diff --git a/core/cli/test.el b/core/cli/test.el
index 6a6a36c25..3d44c34dd 100644
--- a/core/cli/test.el
+++ b/core/cli/test.el
@@ -16,46 +16,46 @@ If neither is available, run all tests in all enabled modules."
   ;; Core libraries aren't fully loaded in a noninteractive session, so we
   ;; reload it with `noninteractive' set to nil to force them to.
   (quiet! (doom-reload-autoloads))
-  (doom-initialize 'force t)
-  (doom-initialize-modules 'force)
-  (let ((target-paths
-         ;; Convert targets into a list of string paths, pointing to the root
-         ;; directory of modules
-         (cond ((stringp (car modules)) ; command line
-                (save-match-data
-                  (cl-loop for arg in modules
-                           if (string= arg ":core") collect doom-core-dir
-                           else if (string-match-p "/" arg)
-                           nconc (mapcar (apply-partially #'expand-file-name arg)
-                                         doom-modules-dirs)
-                           else
-                           nconc (cl-loop for dir in doom-modules-dirs
-                                          for path = (expand-file-name arg dir)
-                                          if (file-directory-p path)
-                                          nconc (doom-files-in path :type 'dirs :depth 1 :full t))
-                           finally do (setq argv nil))))
+  (let ((doom-modules (doom-modules))
+        noninteractive)
+    (let ((target-paths
+           ;; Convert targets into a list of string paths, pointing to the root
+           ;; directory of modules
+           (cond ((stringp (car modules)) ; command line
+                  (save-match-data
+                    (cl-loop for arg in modules
+                             if (string= arg ":core") collect doom-core-dir
+                             else if (string-match-p "/" arg)
+                             nconc (mapcar (apply-partially #'expand-file-name arg)
+                                           doom-modules-dirs)
+                             else
+                             nconc (cl-loop for dir in doom-modules-dirs
+                                            for path = (expand-file-name arg dir)
+                                            if (file-directory-p path)
+                                            nconc (doom-files-in path :type 'dirs :depth 1 :full t))
+                             finally do (setq argv nil))))
 
-               (modules ; cons-cells given to MODULES
-                (cl-loop for (module . submodule) in modules
-                         if (doom-module-locate-path module submodule)
-                         collect it))
+                 (modules ; cons-cells given to MODULES
+                  (cl-loop for (module . submodule) in modules
+                           if (doom-module-locate-path module submodule)
+                           collect it))
 
-               ((append (list doom-core-dir)
-                        (doom-module-load-path))))))
-    ;; Load all the unit test files...
-    (require 'buttercup)
-    (mapc (lambda (file) (load file :noerror (not doom-debug-mode)))
-          (doom-files-in (mapcar (apply-partially #'expand-file-name "test/")
-                                 target-paths)
-                         :match "\\.el$" :full t))
-    ;; ... then run them
-    (when doom-debug-mode
-      (setq buttercup-stack-frame-style 'pretty))
-    (let ((split-width-threshold 0)
-          (split-height-threshold 0)
-          (window-min-width 0)
-          (window-min-height 0))
-      (buttercup-run))))
+                 ((append (list doom-core-dir)
+                          (doom-module-load-path))))))
+      ;; Load all the unit test files...
+      (require 'buttercup)
+      (mapc (lambda (file) (load file :noerror (not doom-debug-mode)))
+            (doom-files-in (mapcar (apply-partially #'expand-file-name "test/")
+                                   target-paths)
+                           :match "\\.el$" :full t))
+      ;; ... then run them
+      (when doom-debug-mode
+        (setq buttercup-stack-frame-style 'pretty))
+      (let ((split-width-threshold 0)
+            (split-height-threshold 0)
+            (window-min-width 0)
+            (window-min-height 0))
+        (buttercup-run)))))
 
 
 ;;
diff --git a/core/core-lib.el b/core/core-lib.el
index 6835a0846..c7fbbd85c 100644
--- a/core/core-lib.el
+++ b/core/core-lib.el
@@ -1,9 +1,5 @@
 ;;; core-lib.el -*- lexical-binding: t; -*-
 
-;; Built-in packages we use a lot of
-(require 'subr-x)
-(require 'cl-lib)
-
 (eval-and-compile
   (unless EMACS26+
     (with-no-warnings
diff --git a/core/core.el b/core/core.el
index e1d4c5517..5ba1e1b19 100644
--- a/core/core.el
+++ b/core/core.el
@@ -388,11 +388,18 @@ If RETURN-P, return the message as a string instead of displaying it."
 ;;
 ;; Bootstrap functions
 
-(defun doom-initialize (&optional force-p force-load-core-p)
-  "Bootstrap Doom, if it hasn't already (or if FORCE-P is non-nil).
+(defun doom-initialize-autoloads (file)
+  "Tries to load FILE (an autoloads file). Return t on success, throws an error
+in interactive sessions, nil otherwise (but logs a warning)."
+  (condition-case e
+      (load (file-name-sans-extension file) 'noerror 'nomessage)
+    ((debug error)
+     (if noninteractive
+         (message "Autoload file warning: %s -> %s" (car e) (error-message-string e))
+       (signal 'doom-autoload-error (list (file-name-nondirectory file) e))))))
 
-Loads Doom core files if in an interactive session or FORCE-LOAD-CORE-P is
-non-nil.
+(defun doom-initialize (&optional force-p)
+  "Bootstrap Doom, if it hasn't already (or if FORCE-P is non-nil).
 
