diff --git a/core/core-packages.el b/core/core-packages.el
index 2750d40a5..ec8ae5a11 100644
--- a/core/core-packages.el
+++ b/core/core-packages.el
@@ -50,10 +50,12 @@ this is nil after Emacs has started something is wrong.")
   (make-hash-table :test #'equal :size 100 :rehash-threshold 1.0)
   "A hash table of enabled modules. Set by `doom-initialize-modules'.")
 
-(defvar doom-modules-dirs (list doom-modules-dir)
+(defvar doom-modules-dirs
+  (list doom-modules-dir (expand-file-name "modules/" doom-private-dir))
   "A list of module root directories. Order determines priority.")
 
-(defvar doom-psuedo-module-dirs ()
+(defvar doom-psuedo-module-dirs
+  (list doom-private-dir)
   "Additional paths for modules that are outside of `doom-modules-dirs'.
 `doom//reload-autoloads', `doom//byte-compile' and `doom-initialize-packages'
 will include the directories in this list.")
diff --git a/core/core.el b/core/core.el
index 205980913..35a9346ef 100644
--- a/core/core.el
+++ b/core/core.el
@@ -53,6 +53,14 @@ Use this for files that change often, like cache files.")
 (defvar doom-packages-dir (concat doom-local-dir "packages/")
   "Where package.el and quelpa plugins (and their caches) are stored.")
 
+(defvar doom-private-dir
+  (if (file-directory-p "~/.doom.d")
+      "~/.doom.d/"
+    (concat (or (getenv "XDG_CONFIG_HOME")
+                "~/.config")
+            "/doom/"))
+  "TODO")
+
 (defconst EMACS26+ (not (version< emacs-version "26")))
 (defconst EMACS27+ (not (version< emacs-version "27")))
 
@@ -146,6 +154,8 @@ ability to invoke the debugger in debug mode."
           gc-cons-percentage 0.6
           file-name-handler-alist nil))
 
+  (load (expand-file-name "early-init.el" doom-private-dir) t t)
+
   (require 'core-packages (concat doom-core-dir "core-packages"))
   (doom-initialize noninteractive)
   (load! core-lib)
@@ -156,12 +166,15 @@ ability to invoke the debugger in debug mode."
     (load! core-projects)   ; making Emacs project-aware
     (load! core-keybinds))  ; centralized keybind system + which-key
 
+  (load (expand-file-name "init.el" doom-private-dir) t t)
+
   (defun doom|after-init ()
     "Run `doom-init-hook' and `doom-post-init-hook', start the Emacs server, and
 display the loading benchmark."
     (dolist (hook '(doom-init-hook doom-post-init-hook))
       (run-hook-wrapped hook #'doom-try-run-hook hook))
     (unless noninteractive
+      (load (expand-file-name "config.el" doom-private-dir) t t)
       (when (display-graphic-p)
         (require 'server)
         (unless (server-running-p)
diff --git a/init.example.el b/init.example.el
index 68c5ddc15..200b8211a 100644
--- a/init.example.el
+++ b/init.example.el
@@ -147,10 +147,5 @@
        ;; a Spacemacs-inspired keybinding scheme, a custom yasnippet library,
        ;; and additional ex commands for evil-mode. Use it as a reference for
        ;; your own modules.
-       (default +bindings +snippets +evil-commands)
-
-       ;; This allows you to store your private module at
-       ;; $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/doom/. Without +xdg it uses ~/.doom.d/. If your
-       ;; config directory doesn't exist, this module does nothing.
-       (private +xdg))
+       (default +bindings +snippets +evil-commands))
 
diff --git a/modules/config/default/+bindings.el b/modules/config/default/+bindings.el
index 47f72fb67..ebd85a5e5 100644
--- a/modules/config/default/+bindings.el
+++ b/modules/config/default/+bindings.el
@@ -185,9 +185,8 @@
           :desc "Recent files"              :n "r" #'recentf-open-files
           :desc "Recent project files"      :n "R" #'projectile-recentf
           :desc "Yank filename"             :n "y" #'+default/yank-buffer-filename
-          (:when (featurep! :config private)
-            :desc "Find file in private config" :n "p" #'+private/find-in-config
-            :desc "Browse private config"       :n "P" #'+private/browse-config))
+          :desc "Find file in private config" :n "p" #'+default/find-in-config
+          :desc "Browse private config"       :n "P" #'+default/browse-config)
 
