diff --git a/core/autoload/buffers.el b/core/autoload/buffers.el
index ea9f472f4..ce4a05866 100644
--- a/core/autoload/buffers.el
+++ b/core/autoload/buffers.el
@@ -150,32 +150,6 @@ If DERIVED-P, test with `derived-mode-p', otherwise use `eq'."
            when (string-match-p pattern (buffer-name buf))
            collect buf))
 
-(defun doom--cycle-real-buffers (n)
-  "Switch to the next buffer N times (previous, if N < 0), skipping over unreal
-buffers. If there's nothing left, switch to `doom-fallback-buffer'. See
-`doom-real-buffer-p' for what 'real' means."
-  (if (null n)
-      (switch-to-buffer (doom-fallback-buffer) nil t)
-    (let ((buffers (delq (current-buffer) (doom-real-buffer-list))))
-      (cond ((or (not buffers)
-                 (zerop (% n (1+ (length buffers)))))
-             (switch-to-buffer (doom-fallback-buffer) nil t))
-            ((= (length buffers) 1)
-             (switch-to-buffer (car buffers) nil t))
-            (t
-             ;; Why this instead of switching straight to the Nth buffer in
-             ;; BUFFERS? Because `switch-to-next-buffer' and
-             ;; `switch-to-prev-buffer' properly update buffer list order.
-             (cl-loop with move-func =
-                      (if (> n 0) #'switch-to-next-buffer #'switch-to-prev-buffer)
-                      for i to 20
-                      while (not (memq (current-buffer) buffers))
-                      do
-                      (dotimes (_i (abs n))
-                        (funcall move-func)))))))
-  (force-mode-line-update)
-  (current-buffer))
-
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun doom-set-buffer-real (buffer flag)
   "Forcibly mark BUFFER as FLAG (non-nil = real)."
diff --git a/core/core-ui.el b/core/core-ui.el
index 906f3ddf0..c1767576d 100644
--- a/core/core-ui.el
+++ b/core/core-ui.el
@@ -540,16 +540,20 @@ instead)."
   (not (eq (current-buffer) (doom-fallback-buffer))))
 
 (defun doom*switch-to-fallback-buffer-maybe (orig-fn)
-  "Advice for `kill-this-buffer'. If there are no real buffers left, switch to
-`doom-fallback-buffer'."
+  "Advice for `kill-this-buffer'. If in a dedicated window, delete it. If there
+are no real buffers left, switch to `doom-fallback-buffer'. Otherwise, delegate
+to original `kill-this-buffer'."
   (let ((buf (current-buffer)))
     (cond ((window-dedicated-p)
            (delete-window))
           ((doom-real-buffer-p buf)
-           (previous-buffer)
-           (doom--cycle-real-buffers
-            (if (delq buf (doom-real-buffer-list)) -1))
-           (kill-buffer buf))
+           (or (kill-buffer buf)
+               (previous-buffer))
+           ;; if there are no (real) buffers left to switch to, land on the
+           ;; fallback buffer.
+           (unless (cl-set-difference (doom-real-buffer-list)
+                                      (doom-visible-buffers))
+             (switch-to-buffer (doom-fallback-buffer))))
           (t
            (funcall orig-fn)))))
 
diff --git a/core/test/autoload-buffers.el b/core/test/autoload-buffers.el
index 389231195..49f27c113 100644
--- a/core/test/autoload-buffers.el
+++ b/core/test/autoload-buffers.el
@@ -109,27 +109,6 @@
     (should (buffer-live-p fallback))
     (should (equal (buffer-name fallback) doom-fallback-buffer-name))))
 
-;; `doom--cycle-real-buffers'
-(def-test! kill-buffer-then-show-real-buffer
-  (with-temp-buffers!! (a b c d)
-    (let-advice!! ((kill-this-buffer :around doom*switch-to-fallback-buffer-maybe))
-      (dolist (buf (list a b d))
-        (with-current-buffer buf
-          (setq-local buffer-file-name "x")))
-      (should (cl-every #'buffer-live-p (buffer-list)))
-      (switch-to-buffer a)
-      (should (eq (current-buffer) a))
-      (should (eq (selected-window) (get-buffer-window a)))
-      (kill-this-buffer)
-      (should-not (eq (current-buffer) a))
-      (should-not (buffer-live-p a))
-      ;; eventually end up in the fallback buffer
-      (let ((fallback (doom-fallback-buffer)))
-        (while (not (eq (current-buffer) fallback))
-          (should (doom-real-buffer-p))
-          (kill-this-buffer))
-        (should (eq (current-buffer) fallback))))))
-
 ;; `doom-kill-buffer-and-windows'
 (def-test! kill-buffer-and-windows
   (with-temp-buffers!! (a b)