diff --git a/eeshow/git-file.c b/eeshow/git-file.c
index 1aaea6a..7dc75a5 100644
--- a/eeshow/git-file.c
+++ b/eeshow/git-file.c
@@ -421,16 +421,23 @@ static bool try_related(struct vcs_git *vcs_git)
 }
 
 
-struct vcs_git *vcs_git_open(const char *revision, const char *name,
-    const struct vcs_git *related)
+void vcs_git_init(void)
 {
 	static bool initialized = 0;
-	struct vcs_git *vcs_git = alloc_type(struct vcs_git);
 
 	if (!initialized) {
 		git_libgit2_init();
 		initialized = 1;
 	}
+}
+
+
+struct vcs_git *vcs_git_open(const char *revision, const char *name,
+    const struct vcs_git *related)
+{
+	struct vcs_git *vcs_git = alloc_type(struct vcs_git);
+
+	vcs_git_init();
 
 	vcs_git->name = stralloc(name);
 	vcs_git->revision = revision ? stralloc(revision) : NULL;
diff --git a/eeshow/git-file.h b/eeshow/git-file.h
index 1b4c0ff..7d1b637 100644
--- a/eeshow/git-file.h
+++ b/eeshow/git-file.h
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
 struct vcs_git;
 struct file;
 
+void vcs_git_init(void);
+
 struct vcs_git *vcs_git_open(const char *revision, const char *name,
     const struct vcs_git *related);
 void vcs_git_read(void *ctx, struct file *file,
diff --git a/eeshow/git-hist.c b/eeshow/git-hist.c
index b4b48a6..bf0129d 100644
--- a/eeshow/git-hist.c
+++ b/eeshow/git-hist.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 #include "util.h"
 #include "main.h"
+#include "git-file.h"
 #include "git-hist.h"
 
 
@@ -134,7 +135,8 @@ struct hist *vcs_git_hist(const char *path)
 
 	head = new_commit(0);
 
-	git_libgit2_init(); /* @@@ */
+	vcs_git_init();
+
 	if (git_repository_open_ext(&repo, path,
 	    GIT_REPOSITORY_OPEN_CROSS_FS, NULL)) {
 		e = giterr_last();