diff --git a/core/autoload/packages.el b/core/autoload/packages.el
index 4b2cd8b44..c67c8f73c 100644
--- a/core/autoload/packages.el
+++ b/core/autoload/packages.el
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ Warning: this function is expensive; it re-evaluates all of doom's config files.
 Be careful not to use it in a loop.
 
 If INSTALLED-ONLY-P, only return packages that are installed."
-  (doom-initialize-packages t)
+  (doom-initialize-packages (not noninteractive))
   (cl-loop with packages = (append doom-core-packages (mapcar #'car doom-packages))
            for sym in (cl-delete-duplicates packages)
            if (and (or (not installed-only-p)
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ containing (PACKAGE-SYMBOL OLD-VERSION-LIST NEW-VERSION-LIST).
 If INCLUDE-FROZEN-P is non-nil, check frozen packages as well.
 
 Used by `doom//packages-update'."
-  (doom-initialize-packages t)
+  (doom-initialize-packages (not noninteractive))
   (require 'async)
   (let (quelpa-pkgs elpa-pkgs)
     ;; Separate quelpa from elpa packages
@@ -201,13 +201,17 @@ Used by `doom//packages-update'."
           (message "New thread for: %s" pkg))
         (push (async-start
                `(lambda ()
-                  (setq user-emacs-directory ,user-emacs-directory)
-                  (let ((noninteractive t))
-                    (load ,(expand-file-name "core.el" doom-core-dir)))
-                  (setq doom-packages ',doom-packages
-                        doom-modules ',doom-modules
-                        quelpa-cache ',quelpa-cache)
-                  (doom-package-outdated-p ',pkg)))
+                  (let ((doom-init-p 'internal)
+                        (noninteractive t)
+                        (load-path ',load-path)
+                        (doom-packages ',doom-packages)
+                        (doom-modules ',doom-modules)
+                        (quelpa-cache ',quelpa-cache)
+                        (user-emacs-directory ,user-emacs-directory)
+                        doom-private-dir)
+                    (load ,(expand-file-name "core.el" doom-core-dir))
+                    (load ,(expand-file-name "autoload/packages.el" doom-core-dir))
+                    (doom-package-outdated-p ',pkg))))
               futures))
       (delq nil
             (append (mapcar #'doom-package-outdated-p elpa-pkgs)
@@ -219,7 +223,7 @@ Used by `doom//packages-update'."
 depended on.
 
 Used by `doom//packages-autoremove'."
-  (doom-initialize-packages t)
+  (doom-initialize-packages (not noninteractive))
   (let ((package-selected-packages
          (append (mapcar #'car doom-packages) doom-core-packages)))
     (append (package--removable-packages)
@@ -239,7 +243,7 @@ If INCLUDE-IGNORED-P is non-nil, includes missing packages that are ignored,
 i.e. they have an :ignore property.
 
 Used by `doom//packages-install'."
-  (doom-initialize-packages t)
+  (doom-initialize-packages (not noninteractive))
   (cl-loop for desc in (doom-get-packages)
            for (name . plist) = desc
            if (and (or include-ignored-p
diff --git a/core/core-packages.el b/core/core-packages.el
index 9bb5f7d46..c6b04062e 100644
--- a/core/core-packages.el
+++ b/core/core-packages.el
@@ -200,6 +200,8 @@ FORCE-P is non-nil, do it anyway.
     (require 'subr-x)
     (require 'cl-lib)
     (require 'map))
+  (when (eq doom-init-p 'internal)
+    (setq force-p nil))
   (when (or force-p (not doom-init-p))
     ;; packages.el cache
     (when (and force-p (file-exists-p doom-packages-file))
@@ -316,12 +318,9 @@ them."
             (_load (expand-file-name "packages.el" doom-core-dir))
             (cl-loop for key being the hash-keys of doom-modules
                      for path = (doom-module-expand-file (car key) (cdr key) "packages.el")
-                     if (file-exists-p path)
-                     do (let ((doom--current-module key)) (_load path)))
+                     do (let ((doom--current-module key)) (_load path t)))
             (cl-loop for dir in doom-psuedo-module-dirs
-                     for path = (expand-file-name "packages.el" dir)
-                     if (file-exists-p path)
-                     do (_load path))))))))
+                     do (_load (expand-file-name "packages.el" dir) t))))))))
 
 
 ;;