diff --git a/Readme.md b/Readme.md
index 98b5773..2edcad4 100644
--- a/Readme.md
+++ b/Readme.md
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ must have the extension `.sh` to be detected.
 After this the XDG shenanigans are performed, again inspect the file to
 see what it does.
 Overrides go in `overrides.d/XDG`
+They will be loaded before the XDG_shenanigans so that overrides can work,
+and system variables can be pulled in. To disable a system variable you
+just need to `unset VARIABLE` in your override file
 
 Next is program_config, same rules.
 
diff --git a/XDG_shenanigans.sh b/XDG_shenanigans.sh
index 60c2a76..ed7a1bb 100644
--- a/XDG_shenanigans.sh
+++ b/XDG_shenanigans.sh
@@ -24,63 +24,63 @@ export XDG_STATE_HOME="$HOME"/.local/state
 #	- I will also attempt to keep this in alphabetical order
 
 # android-studio
-export ANDROID_HOME="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/android
-export ANDROID_USER_HOME="$ANDROID_HOME"
-export ANDROID_AVD_HOME="$ANDROID_HOME/avd"
+[ -z "$ANDROID_HOME" ] && export ANDROID_HOME="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/android
+[ -z "$ANDROID_USER_HOME" ] && export ANDROID_USER_HOME="$ANDROID_HOME"
+[ -z "$ANDROID_AVD_HOME" ] && export ANDROID_AVD_HOME="$ANDROID_HOME/avd"
 # Cabal
-export CABAL_CONFIG="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME"/cabal/config
-export CABAL_DIR="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/cabal
+[ -z "$CABAL_CONFIG" ] && export CABAL_CONFIG="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME"/cabal/config
+[ -z "$CABAL_DIR" ] && export CABAL_DIR="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/cabal
 # cargo
-export CARGO_HOME="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/cargo
+[ -z "$CARGO_HOME" ] && export CARGO_HOME="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/cargo
 # Cuda cache
-export CUDA_CACHE_PATH="$XDG_CACHE_HOME"/nv
+[ -z "$CUDA_CACHE_PATH" ] && export CUDA_CACHE_PATH="$XDG_CACHE_HOME"/nv
 # dotnet snap - this might be a me-only thing?
-## Provided by PORTAGE
-# export DOTNET_ROOT="$HOME/.local/opt/dotnet"
+[ -z "$DOTNET_ROOT" ] && export DOTNET_ROOT="$HOME/.local/opt/dotnet"
 # gem cache
-export GEM_SPEC_CACHE="${XDG_CACHE_HOME}"/gem
+[ -z "$GEM_SPEC_CACHE" ] && export GEM_SPEC_CACHE"${XDG_CACHE_HOME}"/gem
+## Provided by PORTAGE
 # gem
-export GEM_HOME="${XDG_DATA_HOME}"/gem
+[ -z "$GEM_HOME" ] && export GEM_HOME="${XDG_DATA_HOME}"/gem
 # GHCUP
-export GHCUP_USE_XDG_DIRS=1
+[ -z "$GHCUP_USE_XDG_DIRS" ] && export GHCUP_USE_XDG_DIRS=1
 # GNUPG
-export GNUPGHOME="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/gnupg
+[ -z "$GNUPGHOME" ] && export GNUPGHOME="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/gnupg
 # go
-export GOPATH="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/go
+[ -z "$GOPATH" ] && export GOPATH="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/go
 # Gradle
-export GRADLE_USER_HOME="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/gradle
+[ -z "$GRADLE_USER_HOME" ] && export GRADLE_USER_HOME="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/gradle
 # GTK 2
-export GTK2_RC_FILES="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME"/gtk-2.0/gtkrc
+[ -z "$GTK2_RC_FILES" ] && export GTK2_RC_FILES="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME"/gtk-2.0/gtkrc
 # jupyter
-export JUPYTER_CONFIG_DIR="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME"/jupyter
