diff --git a/modules/checkers/spell/autoload/+spell-fu.el b/modules/checkers/spell/autoload/+spell-fu.el
index f8d26a3e2..25a0a1063 100644
--- a/modules/checkers/spell/autoload/+spell-fu.el
+++ b/modules/checkers/spell/autoload/+spell-fu.el
@@ -50,12 +50,14 @@
 (defun +spell/correct ()
   "Correct spelling of word at point."
   (interactive)
-  ;; HACK Fake awareness for our personal dictionary by stopping short if
-  ;;      spell-fu hasn't highlighted the current word. This is necessary
-  ;;      because ispell/aspell struggles to find our
-  ;;      `ispell-personal-dictionary' if it's not in $HOME.
-  (unless (memq 'spell-fu-incorrect-face (face-at-point nil t))
-    (user-error "%S is correct" (thing-at-point 'word t)))
+  ;; spell-fu fails to initialize correctly if it can't find aspell or a similar
+  ;; program. We want to signal the error, not tell the user that every word is
+  ;; spelled correctly.
+  (unless (;; This is what spell-fu uses to check for the aspell executable
+           or (and ispell-really-aspell ispell-program-name)
+              (executable-find "aspell"))
+    (user-error "Aspell is required for spell checking"))
+
   (ispell-set-spellchecker-params)
   (save-current-buffer
     (ispell-accept-buffer-local-defs))
diff --git a/modules/checkers/spell/config.el b/modules/checkers/spell/config.el
index 5886d7979..b28bc4b05 100644
--- a/modules/checkers/spell/config.el
+++ b/modules/checkers/spell/config.el
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
       :when (executable-find "aspell")
       :hook (text-mode . spell-fu-mode)
       :general ([remap ispell-word] #'+spell/correct)
-      :init
+      :preface
       (defvar +spell-correct-interface
         (cond ((featurep! :completion ivy)
                #'+spell-correct-ivy-fn)
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@
               (#'+spell-correct-generic-fn))
         "Function to use to display corrections.")
 
+      :init
       (defvar +spell-excluded-faces-alist
         '((markdown-mode
            . (markdown-code-face