diff --git a/core/cli/quickstart.el b/core/cli/quickstart.el
index cc7833a15..d67795fd4 100644
--- a/core/cli/quickstart.el
+++ b/core/cli/quickstart.el
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ packages and regenerates the autoloads file."
               (funcall fn))
             (print! (green "Done!")))))))
 
+  ;; In case no init.el was present the first time `doom-initialize-modules' was
+  ;; called in core.el (e.g. on first install)
+  (doom-initialize-modules)
+
   ;; Ask if Emacs.app should be patched
   (if (member "--no-env" args)
       (print! (yellow "Not generating envvars file, as requested"))
diff --git a/core/core-modules.el b/core/core-modules.el
index 140be24f7..f2185c66d 100644
--- a/core/core-modules.el
+++ b/core/core-modules.el
@@ -57,11 +57,10 @@ before the user's private module.")
   "Loads the init.el in `doom-private-dir' and sets up hooks for a healthy
 session of Dooming. Will noop if used more than once, unless FORCE-P is
 non-nil."
-  (when (or force-p (not doom-init-modules-p))
+  (when (and (or force-p
+                 (not doom-init-modules-p))
+             (load! "init" doom-private-dir t))
     (setq doom-init-modules-p t)
-    (load! "init" doom-private-dir t)
-    (unless doom-modules
-      (setq doom-modules (make-hash-table :test 'equal)))
     (maphash (lambda (key plist)
                (let ((doom--current-module key)
                      (doom--current-flags (plist-get plist :flags)))