diff --git a/crates/nu-std/src/lib.rs b/crates/nu-std/src/lib.rs
index ead68a0b56..695786b8e8 100644
--- a/crates/nu-std/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-std/src/lib.rs
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@ pub fn load_standard_library(
             ("core", include_str!("../std/core.nu")),
             // std module - Loads all commands and submodules
             ("mod.nu", include_str!("../std/mod.nu")),
-            // Faster - Loads a subset of commands and submodules
-            ("prelude", include_str!("../std/prelude.nu")),
             // std submodules
             ("assert", include_str!("../std/assert.nu")),
             ("bench", include_str!("../std/bench.nu")),
diff --git a/crates/nu-std/std/mod.nu b/crates/nu-std/std/mod.nu
index affc332e4d..72839279e6 100644
--- a/crates/nu-std/std/mod.nu
+++ b/crates/nu-std/std/mod.nu
@@ -1,8 +1,21 @@
 # std.nu, `used` to load all standard library components
 
-export use lib *
+export module help
+export module input
+export module iter
+export module log
 export module assert
-export module bench
+
+# Allow use of non-prefixed commands
+# from these submodules when `use std *`
+export use lib *
+export use bench *
+export use dt *
+export use formats *
+export use xml *
+export use math *
+
+# Load main dirs command and all subcommands
 export use dirs main
 export module dirs {
   export use dirs [
@@ -13,14 +26,9 @@ export module dirs {
     goto
   ]
 }
-export module dt
-export use dt *
-export module formats
-export use formats *
-export module help
-export module input
-export module iter
-export module log
-export use math *
+
+# Backward compatibility
+# Allow, for example, `formats to jsonl`
 export module xml
-export use xml *
\ No newline at end of file
+export module formats
+export module dt
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/crates/nu-std/std/prelude.nu b/crates/nu-std/std/prelude.nu
deleted file mode 100644
index ed723a3a1c..0000000000
--- a/crates/nu-std/std/prelude.nu
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-# std.nu, `used` to load base standard library components
-
-export module input
-export module iter
-
-# Make certain commands available in the top-level namespace
-export use lib *
-export use formats *
-export use dt *
\ No newline at end of file