diff --git a/after/plugin/snipMate.vim b/after/plugin/snipMate.vim
index 3f417ed..6614fdc 100644
--- a/after/plugin/snipMate.vim
+++ b/after/plugin/snipMate.vim
@@ -11,14 +11,3 @@ snor <bs> b<bs>
 snor ' b<bs>'
 snor <right> <esc>a
 snor <left> <esc>bi
-
-" By default load snippets in ~/.vim/snippets/<filetype>
-" NOTE: I need to make sure this works on Windows
-if isdirectory($HOME.'/.vim/snippets')
-	if isdirectory($HOME.'/.vim/snippets/_')
-		call ExtractSnips($HOME.'/.vim/snippets/_', '_')
-	endif
-	au FileType * if !exists('s:did_'.&ft) && 
-					\ isdirectory($HOME.'/.vim/snippets/'.&ft)
-				\| cal ExtractSnips($HOME.'/.vim/snippets/'.&ft, &ft) | en
-endif
diff --git a/plugin/snipMate.vim b/plugin/snipMate.vim
index fe461ec..ff42d96 100644
--- a/plugin/snipMate.vim
+++ b/plugin/snipMate.vim
@@ -21,6 +21,23 @@ com! -nargs=+ -bang GlobalSnip call s:MakeSnippet(<q-args>, '_', <bang>0)
 
 let s:snippets = {} | let s:multi_snips = {}
 
+"read in file based snippets for each filetype as we encounter the filetype
+au FileType * call s:CheckForSnippets()
+fun! s:CheckForSnippets()
+	if !exists('s:did_'.&ft) && isdirectory($HOME.'/.vim/snippets/'.&ft)
+		cal ExtractSnips($HOME.'/.vim/snippets/'.&ft, &ft)
+		let s:did_{&ft} = 1
+	en
+endf
+
+"read in the global file based snippets after vim starts
+au VimEnter * call s:ReadGlobalSnippets()
+fun! s:ReadGlobalSnippets()
+	if isdirectory($HOME.'/.vim/snippets/_')
+		call ExtractSnips($HOME.'/.vim/snippets/_', '_')
+	endif
+endf
+
 fun! Filename(...)
 	let filename = expand('%:t:r')
 	if filename == '' | return a:0 == 2 ? a:2 : '' | endif