diff --git a/nvim/.config/nvim/init.lua b/nvim/.config/nvim/init.lua
index 6684b1e..7525255 100644
--- a/nvim/.config/nvim/init.lua
+++ b/nvim/.config/nvim/init.lua
@@ -4,31 +4,18 @@ local api = vim.api
 
 api.nvim_exec2("runtime abbrev.vim", {})
 
-local lazypath = vim.fn.stdpath("data") .. "/lazy/lazy.nvim"
-if not vim.loop.fs_stat(lazypath) then
-	vim.fn.system({
-		"git",
-		"clone",
-		"--filter=blob:none",
-		"https://github.com/folke/lazy.nvim.git",
-		"--branch=stable", -- latest stable release
-		lazypath,
-	})
+for _, source in ipairs({
+	"core.settings",
+	"core.lazy",
+	"core.autocmds",
+	"core.mappings",
+	"core.look",
+}) do
+	local status_ok, fault = pcall(require, source)
+	if not status_ok then
+		vim.api.nvim_err_writeln("Failed to load " .. source .. "\n\n" .. fault)
+	end
 end
-vim.opt.rtp:prepend(lazypath)
-
--- set our leader key to space since with hjkl, space is largely useless
--- needs to be set before lazy.nvim is loaded
-vim.g.mapleader = " "
-
-require("settings")
-require("autocmds")
-require("lazy").setup("plugins", {
-	defaults = { version = "*" },
-	performance = { rtp = { disabled_plugins = { "netrw", "netrwPlugin" } } },
-})
-require("look")
-require("maps")
 
 -- to include e.g. the spell dictionaries for vim
 vim.opt.rtp:append(vim.fn.stdpath("data") .. "/site")
diff --git a/nvim/.config/nvim/lua/autocmds.lua b/nvim/.config/nvim/lua/core/autocmds.lua
similarity index 100%
rename from nvim/.config/nvim/lua/autocmds.lua
rename to nvim/.config/nvim/lua/core/autocmds.lua
diff --git a/nvim/.config/nvim/lua/core/lazy.lua b/nvim/.config/nvim/lua/core/lazy.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..840f4e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nvim/.config/nvim/lua/core/lazy.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+local lazypath = vim.fn.stdpath("data") .. "/lazy/lazy.nvim"
+-- inspired from astronvim lazy bootstrapping
+if not vim.loop.fs_stat(lazypath) then
+	local output = vim.fn.system({
+		"git",
+		"clone",
+		"--filter=blob:none",
+		"https://github.com/folke/lazy.nvim.git",
+		"--branch=stable",
+		lazypath,
+	})
+	if vim.api.nvim_get_vvar("shell_error") ~= 0 then
+		vim.api.nvim_err_writeln("Error cloning lazy.nvim repository...\n\n" .. output)
+	end
+	local oldcmdheight = vim.opt.cmdheight:get()
+	vim.opt.cmdheight = 1
+	vim.notify("Please wait while plugins are installed...")
+	vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd("User", {
+		desc = "Load Mason and Treesitter after Lazy installs plugins",
+		once = true,
+		pattern = "LazyInstall",
+		callback = function()
+			vim.cmd.bw()
+			vim.opt.cmdheight = oldcmdheight
+			vim.tbl_map(function(module)
+				pcall(require, module)
+			end, { "nvim-treesitter", "mason" })
+			vim.notify("Mason is installing packages if configured, check status with :Mason")
+		end,
+	})
+end
+vim.opt.rtp:prepend(lazypath)
+
+require("lazy").setup({
+	spec = { { import = "plugins" } },
+	defaults = { lazy = true, version = "*" },
+	performance = { rtp = { disabled_plugins = { "netrw", "netrwPlugin" } } },
+})
diff --git a/nvim/.config/nvim/lua/look.lua b/nvim/.config/nvim/lua/core/look.lua
similarity index 100%
rename from nvim/.config/nvim/lua/look.lua
rename to nvim/.config/nvim/lua/core/look.lua
diff --git a/nvim/.config/nvim/lua/maps.lua b/nvim/.config/nvim/lua/core/mappings.lua
similarity index 100%
rename from nvim/.config/nvim/lua/maps.lua
rename to nvim/.config/nvim/lua/core/mappings.lua
diff --git a/nvim/.config/nvim/lua/plugins.lua b/nvim/.config/nvim/lua/core/plugins.lua
similarity index 100%
rename from nvim/.config/nvim/lua/plugins.lua
rename to nvim/.config/nvim/lua/core/plugins.lua
diff --git a/nvim/.config/nvim/lua/settings.lua b/nvim/.config/nvim/lua/core/settings.lua
similarity index 79%
rename from nvim/.config/nvim/lua/settings.lua
rename to nvim/.config/nvim/lua/core/settings.lua
index 34108de..a225dbd 100644
--- a/nvim/.config/nvim/lua/settings.lua
+++ b/nvim/.config/nvim/lua/core/settings.lua
@@ -4,8 +4,13 @@ local disable_builtins = function(builtins)
 		vim.g["loaded_" .. plugin] = 1
 	end
 end
+disable_builtins(default_builtins_disabled)
 
-local o = {
+if vim.fn.has("nvim-0.9") == 1 then
+	vim.opt.diffopt:append("linematch:60")
+end
+
+local options = {
 	termguicolors = true,
 	-- sets tabs to be 2 characters, expanded into spaces, but still removable with
 	-- one press of backspace.
@@ -47,6 +52,7 @@ local o = {
 	-- set to use treesitter in treesitter config
 	foldlevel = 2,
 	conceallevel = 2,
+	foldcolumn = vim.fn.has("nvim-0.9") == 1 and "auto:1" or nil,
 	-- enable mouse, doesn't bug me and might come in useful at some point
 	mouse = "a",
 	-- pump all clippings into the system clipboard
@@ -60,11 +66,25 @@ local o = {
 	splitbelow = true,
 	-- remove command line if no command is currently present
 	cmdheight = 0,
+	-- try to cleverly manage indents by preserving them from line to line
+	breakindent = true,
+	copyindent = true,
+	preserveindent = true,
+	smartindent = true,
 }
 
-for k, v in pairs(o) do
-	vim.opt[k] = v
+for o, v in pairs(options) do
+	vim.opt[o] = v
 end
+vim.opt.shortmess:append({ s = true, I = true })
+vim.opt.backspace:append({ "nostop" })
 
-vim.api.nvim_set_var("tex_flavor", "latex")
-disable_builtins(default_builtins_disabled)
+local globals = {
+	mapleader = " ",
+	maplocalleader = ",",
+	tex_flavor = "latex",
+}
+
+for o, v in pairs(globals) do
+	vim.g[o] = v
+end