 The bootstrap process involves making sure 1) the essential directories exist,
 2) the core packages are installed, 3) `doom-autoload-file' and
@@ -420,6 +427,10 @@ The overall load order of Doom is as follows:
 Module load order is determined by your `doom!' block. See `doom-modules-dirs'
 for a list of all recognized module trees. Order defines precedence (from most
 to least)."
+  ;; Built-in packages we use a lot of
+  (require 'subr-x)
+  (require 'cl-lib)
+
   (when (or force-p (not doom-init-p))
     (setq doom-init-p t)  ; Prevent infinite recursion
 
@@ -447,24 +458,16 @@ to least)."
                   noninteractive)
         (user-error "Your package autoloads are missing! Run `bin/doom refresh' to regenerate them"))))
 
+  (require 'core-lib)
+  (require 'core-modules)
   (require 'core-os)
-  (when (or force-load-core-p (not noninteractive))
+  (if noninteractive
+      (require 'core-cli)
     (add-hook 'window-setup-hook #'doom|display-benchmark)
-
+    (require 'core-keybinds)
     (require 'core-ui)
-    (require 'core-editor)
     (require 'core-projects)
-    (require 'core-keybinds)))
-
-(defun doom-initialize-autoloads (file)
-  "Tries to load FILE (an autoloads file). Return t on success, throws an error
-in interactive sessions, nil otherwise (but logs a warning)."
-  (condition-case e
-      (load (file-name-sans-extension file) 'noerror 'nomessage)
-    ((debug error)
-     (if noninteractive
-         (message "Autoload file warning: %s -> %s" (car e) (error-message-string e))
-       (signal 'doom-autoload-error (list (file-name-nondirectory file) e))))))
+    (require 'core-editor)))
 
 
 ;;
@@ -472,16 +475,12 @@ in interactive sessions, nil otherwise (but logs a warning)."
 
 (add-to-list 'load-path doom-core-dir)
 
-(require 'core-lib)
-(require 'core-modules)
-(when noninteractive
-  (require 'core-cli))
-(after! package
-  (require 'core-packages))
-
 (doom-initialize noninteractive)
 (unless noninteractive
   (doom-initialize-modules))
+(after! package
+  (require 'core-packages)
+  (doom-initialize-packages))
 
 (provide 'core)
 ;;; core.el ends here
diff --git a/core/test/test-core-keybinds.el b/core/test/test-core-keybinds.el
index 294cc1ea7..046f33ead 100644
--- a/core/test/test-core-keybinds.el
+++ b/core/test/test-core-keybinds.el
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 ;; -*- no-byte-compile: t; -*-
 ;;; core/test/test-core-keybinds.el
 
+(require 'core-keybinds)
+
 (buttercup-define-matcher :to-expand-into (src result)
   (let ((src (funcall src))
         (result (funcall result)))
diff --git a/core/test/test-core-lib.el b/core/test/test-core-lib.el
index 761cd49a2..608fdb66e 100644
--- a/core/test/test-core-lib.el
+++ b/core/test/test-core-lib.el
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 ;; -*- no-byte-compile: t; -*-
 ;;; core/test/test-core-lib.el
 
+(require 'core-lib)
+
 (describe "core/lib"
   ;; --- Helpers ----------------------------
   (describe "doom-unquote"
diff --git a/core/test/test-core-modules.el b/core/test/test-core-modules.el
index bd9aea708..a786ad2ea 100644
--- a/core/test/test-core-modules.el
+++ b/core/test/test-core-modules.el
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 ;; -*- no-byte-compile: t; -*-
 ;;; core/test/test-core-modules.el
 
+;; (require 'core-modules)
+
 (describe "core-modules")
diff --git a/core/test/test-core-ui.el b/core/test/test-core-ui.el
index d3d3a1ecf..fec4d57c6 100644
--- a/core/test/test-core-ui.el
+++ b/core/test/test-core-ui.el
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 ;; -*- no-byte-compile: t; -*-
 ;;; ../core/test/test-core-ui.el
 
+(require 'core-ui)
+
 (describe "core/ui"
   (describe "doom|protect-visible-buffer"
     :var (kill-buffer-query-functions wconf a b)