diff --git a/lisp/doom.el b/lisp/doom.el
index 41f39c7c2..ab1096b26 100644
--- a/lisp/doom.el
+++ b/lisp/doom.el
@@ -331,19 +331,20 @@ users).")
   ;;   `file-remote-p'). You get a noteable boost to startup time by unsetting
   ;;   or simplifying its value.
   (let ((old-value (default-toplevel-value 'file-name-handler-alist)))
-    (setq file-name-handler-alist
-          ;; HACK: If the bundled elisp for this Emacs install isn't
-          ;;   byte-compiled (but is compressed), then leave the gzip file
-          ;;   handler there so Emacs won't forget how to read read them.
-          ;;
-          ;;   calc-loaddefs.el is our heuristic for this because it is built-in
-          ;;   to all supported versions of Emacs, and calc.el explicitly loads
-          ;;   it uncompiled. This ensures that the only other, possible
-          ;;   fallback would be calc-loaddefs.el.gz.
-          (if (eval-when-compile
-                (locate-file-internal "calc-loaddefs.el" load-path))
-              nil
-            (list (rassq 'jka-compr-handler old-value))))
+    (set-default-toplevel-value
+     'file-name-handler-alist
+     ;; HACK: If the bundled elisp for this Emacs install isn't byte-compiled
+     ;;   (but is compressed), then leave the gzip file handler there so Emacs
+     ;;   won't forget how to read read them.
+     ;;
+     ;;   calc-loaddefs.el is our heuristic for this because it is built-in to
+     ;;   all supported versions of Emacs, and calc.el explicitly loads it
+     ;;   uncompiled. This ensures that the only other, possible fallback would
+     ;;   be calc-loaddefs.el.gz.
+     (if (eval-when-compile
+           (locate-file-internal "calc-loaddefs.el" load-path))
+         nil
+       (list (rassq 'jka-compr-handler old-value))))
     ;; Make sure the new value survives any current let-binding.
     (set-default-toplevel-value 'file-name-handler-alist file-name-handler-alist)
     ;; Remember it so it can be reset where needed.
@@ -352,10 +353,11 @@ users).")
     ;;   needed for handling encrypted or compressed files, among other things.
     (add-hook! 'emacs-startup-hook :depth 101
       (defun doom--reset-file-handler-alist-h ()
-        (setq file-name-handler-alist
-              ;; Merge instead of overwrite because there may have been changes to
-              ;; `file-name-handler-alist' since startup we want to preserve.
-              (delete-dups (append file-name-handler-alist old-value))))))
+        (set-default-toplevel-value
+         'file-name-handler-alist
+         ;; Merge instead of overwrite because there may have been changes to
+         ;; `file-name-handler-alist' since startup we want to preserve.
+         (delete-dups (append file-name-handler-alist old-value))))))
 
   (unless noninteractive
     ;; PERF: Resizing the Emacs frame (to accommodate fonts that are smaller or