diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7292e4a..193ce5f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -39,14 +39,11 @@ You can add the following Lua code to your `init.lua` to bootstrap **lazy.nvim**
 ```lua
 local lazypath = vim.fn.stdpath("data") .. "/lazy/lazy.nvim"
 if not vim.loop.fs_stat(lazypath) then
-  vim.fn.system({
-    "git",
-    "clone",
-    "--filter=blob:none",
+  vim.fn.system({ "git", "clone",
+    "--filter=blob:none", "--depth=1",
     "https://github.com/folke/lazy.nvim.git",
-    "--branch=stable", -- latest stable release
-    lazypath,
-  })
+    lazypath })
+  vim.fn.system({ "git", "-C", lazypath, "checkout", "tags/stable" }) -- last stable release
 end
 vim.opt.rtp:prepend(lazypath)
 ```
diff --git a/lua/lazy/health.lua b/lua/lazy/health.lua
index 38fa0ed..7943dd8 100644
--- a/lua/lazy/health.lua
+++ b/lua/lazy/health.lua
@@ -53,19 +53,23 @@ function M.check()
   end
 
   local spec = Config.spec
-  for _, plugin in pairs(spec.plugins) do
-    M.check_valid(plugin)
-    M.check_override(plugin)
-  end
-  if #spec.notifs > 0 then
-    error("Issues were reported when loading your specs:")
-    for _, notif in ipairs(spec.notifs) do
-      local lines = vim.split(notif.msg, "\n")
-      for _, line in ipairs(lines) do
-        if notif.level == vim.log.levels.ERROR then
-          error(line)
-        else
-          warn(line)
+  if spec == nil then
+    ok("no packages setup for installation so far.")
+  else
+    for _, plugin in pairs(spec.plugins) do
+      M.check_valid(plugin)
+      M.check_override(plugin)
+    end
+    if #spec.notifs > 0 then
+      error("Issues were reported when loading your specs:")
+      for _, notif in ipairs(spec.notifs) do
+        local lines = vim.split(notif.msg, "\n")
+        for _, line in ipairs(lines) do
+          if notif.level == vim.log.levels.ERROR then
+            error(line)
+          else
+            warn(line)
+          end
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/lua/lazy/init.lua b/lua/lazy/init.lua
index 2b41ffd..aa6f430 100644
--- a/lua/lazy/init.lua
+++ b/lua/lazy/init.lua
@@ -96,14 +96,11 @@ end
 function M.bootstrap()
   local lazypath = vim.fn.stdpath("data") .. "/lazy/lazy.nvim"
   if not vim.loop.fs_stat(lazypath) then
-    vim.fn.system({
-      "git",
-      "clone",
-      "--filter=blob:none",
+    vim.fn.system({ "git", "clone",
+      "--filter=blob:none", "--depth=1",
       "https://github.com/folke/lazy.nvim.git",
-      "--branch=stable", -- latest stable release
-      lazypath,
-    })
+      lazypath })
+    vim.fn.system({ "git", "-C", lazypath, "checkout", "tags/stable" }) -- last stable release
   end
   vim.opt.rtp:prepend(lazypath)
 end