diff --git a/early-init.el b/early-init.el
index 96ff752a..6db5012f 100644
--- a/early-init.el
+++ b/early-init.el
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 ;; `set-language-enviornment' sets `default-input-method', which is unwanted
 (setq default-input-method nil)
 
-(setq config-dir (file-name-directory (file-truename user-init-file)))  ;; user-init-file: ~/.config/emacs/init, file-truename: /opt/emacs-conf/init
+(defvar config-dir (file-name-directory (file-truename load-file-name)))
 (setq user-emacs-directory "~/.config/emacs/")  ;; for cache etc.
 (defconst user-cache-directory
   (file-name-as-directory (concat user-emacs-directory ".cache"))
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
 (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(alpha . (95 . 95)))
 
 ;; Custom functions/hooks for persisting/loading frame geometry upon save/load
-(setq my-frame-geometry-file (concat user-cache-directory "frame-geometry.el"))
+(defvar my-frame-geometry-file (concat user-cache-directory "frame-geometry.el"))
 (defun my-frame-geometry-save ()
   "Gets the current frame's geometry and save it to `my-frame-geometry-file'."
   (let ((frameg-font (frame-parameter (selected-frame) 'font))
@@ -87,3 +87,6 @@
           (lambda ()
             (if (display-graphic-p)
                 (add-hook 'kill-emacs-hook 'my-frame-geometry-save))))
+
+(provide 'early-init)
+;;; early-init.el ends here
diff --git a/init b/init
index 23d2ebd3..2a00b993 100644
--- a/init
+++ b/init
@@ -4,16 +4,27 @@
 ;; Emacs Startup File --- initialization for Emacs
 ;; https://blog.d46.us/advanced-emacs-startup/
 
+;; Usage:
+;; "emacs --init-directory ~/repos/emacs-conf"
+;; "emacs --no-splash -q -l ~/repos/emacs-conf/init"
+
 ;; Requirements: git gnuplot ledger
 
 ;;; Code:
-;; Emacs 27.1 introduced early-init.el, which is run before init.el, before
-;; package and UI initialization happens, and before site files are loaded.
-;; In the case that early-init.el wasn't loaded (e.g. using old emacs? Or this
-;; file directly loaded?), we do it explicitly:
-(unless (version<= "27.1" emacs-version)
-  (load (concat (file-name-directory (file-truename user-init-file)) "early-init.el")
-        nil t))
+(require 'early-init
+         (concat
+          (file-name-directory (file-truename (or load-file-name
+                                                  "~/.config/emacs/init")))
+          "early-init.el")
+         t)
+;;  Load early-init-el if not already
+;;  - Emacs 27.1 introduced early-init.el, which is run before
+;;    init.el, before package and UI initialization happens, and
+;;    before site files are loaded.  In the case that early-init.el
+;;    wasn't loaded (e.g. using old emacs? Or this file directly
+;;    loaded?), we do it explicitly
+;;  - for org export async actions, e.g. as in
+;;    emacs -l ~/.config/emacs/init -l /tmp/org-export-processXYZ
 (require 'pre-settings)                            ;; use-package delight functions variables
 (require 'which-key-settings)                      ;; https://melpa.org/#/which-key
 (require 'general-settings)                        ;; requires which-key