diff --git a/core/core-packages.el b/core/core-packages.el
index 89313111a..053d20125 100644
--- a/core/core-packages.el
+++ b/core/core-packages.el
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ symbol and cdr is the submodule's name as a symbol.")
 (defvar doom-auto-install-p nil
   "")
 
+(defvar doom-dont-load-p nil
+  "If non-nil, don't actually load modules, only keep track of them.")
+
 (defvar doom--load-path (append (list doom-core-dir
                                       doom-modules-dir
                                       doom-local-dir)
@@ -60,7 +63,33 @@ symbol and cdr is the submodule's name as a symbol.")
 ;; Bootstrap function
 ;;
 
-(autoload 'use-package "quelpa-use-package" nil t)
+(defmacro doom! (&rest packages)
+  "DOOM Emacs bootstrap macro. List the modules to load. Benefits from
+byte-compilation."
+  (let (mode)
+    (dolist (p packages)
+      (cond ((string-prefix-p ":" (symbol-name p))
+             (setq mode p))
+            ((not mode)
+             (error "No namespace specified on `doom!' for %s" p))
+            (t
+             (setq doom-modules (append doom-modules (list (cons mode p))))))))
+  (unless doom-dont-load-p
+    `(let (file-name-handler-alist)
+       ,@(mapcar (lambda (pkg) (macroexpand `(load! ,(car pkg) ,(cdr pkg))))
+                 doom-modules)
+
+       (unless noninteractive
+         (when (display-graphic-p)
+           (require 'server)
+           (unless (server-running-p)
+             (server-start)))
+
+         ;; Prevent any auto-displayed text + benchmarking
+         (advice-add 'display-startup-echo-area-message :override 'ignore)
+         (message "Loaded %s packages in %s"
+                  (length doom-packages)
+                  (emacs-init-time))))))
 
 (defun doom-initialize (&optional force-p)
   "Initialize installed packages (using package.el). This must be used on first
diff --git a/core/core.el b/core/core.el
index c46128bd2..9f225571d 100644
--- a/core/core.el
+++ b/core/core.el
@@ -156,53 +156,22 @@ enable multiple minor modes for the same regexp.")
 
   (package! smex :commands smex)
 
-  (unless (require 'autoloads nil t)
-    (add-hook 'after-init-hook 'doom/refresh-autoloads))
-
   ;;; Let 'er rip! (order matters!)
   (require 'core-ui)         ; draw me like one of your French editors
   (require 'core-popups)     ; taming sudden yet inevitable windows
   (require 'core-editor)     ; baseline configuration for text editing
   (require 'core-projects)   ; getting around your projects
 
-  ;; (require 'core-workspaces) ; TODO
-  ;; (require 'core-completion) ; TODO company & auto-complete, for the lazy typist
-  ;; (require 'core-evil)
-  ;; (require 'core-jump)
-  ;; (require 'core-repl)
-  ;; (require 'core-snippets)
-  ;; (require 'core-syntax-checking))
-  )
+  (unless (require 'autoloads nil t)
+    (add-hook 'after-init-hook 'doom/refresh-autoloads)))
 
-;;;
-;;
-(defmacro doom! (&rest packages)
-  "DOOM Emacs bootstrap macro. List the modules to load. Benefits from
-byte-compilation."
-  `(let (file-name-handler-alist)
-     ,@(mapcar (lambda (pkg)
-                 `(progn
-                    (add-to-list 'doom-modules (cons ,(car pkg) ',(cdr pkg)))
-                    ,(macroexpand `(load! ,(car pkg) ,(cdr pkg)))))
-               (let (pkgs mode)
-                 (dolist (p packages)
-                   (cond ((string-prefix-p ":" (symbol-name p))
-                          (setq mode p))
-                         ((not mode)
-                          (error "No namespace specified on `doom!' for %s" p))
-                         (t
-                          (setq pkgs (append pkgs (list (cons mode p)))))))
-                 pkgs))
-
-     (unless noninteractive
-       (when (display-graphic-p)
-         (require 'server)
-         (unless (server-running-p)
-           (server-start)))
-
-       ;; Prevent any auto-displayed text + benchmarking
-       (advice-add 'display-startup-echo-area-message :override 'ignore)
-       (message ""))))
+;; (require 'core-workspaces) ; TODO
+;; (require 'core-completion) ; TODO company & auto-complete, for the lazy typist
+;; (require 'core-evil)
+;; (require 'core-jump)
+;; (require 'core-repl)
+;; (require 'core-snippets)
+;; (require 'core-syntax-checking)
 
 (provide 'core)
 ;;; core.el ends here