diff --git a/core/core-os-osx.el b/core/core-os-osx.el
index 004ccc384..71f908c1d 100644
--- a/core/core-os-osx.el
+++ b/core/core-os-osx.el
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
       mac-option-modifier  'alt)
 
 ;; fix emacs PATH on OSX (GUI only)
-(add-hook! 'after-make-window-system-frame-hooks
+(when window-system
   (setenv "SHELL" "/usr/local/bin/zsh")
   (setenv "EMACS" "1") ; make sure the world knows
 
diff --git a/core/core-ui.el b/core/core-ui.el
index 8dadc3d83..3e8c7e5b8 100644
--- a/core/core-ui.el
+++ b/core/core-ui.el
@@ -1,14 +1,8 @@
 ;;; core-ui.el --- interface settings
 ;; see lib/ui-defuns.el
 
-;; This is kept separate so it can jumpstart emacs; this prevents the unstyled
-;; flash of emacs pre-makeover.
-(add-hook! 'after-make-console-frame-hooks
-  (load-theme narf-term-theme t)
-  (menu-bar-mode -1))         ; no menubar
-
-(add-hook! 'after-make-window-system-frame-hooks
-  (load-theme narf-default-theme t)
+(load-theme (if window-system narf-default-theme narf-term-theme) t)
+(when window-system
   (set-frame-font (apply #'font-spec narf-default-font))
   (scroll-bar-mode -1)        ; no scrollbar
   (tool-bar-mode -1)          ; no toolbar
diff --git a/core/core.el b/core/core.el
index 5310372a8..dd5ccf651 100644
--- a/core/core.el
+++ b/core/core.el
@@ -78,20 +78,6 @@
       (unless (file-exists-p path)
         (make-directory path t)))))
 
-(defvar after-make-console-frame-hooks '()
-  "Hooks to run after creating a new TTY frame")
-(defvar after-make-window-system-frame-hooks '()
-  "Hooks to run after creating a new window-system frame")
-(defun run-after-make-frame-hooks (frame)
-  "Selectively run either `after-make-console-frame-hooks' or
-`after-make-window-system-frame-hooks'"
-  (select-frame frame)
-  (run-hooks (if window-system
-                 'after-make-window-system-frame-hooks
-               'after-make-console-frame-hooks)))
-(add-hook 'after-make-frame-functions 'run-after-make-frame-hooks)
-(add-hook! after-init (run-after-make-frame-hooks (selected-frame)))
-
 ;; Emacs configuration ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
 
 ;;; UTF-8 please