diff --git a/layers/+lang/c-c++/layers.el b/layers/+lang/c-c++/layers.el
deleted file mode 100644
index d588e5069..000000000
--- a/layers/+lang/c-c++/layers.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-;;; layers.el --- C/C++ layer layers File for Spacemacs
-;;
-;; Copyright (c) 2012-2018 Sylvain Benner & Contributors
-;;
-;; Author: Sylvain Benner <sylvain.benner@gmail.com>
-;; URL: https://github.com/syl20bnr/spacemacs
-;;
-;; This file is not part of GNU Emacs.
-;;
-;;; License: GPLv3
-
-(when c-c++-enable-rtags-support
-  (configuration-layer/declare-layer 'gtags))
diff --git a/layers/+lang/c-c++/packages.el b/layers/+lang/c-c++/packages.el
index 9a0f4475f..1c7746e77 100644
--- a/layers/+lang/c-c++/packages.el
+++ b/layers/+lang/c-c++/packages.el
@@ -176,6 +176,8 @@
 
 ;; TODO lazy load this package
 (defun c-c++/init-rtags ()
+  (when c-c++-enable-rtags-support
+      (configuration-layer/declare-layer 'gtags))
   (use-package rtags
     :if c-c++-enable-rtags-support
     :init