diff --git a/nixide/src/init.rs b/nixide/src/init.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd9c484
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nixide/src/init.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+use ctor::ctor;
+
+use super::NixideResult;
+use super::errors::ErrorContext;
+use super::util::wrap;
+use super::util::wrappers::AsInnerPtr as _;
+
+pub(crate) static mut LIBNIX_INIT_STATUS: Option<NixideResult<()>> = None;
+
+/// # Warning
+///
+/// > Rust's philosophy is that nothing happens before or after main and [ctor](https://github.com/mmastrac/rust-ctor)
+/// > explicitly subverts that. The code that runs in `ctor` functions
+/// > should be careful to limit itself to libc functions and code
+/// > that does not rely on Rust's stdlib services.
+/// >  - Excerpt from the [github:mmastrac/rust-ctor README.md](https://github.com/mmastrac/rust-ctor?tab=readme-ov-file#warnings)
+#[ctor]
+#[cfg(not(feature = "exprs"))]
+fn init_libutil() {
+    unsafe {
+        if !matches!(LIBNIX_INIT_STATUS, Some(Err(_))) {
+            LIBNIX_INIT_STATUS = Some(wrap::nix_fn!(|ctx: &ErrorContext| unsafe {
+                sys::nix_libutil_init(ctx.as_ptr());
+            }));
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// # Warning
+///
+/// > Rust's philosophy is that nothing happens before or after main and [ctor](https://github.com/mmastrac/rust-ctor)
+/// > explicitly subverts that. The code that runs in `ctor` functions
+/// > should be careful to limit itself to libc functions and code
+/// > that does not rely on Rust's stdlib services.
+/// >  - Excerpt from the [github:mmastrac/rust-ctor README.md](https://github.com/mmastrac/rust-ctor?tab=readme-ov-file#warnings)
+#[ctor]
+#[cfg(all(feature = "store", not(feature = "exprs")))]
+fn init_libstore() {
+    // XXX: TODO: how do I support `sys::nix_libstore_init_no_load_config(context)`?
+    unsafe {
+        if !matches!(LIBNIX_INIT_STATUS, Some(Err(_))) {
+            LIBNIX_INIT_STATUS = Some(wrap::nix_fn!(|ctx: &ErrorContext| unsafe {
+                sys::nix_libstore_init(ctx.as_ptr());
+            }));
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// `sys::nix_libexpr_init` internally runs
+///
+/// # Warning
+///
+/// > Rust's philosophy is that nothing happens before or after main and [ctor](https://github.com/mmastrac/rust-ctor)
+/// > explicitly subverts that. The code that runs in `ctor` functions
+/// > should be careful to limit itself to libc functions and code
+/// > that does not rely on Rust's stdlib services.
+/// >  - Excerpt from the [github:mmastrac/rust-ctor README.md](https://github.com/mmastrac/rust-ctor?tab=readme-ov-file#warnings)
+#[ctor]
+#[cfg(feature = "exprs")]
+fn init_libexpr() {
+    unsafe {
+        if !matches!(LIBNIX_INIT_STATUS, Some(Err(_))) {
+            LIBNIX_INIT_STATUS = Some(wrap::nix_fn!(|ctx: &ErrorContext| unsafe {
+                sys::nix_libexpr_init(ctx.as_ptr());
+            }));
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/nixide/src/lib.rs b/nixide/src/lib.rs
index 027aec7..c9407da 100644
--- a/nixide/src/lib.rs
+++ b/nixide/src/lib.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ pub extern crate libc;
 pub extern crate nixide_sys as sys;
 
 pub(crate) mod errors;
+mod init;
 mod stdext;
 pub(crate) mod util;
 mod verbosity;
@@ -29,63 +30,3 @@ pub use expr::{EvalState, EvalStateBuilder, Value};
 pub use flake::{FlakeSettings, LockedFlake};
 #[cfg(feature = "store")]
 pub use store::{Store, StorePath};
-
-use ctor::ctor;
-use util::wrappers::AsInnerPtr as _;
-
-pub(crate) static mut INIT_LIBUTIL_STATUS: Option<NixideResult<()>> = None;
-#[cfg(feature = "store")]
-pub(crate) static mut INIT_LIBSTORE_STATUS: Option<NixideResult<()>> = None;
-#[cfg(feature = "exprs")]
-pub(crate) static mut INIT_LIBEXPR_STATUS: Option<NixideResult<()>> = None;
-
-/// # Warning
-///
-/// > Rust's philosophy is that nothing happens before or after main and [ctor](https://github.com/mmastrac/rust-ctor)
-/// > explicitly subverts that. The code that runs in `ctor` functions
-/// > should be careful to limit itself to libc functions and code
-/// > that does not rely on Rust's stdlib services.
-/// >  - Excerpt from the [github:mmastrac/rust-ctor README.md](https://github.com/mmastrac/rust-ctor?tab=readme-ov-file#warnings)
-#[ctor]
-fn init_libutil() {
-    unsafe {
-        INIT_LIBUTIL_STATUS = Some(util::wrap::nix_fn!(|ctx: &errors::ErrorContext| unsafe {
-            sys::nix_libutil_init(ctx.as_ptr());
-        }));
-    }
-}
-
-/// # Warning
-///
-/// > Rust's philosophy is that nothing happens before or after main and [ctor](https://github.com/mmastrac/rust-ctor)
-/// > explicitly subverts that. The code that runs in `ctor` functions
-/// > should be careful to limit itself to libc functions and code
-/// > that does not rely on Rust's stdlib services.
-/// >  - Excerpt from the [github:mmastrac/rust-ctor README.md](https://github.com/mmastrac/rust-ctor?tab=readme-ov-file#warnings)
-#[ctor]
-#[cfg(feature = "store")]
-fn init_libstore() {
-    // XXX: TODO: how do I support `sys::nix_libstore_init_no_load_config(context)`?
-    unsafe {
-        INIT_LIBSTORE_STATUS = Some(util::wrap::nix_fn!(|ctx: &errors::ErrorContext| unsafe {
-            sys::nix_libutil_init(ctx.as_ptr());
-        }));
-    }
-}
-
-/// # Warning
-///
-/// > Rust's philosophy is that nothing happens before or after main and [ctor](https://github.com/mmastrac/rust-ctor)
-/// > explicitly subverts that. The code that runs in `ctor` functions
-/// > should be careful to limit itself to libc functions and code
-/// > that does not rely on Rust's stdlib services.
-/// >  - Excerpt from the [github:mmastrac/rust-ctor README.md](https://github.com/mmastrac/rust-ctor?tab=readme-ov-file#warnings)
-#[ctor]
-#[cfg(feature = "exprs")]
-fn init_libexpr() {
-    unsafe {
-        INIT_LIBEXPR_STATUS = Some(util::wrap::nix_fn!(|ctx: &errors::ErrorContext| unsafe {
-            sys::nix_libexpr_init(ctx.as_ptr());
-        }));
-    }
-}