diff --git a/init.el b/init.el
index 41823ff..b167ef4 100644
--- a/init.el
+++ b/init.el
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@
   ;; minified bootstrap (split lines if you want) (or not)
   (defvar bootstrap-version) (let ((bootstrap-file (expand-file-name "straight/repos/straight.el/bootstrap.el" user-emacs-directory)) (bootstrap-version 5)) (unless (file-exists-p bootstrap-file) (with-current-buffer (url-retrieve-synchronously "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/radian-software/straight.el/develop/install.el" 'silent 'inhibit-cookies) (goto-char (point-max)) (eval-print-last-sexp))) (load bootstrap-file nil 'nomessage)) (straight-use-package 'use-package) (setq straight-use-package-by-default t)
 
+  ;; actually, use elpaca instead
+  (require 'elpaca-bootstrap) (elpaca 'use-package (require 'use-package))
+
+
   (require 'mitch-packages)
 
   ;; Absolute line numbers. Relative ones are an annoyance to set up, sadly.
diff --git a/lisp/elpaca-bootstrap.el b/lisp/elpaca-bootstrap.el
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cfebb16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lisp/elpaca-bootstrap.el
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+;;; elpaca-bootstrap.el --- Bootstrap the Elpaca package manager
+
+;;; Commentary:
+;; Taken from https://github.com/progfolio/elpaca
+
+;;; Code:
+(declare-function elpaca-generate-autoloads "elpaca")
+(defvar elpaca-directory (expand-file-name "elpaca/" user-emacs-directory))
+(when-let ((elpaca-repo (expand-file-name "repos/elpaca/" elpaca-directory))
+           (elpaca-build (expand-file-name "builds/elpaca/" elpaca-directory))
+           (elpaca-target (if (file-exists-p elpaca-build) elpaca-build elpaca-repo))
+           (elpaca-url  "https://www.github.com/progfolio/elpaca.git")
+           ((add-to-list 'load-path elpaca-target))
+           ((not (file-exists-p elpaca-repo)))
+           (buffer (get-buffer-create "*elpaca-bootstrap*")))
+  (condition-case-unless-debug err
+      (progn
+        (unless (zerop (call-process "git" nil buffer t "clone" elpaca-url elpaca-repo))
+          (error "%s" (list (with-current-buffer buffer (buffer-string)))))
+        (byte-recompile-directory elpaca-repo 0 'force)
+        (require 'elpaca)
+        (elpaca-generate-autoloads "elpaca" elpaca-repo)
+        (kill-buffer buffer))
+    ((error)
+     (delete-directory elpaca-directory 'recursive)
+     (with-current-buffer buffer
+       (goto-char (point-max))
+       (insert (format "\n%S" err))
+       (display-buffer buffer)))))
+(require 'elpaca-autoloads)
+(add-hook 'after-init-hook #'elpaca-process-queues)
+(elpaca (elpaca :host github :repo "progfolio/elpaca"))
+
+(provide 'elpaca-bootstrap)
+;;; elpaca-bootstrap.el ends here
diff --git a/lisp/mitch-packages.el b/lisp/mitch-packages.el
index a9e08bb..d11c5ec 100644
--- a/lisp/mitch-packages.el
+++ b/lisp/mitch-packages.el
@@ -6,6 +6,15 @@
 ;; -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ;;; Code:
 
+;; (elpaca-use-package elpaca
+;;     :init (require 'elpaca-bootstrap))
+(defmacro use-feature (name &rest args)
+  "Like `use-package' but accounting for asynchronous installation.
+NAME and ARGS are in `use-package'."
+  (declare (indent defun))
+  `(elpaca nil (use-package ,name
+		 :ensure nil
+		 ,@args)))
 ;; diminish
 (use-package diminish
   ;; :straight (:type built-in)