diff --git a/core/autoload/files.el b/core/autoload/files.el
index e77df3ec0..687ee2d91 100644
--- a/core/autoload/files.el
+++ b/core/autoload/files.el
@@ -75,8 +75,7 @@ kills the buffer. If FORCE-P, force the deletion (don't ask for confirmation)."
           ((not (or force-p (y-or-n-p (format "Really delete %s?" fbase))))
            (message "Aborted")
            nil)
-          (t
-           (unwind-protect
+          ((unwind-protect
                (progn (delete-file path) t)
              (let ((short-path (file-relative-name path (doom-project-root))))
                (if (file-exists-p path)
diff --git a/core/autoload/packages.el b/core/autoload/packages.el
index 58a1a008b..3439dab28 100644
--- a/core/autoload/packages.el
+++ b/core/autoload/packages.el
@@ -3,9 +3,6 @@
 (load! cache)
 
 ;;; Private functions
-(defsubst doom--sort-alpha (it other)
-  (string-lessp (symbol-name (car it))
-                (symbol-name (car other))))
 
 (defun doom--packages-choose (prompt)
   (let ((table (cl-loop for pkg in package-alist
@@ -365,7 +362,8 @@ package.el as appropriate."
                                                "QUELPA")
                                               (t
                                                "ELPA"))))
-                              (sort (cl-copy-list packages) #'doom--sort-alpha)
+                              (cl-sort (cl-copy-list packages) #'string-lessp
+                                       :key #'car)
                               "\n")))))
            (error "Aborted!"))
 
@@ -400,7 +398,8 @@ package.el as appropriate."
   (doom-initialize-packages)
   (print! "Looking for outdated packages...")
   (doom-refresh-packages-maybe doom-debug-mode)
-  (let ((packages (sort (doom-get-outdated-packages) #'doom--sort-alpha)))
+  (let ((packages (cl-sort (cl-copy-list (doom-get-outdated-packages)) #'string-lessp
+                           :key #'car)))
     (cond ((not packages)
            (print! (green "Everything is up-to-date"))
            nil)
@@ -411,7 +410,7 @@ package.el as appropriate."
                              (length packages)
                              (let ((max-len
                                     (or (car (sort (mapcar (lambda (it) (length (symbol-name (car it)))) packages)
-                                                   (lambda (it other) (> it other))))
+                                                   #'>))
                                         10)))
                                (mapconcat
                                 (lambda (pkg)
diff --git a/core/core-packages.el b/core/core-packages.el
index 08e67ad04..3d431f1c7 100644
--- a/core/core-packages.el
+++ b/core/core-packages.el
@@ -248,29 +248,28 @@ to least)."
                   (setq doom--refreshed-p t)
                   (package-initialize))))
       ;; Ensure core packages are installed
-      (let ((core-packages (cl-remove-if #'package-installed-p doom-core-packages)))
-        (when core-packages
-          (message "Installing core packages")
-          (unless doom--refreshed-p
-            (package-refresh-contents))
-          (dolist (package core-packages)
-            (let ((inhibit-message t))
-              (package-install package))
-            (if (package-installed-p package)
-                (message "✓ Installed %s" package)
-              (error "✕ Couldn't install %s" package)))
-          (message "Installing core packages...done")))
+      (when-let* ((core-packages (cl-remove-if #'package-installed-p doom-core-packages)))
+        (message "Installing core packages")
+        (unless doom--refreshed-p
+          (package-refresh-contents))
+        (dolist (package core-packages)
+          (let ((inhibit-message t))
+            (package-install package))
+          (if (package-installed-p package)
+              (message "✓ Installed %s" package)
+            (error "✕ Couldn't install %s" package)))
+        (message "Installing core packages...done"))
       (unless noninteractive
         (add-hook 'doom-pre-init-hook #'doom|refresh-cache)))
-    ;; autoloads file
+    ;; Load autoloads file
     (doom-initialize-autoloads))
-  ;; initialize Doom core
+  ;; Initialize Doom core
   (unless noninteractive
     (require 'core-ui)
     (require 'core-editor)
     (require 'core-projects)
     (require 'core-keybinds))
-  ;; bootstrap Doom
+  ;; Bootstrap Doom
   (unless doom-init-p
     (unless noninteractive
       (add-hook! 'doom-reload-hook
@@ -517,6 +516,7 @@ MODULES is an malformed plist of modules to load."
                    (and (plist-member plist :when)   (not (eval (plist-get plist :when) t)))
                    (and (plist-member plist :unless) (eval (plist-get plist :unless) t))))
     `(progn
+       ;; TODO Replace with custom use-package keyword
        ,(when-let* ((defer (plist-get plist :defer))
                     (value (or (car-safe defer) defer)))
           (setq plist (plist-put plist :defer (or (cdr-safe defer) t)))
@@ -554,8 +554,7 @@ to have them return non-nil (or exploit that to overwrite Doom's config)."
                                 package
                                 (substring (symbol-name when) 1)))
               ,@body)))
-        (t
-         (error "'%s' isn't a valid hook for def-package-hook!" when))))
+        ((error "'%s' isn't a valid hook for def-package-hook!" when))))
 
 (defmacro load! (filesym &optional path noerror)
   "Load a file relative to the current executing file (`load-file-name').
@@ -750,11 +749,13 @@ loads MODULE SUBMODULE's packages.el file."
 ;; Cross-module configuration
 ;;
 
-;; I needed a way to reliably cross-configure modules without worrying about
-;; whether they were enabled or not, so I wrote `set!'. If a setting doesn't
-;; exist at runtime, the `set!' call is ignored and its arguments are left
-;; unevaluated (and entirely omitted when byte-compiled).
-(defvar doom-settings nil)
+;; I needed a way to reliably cross-configure modules without littering my
+;; modules with `after!' blocks or testing whether they were enabled, so I wrote
+;; `set!'. If a setting doesn't exist at runtime, the `set!' call is ignored and
+;; its arguments are left unevaluated (and entirely omitted when byte-compiled).
+
+(defvar doom-settings nil
+  "An alist mapping setting keywords to functions.")
 
 (defmacro def-setting! (keyword arglist &optional docstring &rest forms)
   "Define a setting. Like `defmacro', this should return a form to be executed