diff --git a/src/libexpr/tests/libexprtests.hh b/src/libexpr/tests/libexprtests.hh
index 5bb5e66d3..03e468fbb 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/tests/libexprtests.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/tests/libexprtests.hh
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ namespace nix {
     class LibExprTest : public ::testing::Test {
         public:
             static void SetUpTestSuite() {
+                initLibStore();
                 initGC();
             }
 
diff --git a/src/libmain/shared.cc b/src/libmain/shared.cc
index a58428762..99e3d6f56 100644
--- a/src/libmain/shared.cc
+++ b/src/libmain/shared.cc
@@ -235,6 +235,7 @@ void initNix()
 #endif
 
     preloadNSS();
+    initLibStore();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/libstore/globals.cc b/src/libstore/globals.cc
index b7f55cae7..130c5b670 100644
--- a/src/libstore/globals.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/globals.cc
@@ -291,4 +291,18 @@ void initPlugins()
     settings.pluginFiles.pluginsLoaded = true;
 }
 
+static bool initLibStoreDone = false;
+
+void assertLibStoreInitialized() {
+    if (!initLibStoreDone) {
+        printError("The program must call nix::initNix() before calling any libstore library functions.");
+        abort();
+    };
+}
+
+void initLibStore() {
+    initLibStoreDone = true;
+}
+
+
 }
diff --git a/src/libstore/globals.hh b/src/libstore/globals.hh
index f4d53757c..f026c8808 100644
--- a/src/libstore/globals.hh
+++ b/src/libstore/globals.hh
@@ -987,4 +987,12 @@ std::vector<Path> getUserConfigFiles();
 
 extern const std::string nixVersion;
 
+/* NB: This is not sufficient. You need to call initNix() */
+void initLibStore();
+
+/* It's important to initialize before doing _anything_, which is why we
+   call upon the programmer to handle this correctly. However, we only add
+   this in a key locations, so as not to litter the code. */
+void assertLibStoreInitialized();
+
 }
diff --git a/src/libstore/store-api.cc b/src/libstore/store-api.cc
index 80b60ca1b..426230ca5 100644
--- a/src/libstore/store-api.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/store-api.cc
@@ -458,6 +458,7 @@ Store::Store(const Params & params)
     : StoreConfig(params)
     , state({(size_t) pathInfoCacheSize})
 {
+    assertLibStoreInitialized();
 }