diff --git a/core/core-packages.el b/core/core-packages.el
index ff4e53158..cabca4e04 100644
--- a/core/core-packages.el
+++ b/core/core-packages.el
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ package's name as a symbol, and whose CDR is the plist supplied to its
 `package!' declaration. Set by `doom-initialize-packages'.")
 
 (defvar doom-core-packages
-  '(persistent-soft use-package quelpa)
+  '(persistent-soft use-package quelpa async)
   "A list of packages that must be installed (and will be auto-installed if
 missing) and shouldn't be deleted.")
 
diff --git a/core/packages.el b/core/packages.el
index 74721a286..054197e4a 100644
--- a/core/packages.el
+++ b/core/packages.el
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
 ;; -*- no-byte-compile: t; -*-
 ;;; core/packages.el
 
-;; core packages
-(package! s)
-(package! f)
-(package! async)
-
 ;; core-os.el
 ;; In case this config is shared across multiple computers (like mine is), let's
 ;; protect these from autoremoval.