diff --git a/modules/lang/latex/+ref.el b/modules/lang/latex/+ref.el
index 02f5e6904..6235fec06 100644
--- a/modules/lang/latex/+ref.el
+++ b/modules/lang/latex/+ref.el
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 (def-package! reftex
   :hook (LaTeX-mode . reftex-mode)
   :config
+  ;; set up completion for citations and references
+  (set-company-backend! 'reftex-mode 'company-reftex-labels 'company-reftex-citations)
   ;; Get ReTeX working with biblatex
   ;; http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/31966/setting-up-reftex-with-biblatex-citation-commands/31992#31992
   (setq reftex-cite-format
@@ -28,13 +30,6 @@
           :e "q"   #'kill-buffer-and-window
           :e "ESC" #'kill-buffer-and-window)))
 
-;; set up completion for citations and references
-(def-package! company-reftex
-  :when (featurep! :completion company)
-  :defer t
-  :init
-  (set-company-backend! 'reftex-mode 'company-reftex-labels 'company-reftex-citations))
-
 ;; set up mode for bib files
 (after! bibtex
   (setq bibtex-dialect 'biblatex