diff --git a/modules/lang/php/autoload.el b/modules/lang/php/autoload.el
index b5a6f9fb4..93b68eb43 100644
--- a/modules/lang/php/autoload.el
+++ b/modules/lang/php/autoload.el
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ ignore the cache."
 (defun +php|init-ac-php-core-eldoc ()
   "Initialize eldoc support for `php-mode' with `ac-php-core'. Fails gracefully
 if phpctags isn't installed."
-  (require 'company-php)
-  (if (file-exists-p ac-php-ctags-executable)
-      (ac-php-core-eldoc-setup)
-    (message "phpctags is missing; eldoc support is disabled")))
+  (require 'ac-php-core)
+  (cond ((not ac-php-ctags-executable))
+        ((not (file-exists-p ac-php-ctags-executable))
+         (message "Could not find phpctags executable, eldoc support is disabled")
+         (message "To disable these warnings, set ac-php-ctags-executable to nil"))
+        ((ac-php-core-eldoc-setup))))
diff --git a/modules/lang/php/config.el b/modules/lang/php/config.el
index 47bd19712..6609f877d 100644
--- a/modules/lang/php/config.el
+++ b/modules/lang/php/config.el
@@ -73,14 +73,15 @@
   :init
   (add-to-list '+php--company-backends 'company-ac-php-backend nil #'eq)
   (add-hook 'php-mode-hook #'+php|init-ac-php-core-eldoc)
-  :config
   (setq ac-php-tags-path (concat doom-cache-dir "ac-php/"))
-  ;; prioritize phpctags in PATH
-  (when (file-in-directory-p ac-php-ctags-executable ac-php-root-directory)
-    (setq ac-php-ctags-executable
-          (or (executable-find "phpctags")
-              (if (file-exists-p ac-php-ctags-executable)
-                  ac-php-ctags-executable)))))
+  ;; loaded by `company-php'
+  (after! ac-php-core
+    (when (equal ac-php-ctags-executable
+                 (concat ac-php-root-directory "phpctags"))
+      ;; prioritize phpctags in PATH
+      (setq ac-php-ctags-executable
+            (or (executable-find "phpctags")
+                ac-php-ctags-executable)))))
 
 
 ;;