'Ello, I'm using TH in a big project and whenever TH starts-up in the GHC (6.4.2) compilation process it loads a number of packages: [119 o 119] Compiling Main ( src/Main.hs, dist/build/eudl/eudl-tmp/Main.o ) Loading package ghc-prim ... linking ... done. Loading package integer-gmp ... linking ... done. Loading package base ... linking ... done. Loading package array-0.4.0.0 ... linking ... done. Loading package strict-0.3.2 ... linking ... done. Loading package split-0.1.4.3 ... linking ... done. Loading package safe-0.3.3 ... linking ... done. Loading package bytestring-0.9.2.1 ... linking ... done. Loading package deepseq-1.3.0.0 ... linking ... done. Loading package containers-0.4.2.1 ... linking ... done. Loading package binary-0.5.1.0 ... linking ... done. Loading package cereal-0.3.5.2 ... linking ... done. Loading package entropy-0.2.1 ... linking ... done. Loading package largeword-1.0.1 ... linking ... done. Loading package tagged-0.4.2.1 ... linking ... done. Loading package crypto-api-0.10.2 ... linking ... done. Loading package pureMD5-2.1.0.3 ... linking ... done. Loading package dlist-0.5 ... linking ... done. Loading package old-locale-1.0.0.4 ... linking ... done. Loading package data-default-0.4.0 ... linking ... done. Loading package pretty-1.1.1.0 ... linking ... done. Loading package template-haskell ... linking ... done. Loading package utf8-string-0.3.7 ... linking ... done. Loading package printf-mauke-3000.0.5.0.1 ... linking ... done. Loading package haskell-lexer-1.0 ... linking ... done. Loading package pretty-show-1.2 ... linking ... done. Loading package parallel-3.2.0.3 ... linking ... done. Loading package transformers-0.2.2.0 ... linking ... done. Loading package mtl-2.0.1.0 ... linking ... done. Loading package text-0.11.2.1 ... linking ... done. Loading package parsec-3.1.3 ... linking ... done. Loading package unix-2.5.1.1 ... linking ... done. Loading package network-2.3.0.14 ... linking ... done. 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Loading package ConfigFile-1.1.1 ... linking ... done. The TH is declared in a separate module, e.g. {-# LANGUAGE TemplateHaskell, QuasiQuotes #-} module Test where import Language.Haskell.TH alias :: String -> Name -> Q [Dec] alias name typ = do d <- newtypeD ctx conName [] con instances return [d] where instances = [''Show,''Num,''Eq,''Ord,''Enum,''Real,''Integral] ctx = return [] conName = mkName name con = recC conName [field] field = return (mkName ("un"++name), NotStrict, ConT typ) aliases :: Name -> [String] -> Q [Dec] aliases typ names = fmap concat $ mapM (flip alias typ) names if I put import Test aliases ''Int ["UserId","EventId"] in the Main module of my project and build the project, I get the above things being loaded. I'm not sure why the modules need to be dynamically linked considering they're not actually being used in the TH. And the module is clearly staged separate to the context in which it's used. I get that I can reify names to things, like “alias "Foo" ''SomePackage'sType” but those types exist at compile time, surely it can't require the actual packages? Can anyone explain? Ciao!