diff --git a/core/core-dispatcher.el b/core/core-dispatcher.el
index ae28ca551..5b03ccdbf 100644
--- a/core/core-dispatcher.el
+++ b/core/core-dispatcher.el
@@ -561,9 +561,18 @@ If RECOMPILE-P is non-nil, only recompile out-of-date files."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"
-         (dolist (file (doom-files-in package-user-dir :match "\\.elc$"))
-           (ignore-errors (delete-file file)))
-         (byte-recompile-directory package-user-dir 0 t)
+         (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)))))
          (setq compile-plugins-p t
                modules (delete ":plugins" modules)))
         ((pred file-directory-p)