diff --git a/modules/checkers/spell/autoload/+spell-fu.el b/modules/checkers/spell/autoload/+spell-fu.el
index cf65b39fe..25a0a1063 100644
--- a/modules/checkers/spell/autoload/+spell-fu.el
+++ b/modules/checkers/spell/autoload/+spell-fu.el
@@ -57,12 +57,6 @@
            or (and ispell-really-aspell ispell-program-name)
               (executable-find "aspell"))
     (user-error "Aspell is required for spell checking"))
-  ;; HACK When spell-fu fails to initialize correctly, the init form for the
-  ;;      spell-fu use-package! is not called. This leaves emacs to assume that
-  ;;      certain variables are initialized when they are not. We bind what we
-  ;;      need.
-  (unless (boundp '+spell-correct-interface)
-    (+spell-defun-correct-interface))
 
   (ispell-set-spellchecker-params)
   (save-current-buffer
diff --git a/modules/checkers/spell/config.el b/modules/checkers/spell/config.el
index 68273c8f3..b28bc4b05 100644
--- a/modules/checkers/spell/config.el
+++ b/modules/checkers/spell/config.el
@@ -70,21 +70,20 @@
 
 (eval-if! (not (featurep! +flyspell))
 
-    (defun +spell-defun-correct-interface ()
+    (use-package! spell-fu
+      :when (executable-find "aspell")
+      :hook (text-mode . spell-fu-mode)
+      :general ([remap ispell-word] #'+spell/correct)
+      :preface
       (defvar +spell-correct-interface
         (cond ((featurep! :completion ivy)
                #'+spell-correct-ivy-fn)
               ((featurep! :completion helm)
                #'+spell-correct-helm-fn)
               (#'+spell-correct-generic-fn))
-        "Function to use to display corrections."))
+        "Function to use to display corrections.")
 
-    (use-package! spell-fu
-      :when (executable-find "aspell")
-      :hook (text-mode . spell-fu-mode)
-      :general ([remap ispell-word] #'+spell/correct)
       :init
-      (+spell-defun-correct-interface)
       (defvar +spell-excluded-faces-alist
         '((markdown-mode
            . (markdown-code-face