diff --git a/core/core-modules.el b/core/core-modules.el
index 7546f2b2e..1ca47f678 100644
--- a/core/core-modules.el
+++ b/core/core-modules.el
@@ -298,7 +298,12 @@ This value is cached. If REFRESH-P, then don't use the cached value."
                  (lambda (&rest _)
                    (doom-log "Loading deferred package %s from %s" ',name ',fn)
                    (condition-case e
-                       (require ',name)
+                       ;; If `default-directory' is a directory that doesn't
+                       ;; exist or is unreadable, Emacs throws up file-missing
+                       ;; errors, so we set it to a directory we know exists and
+                       ;; is readable.
+                       (let ((default-directory doom-emacs-dir))
+                         (require ',name))
                      ((debug error)
                       (message "Failed to load deferred package %s: %s" ',name e)))
                    (when-let (deferral-list (assq ',name doom--deferred-packages-alist))
diff --git a/core/core.el b/core/core.el
index 710df7a87..5f57fb1dd 100644
--- a/core/core.el
+++ b/core/core.el
@@ -344,7 +344,13 @@ intervals."
         (when-let (req (if reqs (pop reqs)))
           (doom-log "Incrementally loading %s" req)
           (condition-case e
-              (or (while-no-input (require req nil t) t)
+              (or (while-no-input
+                    ;; If `default-directory' is a directory that doesn't exist
+                    ;; or is unreadable, Emacs throws up file-missing errors, so
+                    ;; we set it to a directory we know exists and is readable.
+                    (let ((default-directory doom-emacs-dir))
+                      (require req nil t))
+                    t)
                   (push req reqs))
             ((error debug)
              (message "Failed to load '%s' package incrementally, because: %s"
diff --git a/modules/tools/direnv/config.el b/modules/tools/direnv/config.el
index 1534d1698..6f06aa210 100644
--- a/modules/tools/direnv/config.el
+++ b/modules/tools/direnv/config.el
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ flycheck issues with direnv and on nix."
     "Don't try to update direnv if the executable isn't present."
     :around #'direnv--maybe-update-environment
     (if (executable-find "direnv")
-        (funcall orig-fn)
+        (when (file-readable-p (or buffer-file-name default-directory))
+          (funcall orig-fn))
       (doom-log "Couldn't find direnv executable")))
 
   (direnv-mode +1))
diff --git a/modules/ui/doom-dashboard/config.el b/modules/ui/doom-dashboard/config.el
index a65880444..1912b18b9 100644
--- a/modules/ui/doom-dashboard/config.el
+++ b/modules/ui/doom-dashboard/config.el
@@ -288,10 +288,10 @@ controlled by `+doom-dashboard-pwd-policy'."
         (doom-log "Changed dashboard's PWD to %s" pwd)
         (setq-local default-directory pwd))
     (let ((new-pwd (+doom-dashboard--get-pwd)))
-      (when (and new-pwd (file-directory-p new-pwd))
-        (unless (string-suffix-p "/" new-pwd)
-          (setq new-pwd (concat new-pwd "/")))
-        (+doom-dashboard-update-pwd new-pwd)))))
+      (when (and new-pwd (file-accessible-directory-p new-pwd))
+        (+doom-dashboard-update-pwd
+         (concat (directory-file-name new-pwd)
+                 "/"))))))
 
 (defun +doom-dashboard-reload (&optional force)
   "Update the DOOM scratch buffer (or create it, if it doesn't exist)."