diff --git a/bin/doom b/bin/doom
index 416c861e7..f1c5eb740 100755
--- a/bin/doom
+++ b/bin/doom
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@
 
   ;; Bootstrap Doom
   (if (not noninteractive)
-      (progn
+      (let ((doom-interactive-mode t))
         (load (expand-file-name "init.el" user-emacs-directory)
               nil 'nomessage)
         (doom-run-all-startup-hooks-h))
diff --git a/core/autoload/packages.el b/core/autoload/packages.el
index b2ef5f1d1..66d16a6ac 100644
--- a/core/autoload/packages.el
+++ b/core/autoload/packages.el
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ This excludes core packages listed in `doom-core-packages'.
 
 If ALL-P, gather packages unconditionally across all modules, including disabled
 ones."
-  (let ((noninteractive t)
+  (let ((doom-interactive-mode t)
         (doom-modules (doom-modules))
         doom-packages
         doom-disabled-packages)
diff --git a/core/cli/byte-compile.el b/core/cli/byte-compile.el
index 40fff8b81..abb1225df 100644
--- a/core/cli/byte-compile.el
+++ b/core/cli/byte-compile.el
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ If RECOMPILE-P is non-nil, only recompile out-of-date files."
 
       ;; But first we must be sure that Doom and your private config have been
       ;; fully loaded. Which usually aren't so in an noninteractive session.
-      (let (noninteractive)
+      (let ((doom-interactive-mode 'byte-compile))
         (doom-initialize 'force)
         (doom-initialize-core)
         (doom-initialize-modules 'force))
diff --git a/core/core-editor.el b/core/core-editor.el
index c131c0f7b..77cb1a9c4 100644
--- a/core/core-editor.el
+++ b/core/core-editor.el
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ successfully sets indent_style/indent_size.")
       "Add dired directory to recentf file list."
       (recentf-add-file default-directory)))
 
-  (unless noninteractive
+  (when doom-interactive-mode
     (add-hook 'kill-emacs-hook #'recentf-cleanup)
     (quiet! (recentf-mode +1))))
 
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ successfully sets indent_style/indent_size.")
 
 (use-package! dtrt-indent
   ;; Automatic detection of indent settings
-  :unless noninteractive
+  :when doom-interactive-mode
   :defer t
   :init
   (add-hook! '(change-major-mode-after-body-hook read-only-mode-hook)
diff --git a/core/core-lib.el b/core/core-lib.el
index ed2abf35b..348141fe1 100644
--- a/core/core-lib.el
+++ b/core/core-lib.el
@@ -401,7 +401,8 @@ reverse this and trigger `after!' blocks at a more reasonable time."
 
 This silences calls to `message', `load-file', `write-region' and anything that
 writes to `standard-output'."
-  `(cond (noninteractive
+  `(cond (doom-debug-mode ,@forms)
+         ((not doom-interactive-mode)
           (let ((old-fn (symbol-function 'write-region)))
             (cl-letf ((standard-output (lambda (&rest _)))
                       ((symbol-function 'load-file) (lambda (file) (load file nil t)))
@@ -411,8 +412,6 @@ writes to `standard-output'."
                          (unless visit (setq visit 'no-message))
                          (funcall old-fn start end filename append visit lockname mustbenew))))
               ,@forms)))
-         ((or doom-debug-mode debug-on-error debug-on-quit)
-          ,@forms)
          ((let ((inhibit-message t)
                 (save-silently t))
             (prog1 ,@forms (message ""))))))
diff --git a/core/core-modules.el b/core/core-modules.el
index 1ca47f678..45f41a467 100644
--- a/core/core-modules.el
+++ b/core/core-modules.el
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ syntax-checker modules obsolete. e.g. If :feature version-control is found in
 your `doom!' block, a warning is emitted before replacing it with :emacs vc and
 :ui vc-gutter.")
 
-(defvar doom-inhibit-module-warnings (not noninteractive)
+(defvar doom-inhibit-module-warnings doom-interactive-mode
   "If non-nil, don't emit deprecated or missing module warnings at startup.")
 
 ;;; Custom hooks
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ non-nil."
                      (load! "init" (plist-get plist :path) t)))
                  doom-modules))
       (run-hook-wrapped 'doom-before-init-modules-hook #'doom-try-run-hook)
-      (unless noninteractive
+      (when doom-interactive-mode
         (when doom-modules
           (maphash (lambda (key plist)
                      (let ((doom--current-module key)
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ those directories. The first returned path is always `doom-private-dir'."
   "Minimally initialize `doom-modules' (a hash table) and return it.
 This value is cached. If REFRESH-P, then don't use the cached value."
   (or (unless refresh-p doom-modules)
-      (let ((noninteractive t)
+      (let (doom-interactive-mode
             doom-modules
             doom-init-modules-p)
         (load! "init" doom-private-dir t)
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ This value is cached. If REFRESH-P, then don't use the cached value."
   (setq use-package-compute-statistics doom-debug-mode
         use-package-verbose doom-debug-mode
         use-package-minimum-reported-time (if doom-debug-mode 0 0.1)
-        use-package-expand-minimally (not noninteractive)))
+        use-package-expand-minimally doom-interactive-mode))
 
