diff --git a/common/_global.el b/common/_global.el
index 031583d..279fb43 100644
--- a/common/_global.el
+++ b/common/_global.el
@@ -13,6 +13,22 @@
 (setq kmn/is-termux
       (string-suffix-p "Android" (string-trim (shell-command-to-string "uname -a"))))
 
+; ensure elisp plugins are compiled
+(require 'dash)
+(require 'f)
+
+(defun was-compiled-p (path)
+  "Does the directory at PATH contain any .elc files?"
+  (--any-p (f-ext? it "elc") (f-files path)))
+
+(defun ensure-packages-compiled ()
+  "If any packages installed with package.el aren't compiled yet, compile them."
+  (--each (f-directories package-user-dir)
+    (unless (was-compiled-p it)
+      (byte-recompile-directory it 0))))
+
+(ensure-packages-compiled)
+
 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
 ; backups
 (defconst kmn/backup-dir
diff --git a/emacs.md b/emacs.md
index 32472fa..fab3255 100644
--- a/emacs.md
+++ b/emacs.md
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ open scratch buffer. paste below into it as the contents then do `M-x ev-b RET`
           diminish
 		  dash
 		  s
+		  f
 		  oragami
           ido-completing-read+
 		  dired-single
@@ -99,3 +100,22 @@ open scratch buffer. paste below into it as the contents then do `M-x ev-b RET`
       (package-install p))))
 
 ```
+
+speed up runtime by compiling all packages
+
+```
+(require 'dash)
+(require 'f)
+
+(defun was-compiled-p (path)
+  "Does the directory at PATH contain any .elc files?"
+  (--any-p (f-ext? it "elc") (f-files path)))
+
+(defun ensure-packages-compiled ()
+  "If any packages installed with package.el aren't compiled yet, compile them."
+  (--each (f-directories package-user-dir)
+    (unless (was-compiled-p it)
+      (byte-recompile-directory it 0))))
+
+(ensure-packages-compiled)
+```