diff --git a/core/core-lib.el b/core/core-lib.el
index 9ee21676c..d47912f80 100644
--- a/core/core-lib.el
+++ b/core/core-lib.el
@@ -63,30 +63,30 @@ Examples:
         (match (plist-get rest :match))
         (files (plist-get rest :files))
         (pred  (plist-get rest :when)))
-    `(progn
-       (,@(cond ((or files in pred)
-                 (when (and files (not (or (listp files) (stringp files))))
-                   (user-error "associate! :files expects a string or list of strings"))
-                 (let ((hook-name (intern (format "doom--init-mode-%s" mode))))
-                   `(progn
-                      (defun ,hook-name ()
-                        (when (and ,(if match `(if buffer-file-name (string-match-p ,match buffer-file-name)) t)
-                                   (or ,(not files)
-                                       (and (boundp ',mode)
-                                            (not ,mode)
-                                            (doom-project-has-files ,@(-list files))))
-                                   (or (not ,pred)
-                                       (funcall ,pred buffer-file-name)))
-                          (,mode 1)))
-                      ,@(if (and in (listp in))
-                            (mapcar (lambda (h) `(add-hook ',h ',hook-name))
-                                    (mapcar (lambda (m) (intern (format "%s-hook" m))) in))
-                          `((add-hook 'find-file-hook ',hook-name))))))
-                (match
-                 `(add-to-list ',(if minor 'doom-auto-minor-mode-alist 'auto-mode-alist)
-                               (cons ,match ',mode)))
-                (t (user-error "associate! invalid rules for mode [%s] (in %s) (match %s) (files %s)"
-                               mode in match files)))))))
+    (cond ((or files in pred)
+           (when (and files (not (or (listp files) (stringp files))))
+             (user-error "associate! :files expects a string or list of strings"))
+           (let ((hook-name (intern (format "doom--init-mode-%s" mode))))
+             (macroexp-progn
+              (list `(defun ,hook-name ()
+                       (when (and ,(if match `(if buffer-file-name (string-match-p ,match buffer-file-name)) t)
+                                  (or ,(not files)
+                                      (and (boundp ',mode)
+                                           (not ,mode)
+                                           (doom-project-has-files ,@(-list files))))
+                                  (or (not ,pred)
+                                      (funcall ,pred buffer-file-name)))
+                         (,mode 1)))
+                    (if (and in (listp in))
+                        (macroexp-progn
+                         (mapcar (lambda (h) `(add-hook ',h ',hook-name))
+                                 (mapcar (lambda (m) (intern (format "%s-hook" m))) in)))
+                      `(add-hook 'find-file-hook ',hook-name))))))
+          (match
+           `(add-to-list ',(if minor 'doom-auto-minor-mode-alist 'auto-mode-alist)
+                         (cons ,match ',mode)))
+          (t (user-error "associate! invalid rules for mode [%s] (in %s) (match %s) (files %s)"
+                         mode in match files)))))
 
 ;; Register keywords for proper indentation (see `map!')
 (put ':prefix       'lisp-indent-function 'defun)