 ;; Adds four new keywords to `use-package' (and consequently, `use-package!') to
 ;; expand its lazy-loading capabilities. They are:
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ to least)."
                  (if-let (path (doom-module-locate-path category module))
                      (doom-module-set category module :flags flags :path path)
                    (message "WARNING Couldn't find the %s %s module" category module)))))))
-    (when noninteractive
+    (unless doom-interactive-mode
       (setq doom-inhibit-module-warnings t))
     `(setq doom-modules ',doom-modules)))
 
diff --git a/core/core-packages.el b/core/core-packages.el
index a8c1fd442..6a684ee43 100644
--- a/core/core-packages.el
+++ b/core/core-packages.el
@@ -149,8 +149,6 @@ necessary package metadata is initialized and available for them."
                 :branch ,straight-repository-branch
                 :no-byte-compile t))
     (mapc #'straight-use-package doom-core-packages)
-    (when noninteractive
-      (add-hook 'kill-emacs-hook #'doom--finalize-straight)))
     (doom-log "Initializing doom-packages")
     (setq doom-disabled-packages nil
           doom-packages (doom-package-list))
@@ -165,7 +163,9 @@ necessary package metadata is initialized and available for them."
                    (if-let (recipe (plist-get plist :recipe))
                        (let ((plist (straight-recipes-retrieve pkg)))
                          `(,pkg ,@(doom-plist-merge recipe (cdr plist))))
-                     pkg)))))
+                     pkg))))
+    (unless doom-interactive-mode
+      (add-hook 'kill-emacs-hook #'doom--finalize-straight))))
 
 (defun doom-ensure-straight ()
   "Ensure `straight' is installed and was compiled with this version of Emacs."
diff --git a/core/core-projects.el b/core/core-projects.el
index c4bf12519..1687939f4 100644
--- a/core/core-projects.el
+++ b/core/core-projects.el
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ Emacs.")
              projectile-add-known-project) ; TODO PR autoload upstream
   :init
   (setq projectile-cache-file (concat doom-cache-dir "projectile.cache")
-        projectile-enable-caching (not noninteractive)
+        projectile-enable-caching doom-interactive-mode
         projectile-known-projects-file (concat doom-cache-dir "projectile.projects")
         projectile-require-project-root t
         projectile-globally-ignored-files '(".DS_Store" "Icon
" "TAGS")
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ b) represent blacklisted directories that are too big, change too often or are
    private. (see `doom-projectile-cache-blacklist'),
 c) are not valid projectile projects."
       (when (and (bound-and-true-p projectile-projects-cache)
-                 (not noninteractive))
+                 doom-interactive-mode)
         (cl-loop with blacklist = (mapcar #'file-truename doom-projectile-cache-blacklist)
                  for proot in (hash-table-keys projectile-projects-cache)
                  if (or (not (stringp proot))
diff --git a/core/core.el b/core/core.el
index 5f57fb1dd..b598d4512 100644
--- a/core/core.el
+++ b/core/core.el
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
 Use `doom/toggle-debug-mode' to toggle it. The --debug-init flag and setting the
 DEBUG envvar will enable this at startup.")
 
+(defvar doom-interactive-mode (not noninteractive)
+  "If non-nil, Emacs is in interactive mode.")
+
 (defvar doom-gc-cons-threshold 16777216 ; 16mb
   "The default value to use for `gc-cons-threshold'. If you experience freezing,
 decrease this. If you experience stuttering, increase this.")
@@ -410,7 +413,7 @@ in interactive sessions, nil otherwise (but logs a warning)."
       (let (command-switch-alist)
         (load (substring file 0 -3) 'noerror 'nomessage))
     ((debug error)
-     (if noninteractive
+     (if doom-interactive-mode
          (message "Autoload file warning: %s -> %s" (car e) (error-message-string e))
        (signal 'doom-autoload-error (list (file-name-nondirectory file) e))))))
 
@@ -495,7 +498,7 @@ to least)."
           ;; `Info-directory-list', and `doom-disabled-packages'. A big
           ;; reduction in startup time.
           (pkg-autoloads-p
-           (unless noninteractive
+           (when doom-interactive-mode
              (doom-load-autoloads-file doom-package-autoload-file))))
 
       (if (and core-autoloads-p (not force-p))
@@ -528,7 +531,7 @@ to least)."
 
       (unless (or (and core-autoloads-p pkg-autoloads-p)
                   force-p
-                  noninteractive)
+                  (not doom-interactive-mode))
         (unless core-autoloads-p
           (message "Your Doom core autoloads file is missing"))
         (unless pkg-autoloads-p