         (:desc "git" :prefix "g"
           :desc "Magit blame"           :n  "b" #'magit-blame
diff --git a/modules/config/default/autoload/default.el b/modules/config/default/autoload/default.el
index 15ba85e03..6526c029e 100644
--- a/modules/config/default/autoload/default.el
+++ b/modules/config/default/autoload/default.el
@@ -39,6 +39,17 @@
   (interactive) (doom-project-browse emacs-snippets-dir))
 ;; NOTE No need for a browse-snippets variant, use `yas-visit-snippet-file'
 
+;;;###autoload
+(defun +default/find-in-config ()
+  "Open a file somewhere in `doom-private-dir' via a fuzzy filename search."
+  (interactive)
+  (doom-project-find-file doom-private-dir))
+
+;;;###autoload
+(defun +default/browse-config ()
+  "Browse the files in `doom-private-dir'."
+  (interactive)
+  (doom-project-browse doom-private-dir))
 
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun +default/compile (arg)
diff --git a/modules/config/private/README.org b/modules/config/private/README.org
deleted file mode 100644
index 0a7684d02..000000000
--- a/modules/config/private/README.org
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-#+TITLE: :config private
-
-This module enables support for an external private module and nested
-submodules, either at =~/.doom.d= (or =$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/doom= with the ~+xdg~
-flag).
-
-* Table of Contents :TOC:
-- [[Module Flags][Module Flags]]
-- [[Features][Features]]
-  - [[Private sub-modules][Private sub-modules]]
-
-* Module Flags
-+ ~+xdg~ Tells this module to respect XDG conventions and look for your private
-  config in ~$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/doom~ (falls back to =~/.config/doom=).
-
-* Features
-** Private sub-modules
-Modules placed in the =modules/= subdirectory of your external config are
-symlinked to =~/.emacs.d/modules/private=, and can be activated from ~doom!~:
-
-#+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
-(doom! :private private-module1 private-module2 ...)
-#+END_SRC
diff --git a/modules/config/private/autoload.el b/modules/config/private/autoload.el
deleted file mode 100644
index f85c9d298..000000000
--- a/modules/config/private/autoload.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-;;; config/private/autoload.el -*- lexical-binding: t; -*-
-
-;;;###autoload
-(defun +private/find-in-config ()
-  "Open a file somewhere in `+private-config-path' via a fuzzy filename search."
-  (interactive)
-  (doom-project-find-file +private-config-path))
-
-;;;###autoload
-(defun +private/browse-config ()
-  "Browse the files in `+private-config-path'."
-  (interactive)
-  (doom-project-browse +private-config-path))
diff --git a/modules/config/private/config.el b/modules/config/private/config.el
deleted file mode 100644
index d90410d87..000000000
--- a/modules/config/private/config.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-;;; config/private/config.el -*- lexical-binding: t; -*-
-
-(defun +private|load-config ()
-  "Loads your private config.el in `+private-config-path'."
-  (load (expand-file-name "config.el" +private-config-path)
-        'noerror 'nomessage))
-
-(add-hook 'after-init-hook #'+private|load-config)
diff --git a/modules/config/private/doctor.el b/modules/config/private/doctor.el
deleted file mode 100644
index 094b94132..000000000
--- a/modules/config/private/doctor.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-;;; config/private/doctor.el -*- lexical-binding: t; -*-
-
-(unless (file-directory-p +private-config-path)
-  (warn! "Couldn't find '%s'" (file-relative-name +private-config-path "~")))
-
diff --git a/modules/config/private/init.el b/modules/config/private/init.el
deleted file mode 100644
index d6f40753d..000000000
--- a/modules/config/private/init.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-;;; config/private/init.el -*- lexical-binding: t; -*-
-
-(defvar +private-config-path
-  (if (featurep! +xdg)
-      (expand-file-name "doom/" (or (getenv "XDG_CONFIG_HOME") "~/.config"))
-    "~/.doom.d")
-  "The directory that serves as the root of your external private config for
-Doom Emacs.")
-
-;; Ensure `doom//reload-autoloads', `doom//byte-compile' and
-;; `doom-initialize-packages' will treat `+private-config-path' as the root of
-;; this module.
-(cl-pushnew +private-config-path doom-psuedo-module-dirs)
-(cl-pushnew (expand-file-name "modules/" +private-config-path)
-            doom-modules-dirs :test #'string=)
-
-;;
-(load (expand-file-name "init.el" +private-config-path)
-      'noerror 'nomessage)