diff --git a/core/core-os.el b/core/core-os.el
index 2f5046bbd..809c0bf27 100644
--- a/core/core-os.el
+++ b/core/core-os.el
@@ -19,9 +19,35 @@
 ;; grokked from: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/15873346/elisp-rename-macro
 (advice-add #'evil-visual-update-x-selection :override #'ignore)
 
+;; In case it is never defined:
 (defmacro set-env! (&rest _vars)
   "Inject VARS from your shell environment into Emacs.")
 
+(when (or (daemonp) (display-graphic-p))
+  ;; Syncs ns frame parameters with theme (and fixes mismatching text
+  ;; colr in the frame title)
+  (when (and IS-MAC (require 'ns-auto-titlebar nil t))
+    (add-hook 'doom-load-theme-hook #'ns-auto-titlebar-mode))
+
+  ;; If you launch GUI Emacs from the wrong shell environment, Emacs will be
+  ;; gimped. This regularly happens on MacOS (or daemons started via launchctl
+  ;; or brew services): it runs in an isolated environment, so envvars will be
+  ;; wrong. That includes the PATH Emacs picks up.
+  ;;
+  ;; `exec-path-from-shell' tries to address this, but it is only set up to run
+  ;; for mac users.
+  (when (require 'exec-path-from-shell nil t)
+    (defun set-env! (&rest vars)
+      "Inject VARS from your shell environment into Emacs."
+      (exec-path-from-shell-copy-envs vars))
+    (setq exec-path-from-shell-check-startup-files nil
+          exec-path-from-shell-arguments (delete "-i" exec-path-from-shell-arguments)
+          exec-path-from-shell-debug doom-debug-mode
+          exec-path-from-shell-variables
+          (nconc exec-path-from-shell-variables '("LC_CTYPE" "LC_ALL" "LANG")))
+    (exec-path-from-shell-initialize)))
+
+
 (cond (IS-MAC
        (setq mac-command-modifier 'super
              mac-option-modifier  'meta
@@ -35,28 +61,7 @@
              ns-use-native-fullscreen nil
              ;; Visit files opened outside of Emacs in existing frame, rather
              ;; than a new one
-             ns-pop-up-frames nil)
-
-       (when (or (daemonp) (display-graphic-p))
-         ;; Syncs ns frame parameters with theme (and fixes mismatching text
-         ;; colr in the frame title)
-         (when (require 'ns-auto-titlebar nil t)
-           (add-hook 'doom-load-theme-hook #'ns-auto-titlebar-mode))
-
-         ;; A known problem with GUI Emacs on MacOS (or daemons started via
-         ;; launchctl or brew services): it runs in an isolated
-         ;; environment, so envvars will be wrong. That includes the PATH
-         ;; Emacs picks up. `exec-path-from-shell' fixes this.
-         (when (require 'exec-path-from-shell nil t)
-           (defun set-env! (&rest vars)
-             "Inject VARS from your shell environment into Emacs."
-             (exec-path-from-shell-copy-envs vars))
-           (setq exec-path-from-shell-check-startup-files nil
-                 exec-path-from-shell-arguments (delete "-i" exec-path-from-shell-arguments)
-                 exec-path-from-shell-debug doom-debug-mode
-                 exec-path-from-shell-variables
-                 (nconc exec-path-from-shell-variables '("LC_CTYPE" "LC_ALL" "LANG")))
-           (exec-path-from-shell-initialize))))
+             ns-pop-up-frames nil))
 
       (IS-LINUX
        (setq x-gtk-use-system-tooltips nil    ; native tooltips are ugly!