diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/init.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/init.go
index ed0218c0e2..b5fd2e7c75 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/init.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/init.go
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ func renameinit() *types.Sym {
 	return s
 }
 
+// List of imported packages, in source code order. See #31636.
+var sourceOrderImports []*types.Pkg
+
 // fninit makes an initialization record for the package.
 // See runtime/proc.go:initTask for its layout.
 // The 3 tasks for initialization are:
@@ -40,8 +43,15 @@ func fninit(n []ir.Node) {
 	var fns []*obj.LSym  // functions to call for package initialization
 
 	// Find imported packages with init tasks.
-	for _, s := range types.InitSyms {
-		deps = append(deps, s.Linksym())
+	for _, pkg := range sourceOrderImports {
+		n := resolve(ir.AsNode(pkg.Lookup(".inittask").Def))
+		if n == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		if n.Op() != ir.ONAME || n.Class() != ir.PEXTERN {
+			base.Fatalf("bad inittask: %v", n)
+		}
+		deps = append(deps, n.Sym().Linksym())
 	}
 
 	// Make a function that contains all the initialization statements.
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/noder.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/noder.go
index 98a09f4006..6a5afe7687 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/noder.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/noder.go
@@ -347,6 +347,9 @@ func (p *noder) importDecl(imp *syntax.ImportDecl) {
 		p.importedEmbed = true
 	}
 
+	if !ipkg.Direct {
+		sourceOrderImports = append(sourceOrderImports, ipkg)
+	}
 	ipkg.Direct = true
 
 	var my *types.Sym
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types/pkg.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types/pkg.go
index bcc6789509..bf90570b53 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types/pkg.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types/pkg.go
@@ -84,9 +84,6 @@ func (pkg *Pkg) Lookup(name string) *Sym {
 	return s
 }
 
-// List of .inittask entries in imported packages, in source code order.
-var InitSyms []*Sym
-
 // LookupOK looks up name in pkg and reports whether it previously existed.
 func (pkg *Pkg) LookupOK(name string) (s *Sym, existed bool) {
 	// TODO(gri) remove this check in favor of specialized lookup
@@ -101,9 +98,6 @@ func (pkg *Pkg) LookupOK(name string) (s *Sym, existed bool) {
 		Name: name,
 		Pkg:  pkg,
 	}
-	if name == ".inittask" {
-		InitSyms = append(InitSyms, s)
-	}
 	pkg.Syms[name] = s
 	return s, false
 }