diff --git a/layers/+completion/helm/packages.el b/layers/+completion/helm/packages.el
index 310f83d0a93b..a7aa39e3c36c 100644
--- a/layers/+completion/helm/packages.el
+++ b/layers/+completion/helm/packages.el
@@ -132,7 +132,6 @@
     (spacemacs||set-helm-key "sgG"  spacemacs/helm-file-do-grep-region-or-symbol)
     ;; various key bindings
     (spacemacs||set-helm-key "fel" helm-locate-library)
-    (spacemacs||set-helm-key "hdm" describe-mode)
     (spacemacs||set-helm-key "hdx" spacemacs/describe-ex-command)
     (spacemacs||set-helm-key "swg" helm-google-suggest)
     (with-eval-after-load 'helm-files
diff --git a/layers/+completion/ivy/funcs.el b/layers/+completion/ivy/funcs.el
index 25468679115d..1f78606bcfbe 100644
--- a/layers/+completion/ivy/funcs.el
+++ b/layers/+completion/ivy/funcs.el
@@ -343,24 +343,6 @@ that directory."
   (ignore-errors
     (call-interactively 'counsel-up-directory)))
 
-(when (configuration-layer/package-used-p 'counsel)
-  (with-eval-after-load 'counsel
-    (defun spacemacs/describe-mode ()
-      "Dummy wrapper to prevent an key binding error from helm.
-
-By default the emacs leader is M-m, turns out that Helm does this:
-   (cl-dolist (k (where-is-internal 'describe-mode global-map))
-        (define-key map k 'helm-help))
-after doing this:
-   (define-key map (kbd \"M-m\") 'helm-toggle-all-marks)
-So when Helm is loaded we get the error:
-   Key sequence M-m h d m starts with non-prefix key M-m
-
-To prevent this error we just wrap `describe-mode' to defeat the
- Helm hack."
-      (interactive)
-      (call-interactively 'describe-mode))))
-
 (defun spacemacs//counsel-with-git-grep (func x)
   "This function should be kept in sync with `counsel-git-grep-action'.
 
diff --git a/layers/+completion/ivy/packages.el b/layers/+completion/ivy/packages.el
index 8104b6c418f2..a1890d789c10 100644
--- a/layers/+completion/ivy/packages.el
+++ b/layers/+completion/ivy/packages.el
@@ -88,7 +88,6 @@
       "hda" 'counsel-apropos
       "hdf" 'counsel-describe-function
       "hdF" 'counsel-describe-face
-      "hdm" 'spacemacs/describe-mode
       "hdv" 'counsel-describe-variable
       "hdx" 'spacemacs/describe-ex-command
       "hi"  'counsel-info-lookup-symbol
diff --git a/layers/+spacemacs/spacemacs-defaults/funcs.el b/layers/+spacemacs/spacemacs-defaults/funcs.el
index 647ac8721ad6..064de7747860 100644
--- a/layers/+spacemacs/spacemacs-defaults/funcs.el
+++ b/layers/+spacemacs/spacemacs-defaults/funcs.el
@@ -131,6 +131,17 @@ If not in such a search box, fall back on `Custom-newline'."
 (defalias 'spacemacs/display-buffer-other-frame 'display-buffer-other-frame)
 (defalias 'spacemacs/find-file-and-replace-buffer 'find-alternate-file)
 
+;; By default the emacs leader is M-m, turns out that Helm does this:
+;;    (cl-dolist (k (where-is-internal 'describe-mode global-map))
+;;         (define-key map k 'helm-help))
+;; after doing this:
+;;    (define-key map (kbd \"M-m\") 'helm-toggle-all-marks)
+;; So when Helm is loaded we get the error:
+;;    Key sequence M-m h d m starts with non-prefix key M-m
+;; To prevent this error we just alias `describe-mode' to defeat the Helm hack.
+(when (configuration-layer/package-used-p 'helm)
+  (defalias 'spacemacs/describe-mode 'describe-mode))
+
 (defun spacemacs/indent-region-or-buffer ()
   "Indent a region if selected, otherwise the whole buffer."
   (interactive)
diff --git a/layers/+spacemacs/spacemacs-defaults/keybindings.el b/layers/+spacemacs/spacemacs-defaults/keybindings.el
index 885c9f702d6e..275a8d680e15 100644
--- a/layers/+spacemacs/spacemacs-defaults/keybindings.el
+++ b/layers/+spacemacs/spacemacs-defaults/keybindings.el
@@ -424,7 +424,9 @@
   "hdk" 'describe-key
   "hdK" 'describe-keymap
   "hdl" 'spacemacs/describe-last-keys
-  "hdm" 'describe-mode
+  "hdm" (if (configuration-layer/package-used-p 'helm)
+            'spacemacs/describe-mode
+          'describe-mode)
   "hdp" 'describe-package
   "hdP" 'configuration-layer/describe-package
   "hds" 'spacemacs/describe-system-info