diff --git a/core/core-editor.el b/core/core-editor.el
index 891a70ff0..ec4252391 100644
--- a/core/core-editor.el
+++ b/core/core-editor.el
@@ -70,14 +70,14 @@ fundamental-mode) for performance sake."
 
 ;; revert buffers for changed files
 (def-package! autorevert
-  :defer buffer
+  :defer doom-after-switch-buffer-hook
   :config
   (setq auto-revert-verbose nil)
   (global-auto-revert-mode +1))
 
 ;; persist variables across sessions
 (def-package! savehist
-  :defer (input . 1)
+  :defer (pre-command-hook . 1)
   :config
   (setq savehist-file (concat doom-cache-dir "savehist")
         savehist-save-minibuffer-history t
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ fundamental-mode) for performance sake."
 
 ;; persistent point location in buffers
 (def-package! saveplace
-  :defer buffer
+  :defer doom-after-switch-buffer-hook
   :config
   (setq save-place-file (concat doom-cache-dir "saveplace"))
   (defun doom*recenter-on-load-saveplace (&rest _)
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ fundamental-mode) for performance sake."
 
 ;; Keep track of recently opened files
 (def-package! recentf
-  :defer (input . 1)
+  :defer (pre-command-hook . 1)
   :commands recentf-open-files
   :config
   (setq recentf-save-file (concat doom-cache-dir "recentf")
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ fundamental-mode) for performance sake."
 
 ;; Auto-close delimiters and blocks as you type
 (def-package! smartparens
-  :defer (buffer . 2)
+  :defer doom-after-switch-buffer-hook
   :config
   (require 'smartparens-config)
   (setq sp-highlight-pair-overlay nil
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ fundamental-mode) for performance sake."
 
 ;; Branching undo
 (def-package! undo-tree
-  :defer input
+  :defer pre-command-hook
   :config
   (global-undo-tree-mode +1)
   ;; persistent undo history is known to cause undo history corruption, which
diff --git a/core/core-packages.el b/core/core-packages.el
index e3234a278..42b962710 100644
--- a/core/core-packages.el
+++ b/core/core-packages.el
@@ -247,7 +247,8 @@ FORCE-P is non-nil, do it anyway.
       (cl-pushnew doom-core-dir load-path :test #'string=)
       (add-hook 'doom-internal-init-hook #'doom|refresh-cache))
     (when doom-debug-mode
-      (message "Doom initialized")))
+      (message "Doom initialized"))
+    (setq doom-init-p t))
   ;; initialize Doom core
   (require 'core-lib)
   (require 'core-os)
@@ -255,13 +256,7 @@ FORCE-P is non-nil, do it anyway.
     (require 'core-ui)
     (require 'core-editor)
     (require 'core-projects)
-    (require 'core-keybinds))
-  ;; load input-deferred packages on first `pre-command-hook'
-  (add-transient-hook! 'pre-command-hook
-    (mapc #'require (cdr (assq 'input doom-deferred-packages))))
-  (add-transient-hook! 'doom-after-switch-buffer-hook
-    (when (get-buffer-window)
-      (mapc #'require (cdr (assq 'buffer doom-deferred-packages))))))
+    (require 'core-keybinds)))
 
 (defun doom-initialize-autoloads ()
   "Ensures that `doom-autoload-file' exists and is loaded. Otherwise run
@@ -475,11 +470,11 @@ MODULES is an malformed plist of modules to load."
                    (and (plist-member plist :unless) (eval (plist-get plist :unless) t))))
     `(progn
        ,(when-let* ((defer (plist-get plist :defer))
-                    (type (or (car-safe defer) defer)))
+                    (value (or (car-safe defer) defer)))
           (setq plist (plist-put plist :defer (or (cdr-safe defer) t)))
-          (when (and (not doom-init-p)
-                     (assq type doom-deferred-packages))
-            `(push ',name (cdr (assq ',type doom-deferred-packages)))))
+          (unless (or (memq value '(t nil))
+                      (number-or-marker-p value))
+            `(add-transient-hook! ',value (require ',name))))
        (use-package ,name ,@plist))))
 
 (defmacro def-package-hook! (package when &rest body)
diff --git a/core/core-ui.el b/core/core-ui.el
index 758d98827..a7e61093c 100644
--- a/core/core-ui.el
+++ b/core/core-ui.el
@@ -281,13 +281,13 @@ DEFAULT is non-nil, set the default mode-line for all buffers."
 
