diff --git a/dict.c b/dict.c
index 164c7f287..5f71d55d7 100644
--- a/dict.c
+++ b/dict.c
@@ -151,13 +151,28 @@ static unsigned int rand_seed = 0;
  * xmlInitializeDict:
  *
  * Do the dictionary mutex initialization.
- * this function is not thread safe, initialization should
- * preferably be done once at startup
+ * this function is deprecated
  *
  * Returns 0 if initialization was already done, and 1 if that
  * call led to the initialization
  */
 int xmlInitializeDict(void) {
+    return(0);
+}
+
+/**
+ * __xmlInitializeDict:
+ *
+ * This function is not public
+ * Do the dictionary mutex initialization.
+ * this function is not thread safe, initialization should
+ * normally be done once at setup when called from xmlOnceInit()
+ * we may also land in this code if thread support is not compiled in
+ *
+ * Returns 0 if initialization was already done, and 1 if that
+ * call led to the initialization
+ */
+int __xmlInitializeDict(void) {
     if (xmlDictInitialized)
         return(1);
 
@@ -183,7 +198,7 @@ int __xmlRandom(void) {
     int ret;
 
     if (xmlDictInitialized == 0)
-        xmlInitializeDict();
+        __xmlInitializeDict();
 
     xmlRMutexLock(xmlDictMutex);
 #ifdef HAVE_RAND_R
@@ -522,7 +537,7 @@ xmlDictCreate(void) {
     xmlDictPtr dict;
 
     if (!xmlDictInitialized)
-        if (!xmlInitializeDict())
+        if (!__xmlInitializeDict())
             return(NULL);
 
 #ifdef DICT_DEBUG_PATTERNS
@@ -590,7 +605,7 @@ xmlDictCreateSub(xmlDictPtr sub) {
 int
 xmlDictReference(xmlDictPtr dict) {
     if (!xmlDictInitialized)
-        if (!xmlInitializeDict())
+        if (!__xmlInitializeDict())
             return(-1);
 
     if (dict == NULL) return -1;
@@ -754,7 +769,7 @@ xmlDictFree(xmlDictPtr dict) {
 	return;
 
     if (!xmlDictInitialized)
-        if (!xmlInitializeDict())
+        if (!__xmlInitializeDict())
             return;
 
     /* decrement the counter, it may be shared by a parser and docs */
diff --git a/libxml.h b/libxml.h
index 7558b5f06..2da9044ef 100644
--- a/libxml.h
+++ b/libxml.h
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ void __xmlGlobalInitMutexLock(void);
 void __xmlGlobalInitMutexUnlock(void);
 void __xmlGlobalInitMutexDestroy(void);
 
+int __xmlInitializeDict(void);
+
 #if defined(HAVE_RAND) && defined(HAVE_SRAND) && defined(HAVE_TIME)
 /*
  * internal thread safe random function
diff --git a/threads.c b/threads.c
index c8414e181..f2f2703c4 100644
--- a/threads.c
+++ b/threads.c
@@ -954,6 +954,7 @@ xmlOnceInit(void)
 #ifdef HAVE_PTHREAD_H
     (void) pthread_key_create(&globalkey, xmlFreeGlobalState);
     mainthread = pthread_self();
+    __xmlInitializeDict();
 #elif defined(HAVE_WIN32_THREADS)
     if (!run_once.done) {
         if (InterlockedIncrement(&run_once.control) == 1) {
@@ -961,6 +962,7 @@ xmlOnceInit(void)
             globalkey = TlsAlloc();
 #endif
             mainthread = GetCurrentThreadId();
+	    __xmlInitializeDict();
             run_once.done = 1;
         } else {
             /* Another thread is working; give up our slice and
@@ -974,6 +976,7 @@ xmlOnceInit(void)
         globalkey = tls_allocate();
         tls_set(globalkey, NULL);
         mainthread = find_thread(NULL);
+	__xmlInitializeDict();
     } else
         atomic_add(&run_once_init, -1);
 #endif