diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/main.cc b/gtk2_ardour/main.cc
index bc4c4eaaf0..1e84fe541a 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/main.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/main.cc
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv[])
 		     << endl;
 	}
 
-	if (!ARDOUR::init (ARDOUR_COMMAND_LINE::use_vst, ARDOUR_COMMAND_LINE::try_hw_optimization, localedir.c_str())) {
+	if (!ARDOUR::init (ARDOUR_COMMAND_LINE::use_vst, ARDOUR_COMMAND_LINE::try_hw_optimization, localedir.c_str(), true)) {
 		error << string_compose (_("could not initialize %1."), PROGRAM_NAME) << endmsg;
 		Gtk::Main main (argc, argv);
 		Gtk::MessageDialog msg (string_compose (_("Could not initialize %1 (likely due to corrupt config files).\n"
diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/ardour.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/ardour.h
index 0ded815ee3..71d7c4d553 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/ardour.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/ardour.h
@@ -62,10 +62,12 @@ namespace ARDOUR {
 	 * @param try_optimization true to enable hardware optimized routines
 	 * for mixing, finding peak values etc.
 	 * @param localedir Directory to look for localisation files
+	 * @param with_gui set to true if running from a GUI (expected to take
+	 *                care of certain initialization itself)
 	 *
 	 * @return true if Ardour library was successfully initialized
 	 */
-	LIBARDOUR_API bool init (bool with_vst, bool try_optimization, const char* localedir);
+	LIBARDOUR_API bool init (bool with_vst, bool try_optimization, const char* localedir, bool with_gui = false);
 	LIBARDOUR_API void init_post_engine (uint32_t);
 	LIBARDOUR_API void cleanup ();
 	LIBARDOUR_API bool no_auto_connect ();
diff --git a/libs/ardour/globals.cc b/libs/ardour/globals.cc
index 44d9b22748..9c6aa6ba4a 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/globals.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/globals.cc
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ PBD::Signal3<bool,std::string,std::string,int> ARDOUR::CopyConfigurationFiles;
 std::map<std::string, bool> ARDOUR::reserved_io_names;
 
 static bool have_old_configuration_files = false;
+static bool running_from_gui = false;
 
 namespace ARDOUR {
 extern void setup_enum_writer ();
@@ -444,12 +445,14 @@ ARDOUR::handle_old_configuration_files (boost::function<bool (std::string const&
 }
 
 bool
-ARDOUR::init (bool use_windows_vst, bool try_optimization, const char* localedir)
+ARDOUR::init (bool use_windows_vst, bool try_optimization, const char* localedir, bool with_gui)
 {
 	if (libardour_initialized) {
 		return true;
 	}
 
+	running_from_gui = with_gui;
+
 #ifndef NDEBUG
 	if (getenv("ARDOUR_LUA_METATABLES")) {
 		luabridge::Security::setHideMetatables (false);