diff --git a/lua/core/utils.lua b/lua/core/utils.lua
index 855e4eb..6141737 100644
--- a/lua/core/utils.lua
+++ b/lua/core/utils.lua
@@ -280,23 +280,35 @@ M.tbl_override_req = function(name, default_table)
    return vim.tbl_deep_extend("force", default_table, override)
 end
 
-M.remove_default_plugins = function(plugin_table)
-   local removals = require("core.utils").load_config().plugins.default_plugin_remove or {}
-   local result = {}
-
-   if vim.tbl_isempty(removals) then
-      return plugin_table
+--provide labels to plugins instead of integers
+M.label_plugins = function(plugins)
+   plugins_labeled = {}
+   for _, plugin in ipairs(plugins) do
+      plugins_labeled[plugin[1]] = plugin
    end
+   return plugins_labeled
+end
 
-   for _, value in pairs(plugin_table) do
-      for _, plugin in ipairs(removals) do
-         if value[1] ~= plugin then
-            table.insert(result, value)
-         end
+-- remove plugins specified by user from the plugins table
+M.remove_default_plugins = function(plugins)
+   local removals = require("core.utils").load_config().plugins.default_plugin_remove or {}
+   if not vim.tbl_isempty(removals) then
+      for _, plugin in pairs(removals) do
+         plugins[plugin] = nil
       end
    end
+   return plugins
+end
 
-   return result
+-- append user plugins to default plugins
+M.add_user_plugins = function(plugins)
+   local user_Plugins = require("core.utils").load_config().plugins.install or {}
+   if not vim.tbl_isempty(user_Plugins) then
+      for _, v in pairs(user_Plugins) do
+         plugins[v[1]] = v
+      end
+   end
+   return plugins
 end
 
 return M
diff --git a/lua/plugins/init.lua b/lua/plugins/init.lua
index b26c8b1..3716b9a 100644
--- a/lua/plugins/init.lua
+++ b/lua/plugins/init.lua
@@ -224,18 +224,16 @@ local plugins = {
       end,
    },
 }
+
+--label plugins for operational assistance
+plugins = require("core.utils").label_plugins(plugins)
 --remove plugins specified in chadrc
 plugins = require("core.utils").remove_default_plugins(plugins)
+--add plugins specified in chadrc
+plugins = require("core.utils").add_user_plugins(plugins)
 
--- append user plugins to default plugins
-local user_Plugins = plugin_settings.install
-
-if type(user_Plugins) == "table" then
-   if table.maxn(user_Plugins) == 1 then
-      plugins[#plugins + 1] = user_Plugins[1]
-   else
-      plugins[#plugins + 1] = user_Plugins
+return packer.startup(function(use)
+   for _, v in pairs(plugins_labeled) do
+      use(v)
    end
-end
-
-return packer.startup { plugins }
+end)