diff --git a/early-init.el b/early-init.el
index a07624b..08badb6 100644
--- a/early-init.el
+++ b/early-init.el
@@ -96,6 +96,9 @@ modified during setup.")
 (defvar minimal-emacs-user-directory user-emacs-directory
   "The default value of the `user-emacs-directory' variable.")
 
+(defvar minimal-emacs-dired-group-directories-first t
+  "If non-nil, group directories first in Dired listings.")
+
 ;;; Load pre-early-init.el
 
 ;; Prefer loading newer compiled files
diff --git a/init.el b/init.el
index ad18a40..7500c5b 100644
--- a/init.el
+++ b/init.el
@@ -427,14 +427,16 @@
 (setq dired-omit-files (concat "\\`[.]\\'"))
 
 ;; Group directories first
-(let ((args "--group-directories-first -ahlv"))
-  (when (or (eq system-type 'darwin)
-            (eq system-type 'berkeley-unix))
-    (if-let* ((gls (executable-find "gls")))
-        (setq insert-directory-program gls)
-      (setq args nil)))
-  (when args
-    (setq dired-listing-switches args)))
+(when minimal-emacs-dired-group-directories-first
+  (with-eval-after-load 'dired
+    (let ((args "--group-directories-first -ahlv"))
+      (when (or (eq system-type 'darwin)
+                (eq system-type 'berkeley-unix))
+        (if-let* ((gls (executable-find "gls")))
+            (setq insert-directory-program gls)
+          (setq args nil)))
+      (when args
+        (setq dired-listing-switches args)))))
 
 (setq ls-lisp-verbosity nil)
 (setq ls-lisp-dirs-first t)