 ;; undo/redo changes to Emacs' window layout
 (def-package! winner
-  :defer buffer
+  :defer doom-after-switch-buffer-hook
   :preface (defvar winner-dont-bind-my-keys t) ; I'll bind keys myself
   :config (winner-mode +1))
 
 ;; highlight matching delimiters
 (def-package! paren
-  :defer input
+  :defer pre-command-hook
   :config
   (setq show-paren-delay 0.1
         show-paren-highlight-openparen t
diff --git a/core/core.el b/core/core.el
index afd720562..3037bf2c7 100644
--- a/core/core.el
+++ b/core/core.el
@@ -173,8 +173,7 @@ this, you'll get stuttering and random freezes) and resets
 `file-name-handler-alist'."
   (unless noninteractive
     (run-hooks 'doom-init-hook))
-  (setq doom-init-p t
-        file-name-handler-alist doom--file-name-handler-alist
+  (setq file-name-handler-alist doom--file-name-handler-alist
         gc-cons-threshold 16777216
         gc-cons-percentage 0.15))
 
diff --git a/modules/completion/company/config.el b/modules/completion/company/config.el
index efc730586..12a1f352b 100644
--- a/modules/completion/company/config.el
+++ b/modules/completion/company/config.el
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ MODES should be one major-mode symbol or a list of them."
 
 (def-package! company
   :when (featurep! +auto)
-  :defer input
+  :defer pre-command-hook
   :config (setq company-idle-delay 0.2))
 
 
diff --git a/modules/completion/helm/config.el b/modules/completion/helm/config.el
index d407459f2..b515bb28e 100644
--- a/modules/completion/helm/config.el
+++ b/modules/completion/helm/config.el
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 ;;
 
 (def-package! helm-mode
-  :defer (input . 1)
+  :defer (pre-command-hook . 1)
   :config
   (helm-mode +1)
   ;; helm is too heavy for find-file-at-point
diff --git a/modules/completion/ivy/config.el b/modules/completion/ivy/config.el
index eb60b5789..e0f123bbc 100644
--- a/modules/completion/ivy/config.el
+++ b/modules/completion/ivy/config.el
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ immediately runs it on the current candidate (ending the ivy session)."
 ;;
 
 (def-package! ivy
-  :defer input
+  :defer (pre-command-hook . 1)
   :config
   (setq ivy-height 12
         ivy-do-completion-in-region nil
diff --git a/modules/feature/evil/config.el b/modules/feature/evil/config.el
index c2ca114cc..b778d5961 100644
--- a/modules/feature/evil/config.el
+++ b/modules/feature/evil/config.el
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
 (def-package! evil-collection
   :when (featurep! +everywhere)
-  :defer input
+  :defer pre-command-hook
   :preface
   ;; must be set before evil/evil-collcetion is loaded
   (setq evil-want-integration nil
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ the new algorithm is confusing, like in python or ruby."
 (def-package! evil-snipe
   :commands (evil-snipe-mode evil-snipe-override-mode
              evil-snipe-local-mode evil-snipe-override-local-mode)
-  :defer input
+  :defer pre-command-hook
   :init
   (setq evil-snipe-smart-case t
         evil-snipe-scope 'line
diff --git a/modules/ui/evil-goggles/config.el b/modules/ui/evil-goggles/config.el
index ad71a0ebd..1a17d0ebe 100644
--- a/modules/ui/evil-goggles/config.el
+++ b/modules/ui/evil-goggles/config.el
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 (def-package! evil-goggles
   :when (featurep! :feature evil)
-  :defer input
+  :defer pre-command-hook
   :init
   (setq evil-goggles-duration 0.05
         evil-goggles-pulse nil ; too slow