diff --git a/core/core-lib.el b/core/core-lib.el
index 1cea6ce2f..61f5d082c 100644
--- a/core/core-lib.el
+++ b/core/core-lib.el
@@ -492,8 +492,9 @@ advised)."
   `(let ((fn (intern (format "%s-h" ,hook-var))))
      (fset
       fn (lambda (&rest _)
-           (run-hook-wrapped ,hook-var #'doom-try-run-hook)
-           (set ,hook-var nil)))
+           (when after-init-time
+             (run-hook-wrapped ,hook-var #'doom-try-run-hook)
+             (set ,hook-var nil))))
      (put ,hook-var 'permanent-local t)
      (dolist (on (list ,@targets))
        (if (functionp on)
diff --git a/core/core.el b/core/core.el
index 94ed78b37..721af19b0 100644
--- a/core/core.el
+++ b/core/core.el
@@ -572,16 +572,17 @@ to least)."
     (with-eval-after-load 'package (require 'core-packages))
     (with-eval-after-load 'straight (doom-initialize-packages))
 
+    ;; Bootstrap our GC manager
+    (add-hook 'doom-first-input-hook #'gcmh-mode)
+
     ;; Bootstrap the interactive session
-    (add-hook! 'window-setup-hook
-      (add-hook 'hack-local-variables-hook #'doom-run-local-var-hooks-h)
-      (add-hook 'after-change-major-mode-hook #'doom-run-local-var-hooks-maybe-h 'append)
-      (add-hook 'doom-first-input-hook #'gcmh-mode)
-      (add-hook-trigger! 'doom-first-input-hook 'pre-command-hook)
-      (add-hook-trigger! 'doom-first-file-hook 'after-find-file 'dired-initial-position-hook)
-      (add-hook-trigger! 'doom-first-buffer-hook 'after-find-file 'doom-switch-buffer-hook))
+    (add-hook 'after-change-major-mode-hook #'doom-run-local-var-hooks-maybe-h)
     (add-hook 'emacs-startup-hook #'doom-load-packages-incrementally-h)
-    (add-hook 'window-setup-hook #'doom-display-benchmark-h 'append)
+    (add-hook 'hack-local-variables-hook #'doom-run-local-var-hooks-h)
+    (add-hook 'window-setup-hook #'doom-display-benchmark-h)
+    (add-hook-trigger! 'doom-first-buffer-hook 'after-find-file 'doom-switch-buffer-hook)
+    (add-hook-trigger! 'doom-first-file-hook 'after-find-file 'dired-initial-position-hook)
+    (add-hook-trigger! 'doom-first-input-hook 'pre-command-hook)
     (if doom-debug-p (doom-debug-mode +1))
 
     ;; Load core/core-*.el, the user's private init.el, then their config.el
diff --git a/modules/tools/lsp/config.el b/modules/tools/lsp/config.el
index 8cccbc0c0..3c77ad1da 100644
--- a/modules/tools/lsp/config.el
+++ b/modules/tools/lsp/config.el
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ killing and opening many LSP/eglot-powered buffers.")
       ;;        GC strategy, so we modify its variables rather than
       ;;        `gc-cons-threshold' directly.
       (setq-default gcmh-high-cons-threshold (* 2 +lsp--default-gcmh-high-cons-threshold))
+      (unless (bound-and-true-p gcmh-mode)
+        (gcmh-mode +1))
       (gcmh-set-high-threshold)
       (setq +lsp--optimization-init-p t))))