diff --git a/modules/config/literate/autoload.el b/modules/config/literate/autoload.el
index bc006381a8c..39f6e13c32b 100644
--- a/modules/config/literate/autoload.el
+++ b/modules/config/literate/autoload.el
@@ -16,8 +16,7 @@ byte-compiled from.")
   (print-group!
    (let* ((default-directory doom-private-dir)
           (org    (expand-file-name +literate-config-file))
-          (dest   (concat (file-name-sans-extension +literate-config-file) ".el"))
-          (backup (make-temp-file "config.org.backup")))
+          (dest   (concat (file-name-sans-extension +literate-config-file) ".el")))
      (and (require 'ox)
           (require 'ob-tangle)
           (unwind-protect
@@ -26,18 +25,18 @@ byte-compiled from.")
                           (print! (info "%s") (apply #'format msg args))))
                       ;; Prevent infinite recursion due to recompile-on-save
                       ;; hooks later.
-                      (org-mode-hook nil))
-                ;; Do the ol' switcheroo because `org-babel-tangle' writes
-                ;; changes to the user's literate config, which would impose on
-                ;; the user.
+                      (org-mode-hook nil)
+                      ;; Operate on a copy because `org-babel-tangle' has
+                      ;; side-effects we don't want to impose on the User's
+                      ;; config permanently.
+                      (backup (make-temp-file (concat (file-name-nondirectory org) "."))))
                 (copy-file org backup t)
-                (with-current-buffer (find-file-noselect org)
-                  ;; Tangling won't ordinarily expand #+INCLUDE directives, so
-                  ;; we do it ourselves.
+                (with-current-buffer (find-file-noselect backup)
+                  ;; Tangling won't ordinarily expand #+INCLUDE directives
                   (org-export-expand-include-keyword)
-                  (org-babel-tangle nil dest))
+                  (org-babel-tangle nil dest)
+                  (kill-buffer (current-buffer)))
                 t)
-            (ignore-errors (copy-file backup org t))
             (ignore-errors (delete-file backup)))
           ;; Write an empty file to serve as our mtime cache
           (with-temp-file +literate-config-cache-file)))))