diff --git a/skel/.profile b/skel/.profile
index 68e7111..28230b0 100644
--- a/skel/.profile
+++ b/skel/.profile
@@ -12,9 +12,6 @@ umask 026
 # effectively unlimited history
 export HISTSIZE=10000000
 
-# source local variables
-[ -f "$HOME/.profile-local" ] && source "$HOME/.profile-local"
-[ -f "$HOME/.profile-private" ] && source "$HOME/.profile-private"
 
 # firefox hardware acceleration
 export MOZ_USE_OMTC=1
@@ -25,6 +22,13 @@ export MOZ_WEBRENDER=
 export VISUAL="vim"
 export EDITOR="vim"
 
+# source local variables
+# will override any variables defined above
+[ -f "$HOME/.profile-local" ] && source "$HOME/.profile-local"
+[ -f "$HOME/.profile-private" ] && source "$HOME/.profile-private"
+# end preferences - switched controls below
+
+
 # gtk options
 # enable "command pallete"
 export GTK3_MODULES="/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libplotinus/libplotinus.so:$GTK3_MODULES"