diff --git a/.emacs.d/init.el b/.emacs.d/init.el
index a7c38e4..d4846c5 100644
--- a/.emacs.d/init.el
+++ b/.emacs.d/init.el
@@ -28,11 +28,15 @@
 (unless (package-installed-p 'use-package)
   (package-refresh-contents)
   (package-install 'use-package))
-(use-package quelpa :ensure
+(use-package use-package
+  :config
+  (setq use-package-check-before-init t
+        use-package-always-defer t))
+(use-package quelpa :ensure :demand
   :init
   (setq quelpa-update-melpa-p nil)
   :config
-  (use-package quelpa-use-package :ensure))
+  (use-package quelpa-use-package :ensure :demand))
 
 ;;;; not sure where to put this
 (defun open-thunar-in-current-directory ()
@@ -47,21 +51,20 @@
 (bind-key "s-t" 'open-thunar-in-current-directory)
 
 ;;;; internal packages
-(use-package tool-bar
+(use-package tool-bar :demand
   :config
   (when (fboundp 'tool-bar-mode)
     (tool-bar-mode -1)))
 
-(use-package savehist
+(use-package savehist :demand
   :config
   (savehist-mode))
 
-(use-package paren
+(use-package paren :demand
   :config
   (show-paren-mode 1))
 
 (use-package sh-script
-  :defer
   :config
   (add-hook 'sh-mode-hook (lambda () (setq tab-width 4))))
 
@@ -101,7 +104,6 @@
             (lambda (x) (setq-local scroll-up-aggressively 0.0))))
 
 (use-package verilog-mode
-  :defer
   :config
   (setq verilog-indent-level 4
         verilog-indent-level-behavioral 4
@@ -113,7 +115,6 @@
   (add-to-list 'company-keywords-alist (cons 'verilog-mode verilog-keywords)))
 
 (use-package python
-  :defer
   :config
   (when (executable-find "ipython")
       (setq python-shell-interpreter "ipython")
@@ -147,7 +148,6 @@
             '(lambda () (setq-local show-trailing-whitespace nil))))
 
 (use-package semantic
-  :defer
   :hook (c-mode . semantic-mode)
   :config
   (setq semantic-default-submodes '(global-semantic-idle-scheduler-mode
@@ -179,7 +179,6 @@
             '(lambda () (setq-local comint-prompt-read-only t))))
 
 (use-package org
-  :defer
   :bind (:map org-mode-map (("C-z" . org-latex-export-to-pdf-no-kr)
                             ("M-[" . org-metaleft)
                             ("M-]" . org-metaright)
@@ -256,7 +255,7 @@
      'org-babel-load-languages
      '((ipython . t)))))
 
-(use-package windmove
+(use-package windmove :demand
   :config
   (windmove-default-keybindings))
 
@@ -275,7 +274,7 @@
   (add-hook 'prog-mode-hook
             #'(lambda () (setq-local show-trailing-whitespace t))))
 
-(use-package frame
+(use-package frame :demand
   :config
   (defun suspend-frame ()
     "If running in a secondary tty, call `suspend-tty', else nop"
@@ -302,7 +301,7 @@
   (server-start))
 
 ;;;; external packages (required)
-(use-package delight :ensure)
+(use-package delight :ensure :demand)
 
 (use-package company :ensure :demand
   :delight
@@ -313,12 +312,12 @@
         company-dabbrev-downcase nil
         company-dabbrev-ignore-case nil)
 
-  (use-package company-posframe :ensure
+  (use-package company-posframe :ensure :demand
     :delight
     :config
     (company-posframe-mode 1))
 
-  (use-package company-quickhelp :ensure
+  (use-package company-quickhelp :ensure :demand
     :disabled
     :config
     (company-quickhelp-mode 1)
@@ -331,7 +330,7 @@
     :config
     (company-statistics-mode)))
 
-(use-package smart-mode-line :ensure
+(use-package smart-mode-line :ensure :demand
   :config
   (setq sml/no-confirm-load-theme t)
   (sml/setup)
@@ -369,6 +368,8 @@
     :delight
     :config
     (ivy-mode 1))
+  (use-package ivy-hydra :ensure)
+
   (defun ivy-backward-delete-char ()
     "Forward to `backward-delete-char'.
      Do less dumb things with directories
@@ -392,8 +393,6 @@
          (when ivy-on-del-error-function
            (funcall ivy-on-del-error-function)))))))
 
-(use-package ivy-hydra :ensure)
-
 (use-package counsel :ensure
   :bind (("M-x" . counsel-M-x)
          ("C-M-y" . counsel-yank-pop)
@@ -420,7 +419,7 @@
 (use-package ace-window :ensure
   :bind ("M-S-p" . ace-window))
 
-(use-package undo-tree :ensure
+(use-package undo-tree :ensure :demand
   :delight
   :config
   (bind-key "M-/" 'undo-tree-visualize)
@@ -457,17 +456,15 @@
 
 (use-package dired+
   :quelpa (dired+ :fetcher url :url "https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/download/dired+.el")
-  :defer
   :init
   (setq diredp-hide-details-initially-flag nil)
   :config
   (toggle-diredp-find-file-reuse-dir 1))
 
-(use-package outline-magic :ensure
-  :demand
+(use-package outline-magic :ensure :demand
   :bind (:map outline-minor-mode-map ("M-<tab>" . outline-cycle)))
 
-(use-package column-enforce-mode :ensure
+(use-package column-enforce-mode :ensure :demand
   :delight
   :config
   :hook prog-mode)
@@ -478,12 +475,12 @@
   :bind ("C-S-<right>" . forward-mark)
   :bind ("C-S-<down>" . show-marks))
 
-(use-package immortal-scratch :ensure
+(use-package immortal-scratch :ensure :demand
   :config
   (setq immortal-scratch-switch-to-respawned-scratch t)
   (immortal-scratch-mode t))
 
-(use-package frames-only-mode :ensure
+(use-package frames-only-mode :ensure :demand
   :config
   ; seems to need to be before mode init
   (add-to-list 'frames-only-mode-use-window-functions 'undo-tree-visualize)
@@ -863,7 +860,7 @@
           ("claremontmakerspace\\.org" . mediawiki-mode)
           )))
 
-(use-package which-key
+(use-package which-key :demand
   :delight
   :config
   (which-key-mode)