diff --git a/init.el b/init.el
index 66fa6cb4a..b5fccd020 100644
--- a/init.el
+++ b/init.el
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@
     (spacemacs/setup-startup-hook)
     (spacemacs|unless-dumping
       (global-font-lock-mode)
-      (global-undo-tree-mode 1))
+      (global-undo-tree-mode t)
+      (winner-mode t))
     ;; (when dotspacemacs-enable-server
     ;;   (require 'server)
     ;;   (unless (server-running-p) (server-start)))
diff --git a/layers/+spacemacs/spacemacs-defaults/packages.el b/layers/+spacemacs/spacemacs-defaults/packages.el
index 394004e20..aaa415144 100644
--- a/layers/+spacemacs/spacemacs-defaults/packages.el
+++ b/layers/+spacemacs/spacemacs-defaults/packages.el
@@ -364,9 +364,9 @@
 
 (defun spacemacs-defaults/init-winner ()
   (use-package winner
+    :defer t
     :init
-    (progn
-      (winner-mode t)
+    (with-eval-after-load 'winner
       (setq spacemacs/winner-boring-buffers '("*Completions*"
                                               "*Compile-Log*"
                                               "*inferior-lisp*"
@@ -379,8 +379,7 @@
                                               "*esh command on file*"
                                               ))
       (setq winner-boring-buffers
-            (append winner-boring-buffers spacemacs/winner-boring-buffers))
-      (winner-mode t))))
+            (append winner-boring-buffers spacemacs/winner-boring-buffers)))))
 
 (defun spacemacs-defaults/init-zone ()
   (require 'zone)