diff --git a/modules/tools/lookup/autoload/docsets.el b/modules/tools/lookup/autoload/docsets.el
index a3e20021f..0e20f061b 100644
--- a/modules/tools/lookup/autoload/docsets.el
+++ b/modules/tools/lookup/autoload/docsets.el
@@ -65,9 +65,10 @@ Docsets must be installed with one of the following commands:
 + `dash-docs-async-install-docset-from-file'
 
 Docsets can be searched directly via `+lookup/in-docsets'."
-  (when-let (docsets (cl-remove-if-not #'dash-docs-docset-path (dash-docs-buffer-local-docsets)))
-    (+lookup/in-docsets nil identifier docsets)
-    'deferred))
+  (when (require 'dash-docs nil t)
+    (when-let (docsets (cl-remove-if-not #'dash-docs-docset-path (dash-docs-buffer-local-docsets)))
+      (+lookup/in-docsets nil identifier docsets)
+      'deferred)))
 
 
 ;;
diff --git a/modules/tools/lookup/config.el b/modules/tools/lookup/config.el
index d519f2b23..6dc5adada 100644
--- a/modules/tools/lookup/config.el
+++ b/modules/tools/lookup/config.el
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ this list.")
 
 (use-package! dash-docs
   :when (featurep! +docsets)
+  :defer t
   :init
   (add-hook '+lookup-documentation-functions #'+lookup-dash-docsets-backend-fn)
   :config