diff --git a/core/autoload/packages.el b/core/autoload/packages.el
index c9ebfe14d..b2c798689 100644
--- a/core/autoload/packages.el
+++ b/core/autoload/packages.el
@@ -188,6 +188,23 @@ files."
                              ((equal (plist-get plist :pin) pinned)))))
            collect (cons sym plist)))
 
+;;;###autoload
+(defun doom-get-package-alist ()
+  "Returns a list of all desired packages, their dependencies and their desc
+objects, in the order of their `package! blocks.'"
+  (doom-initialize-packages)
+  (cl-remove-duplicates
+   (let (packages)
+     (dolist (name (append (mapcar #'car doom-packages) doom-core-packages))
+       (when-let* ((desc (cadr (assq name package-alist))))
+         (push (cons name desc) packages)
+         (cl-loop for dep in (package--get-deps name)
+                  if (assq dep package-alist)
+                  do (push (cons dep (cadr it)) packages))))
+     packages)
+   :key #'car
+   :from-end t))
+
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun doom-get-depending-on (name)
   "Return a list of packages that depend on the package named NAME."
diff --git a/core/core-dispatcher.el b/core/core-dispatcher.el
index a26baa996..52775e6aa 100644
--- a/core/core-dispatcher.el
+++ b/core/core-dispatcher.el
@@ -501,9 +501,9 @@ This should be run whenever your `doom!' block or update your packages."
                  (current-buffer))
           (print! (green "✓ Cached package state"))
           ;; insert package autoloads
-          (dolist (spec package-alist)
-            (if-let* ((pkg (car spec))
-                      (desc (cadr spec)))
+          (dolist (spec (doom-get-package-alist))
+            (if-let* ((pkg  (car spec))
+                      (desc (cdr spec)))
                 (unless (memq pkg doom-autoload-excluded-packages)
                   (let ((file (concat (package--autoloads-file-name desc) ".el")))
                     (when (file-exists-p file)
@@ -561,18 +561,8 @@ If RECOMPILE-P is non-nil, only recompile out-of-date files."
         (":core"    (push doom-core-dir targets))
         (":private" (push doom-private-dir targets))
         (":plugins"
-         (doom-initialize-packages)
-         (let (visited)
-           (dolist (name (append doom-core-packages (mapcar #'car doom-packages)))
-             (unless (memq name visited)
-               (when-let* ((desc (cadr (assq name package-alist))))
-                 (cl-loop for dep in (package--get-deps name)
-                          if (and (not (memq dep visited))
-                                  (assq dep package-alist))
-                          do (package--compile (cadr it))
-                          and do (push dep visited))
-                 (package--compile desc)
-                 (push name visited)))))
+         (cl-loop for (name . desc) in (doom-get-package-alist)
+                  do (package--compile desc))
          (setq compile-plugins-p t
                modules (delete ":plugins" modules)))
         ((pred file-directory-p)