+[ -z "$JUPYTER_CONFIG_DIR" ] && export JUPYTER_CONFIG_DIR="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME"/jupyter
 # kde
-export KDEHOME="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/kde
+[ -z "$KDEHOME" ] && export KDEHOME="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/kde
 # Kodi
-export KODI_DATA="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/kodi
+[ -z "$KODI_DATA" ] && export KODI_DATA="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/kodi
 # Less History
-export LESSHISTFILE="$XDG_CACHE_HOME"/less/history
+[ -z "$LESSHISTFILE" ] && export LESSHISTFILE="$XDG_CACHE_HOME"/less/history
 # npm
-export NPM_CONFIG_USERCONFIG="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME"/npm/npmrc
+[ -z "$NPM_CONFIG_USERCONFIG" ] && export NPM_CONFIG_USERCONFIG="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME"/npm/npmrc
 # NuGet
-export NUGET_PACKAGES="$XDG_CACHE_HOME"/NuGetPackages
+[ -z "$NUGET_PACKAGES" ] && export NUGET_PACKAGES="$XDG_CACHE_HOME"/NuGetPackages
 # OPAM
-export OPAMROOT="$XDG_DATA_HOME/opam"
+[ -z "$OPAMROOT" ] && export OPAMROOT="$XDG_DATA_HOME/opam"
 # Parallel
-export PARALLEL_HOME="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME"/parallel
+[ -z "$PARALLEL_HOME" ] && export PARALLEL_HOME="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME"/parallel
 # Pass
-export PASSWORD_STORE_DIR="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/pass
+[ -z "$PASSWORD_STORE_DIR" ] && export PASSWORD_STORE_DIR="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/pass
 # pylint
-export PYLINTHOME="${XDG_CACHE_HOME}"/pylint
+[ -z "$PYLINTHOME" ] && export PYLINTHOME="${XDG_CACHE_HOME}"/pylint
 # Python history
-export PYTHONSTARTUP="${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/python/pythonrc"
+[ -z "$PYTHONSTARTUP" ] && export PYTHONSTARTUP="${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/python/pythonrc"
 # Rustup
-export RUSTUP_HOME="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/rustup
+[ -z "$RUSTUP_HOME" ] && export RUSTUP_HOME="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/rustup
 # Stack
-export STACK_ROOT="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/stack
+[ -z "$STACK_ROOT" ] && export STACK_ROOT="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/stack
 # TERMINFO
-export TERMINFO="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/terminfo
-export TERMINFO_DIRS="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/terminfo:/usr/share/terminfo
+[ -z "$TERMINFO" ] && export TERMINFO="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/terminfo
+[ -z "$TERMINFO_DIRS" ] && export TERMINFO_DIRS="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/terminfo:/usr/share/terminfo
 # wine
-export WINEPREFIX="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/wine
+[ -z "$WINEPREFIX" ] && export WINEPREFIX="$XDG_DATA_HOME"/wine
 # XCURSOR
-export XCURSOR_PATH=/usr/share/icons:${XDG_DATA_HOME}/icons
+[ -z "$XCURSOR_PATH" ] && export XCURSOR_PATH=/usr/share/icons:${XDG_DATA_HOME}/icons
diff --git a/shelly.sh b/shelly.sh
index e3de3cb..99de203 100644
--- a/shelly.sh
+++ b/shelly.sh
@@ -15,13 +15,13 @@ if [ -d "${SHELLY}/overrides.d/programs" ]; then
 	done
 fi
 
-. "${SHELLY}/XDG_shenanigans.sh"
 if [ -d "${SHELLY}/overrides.d/XDG" ]; then
 	for file in "${SHELLY}"/overrides.d/XDG/*.sh ; do
 		# shellcheck disable=SC1090
 		[ -f "$file" ] && . "$file"
 	done
 fi
+. "${SHELLY}/XDG_shenanigans.sh"
 
 . "${SHELLY}/program_config.sh"
 if [ -d "${SHELLY}/overrides.d/program_config" ]; then