ~/.zshrc; then
     exit 1
   fi
 }