diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/export.c b/src/cmd/gc/export.c
index 594509915e..09b963f271 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/export.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/export.c
@@ -51,6 +51,12 @@ exportname(char *s)
 	return isupperrune(r);
 }
 
+static int
+initname(char *s)
+{
+	return strcmp(s, "init") == 0;
+}
+
 void
 autoexport(Node *n, int ctxt)
 {
@@ -60,7 +66,7 @@ autoexport(Node *n, int ctxt)
 		return;
 	if(n->ntype && n->ntype->op == OTFUNC && n->ntype->left)	// method
 		return;
-	if(exportname(n->sym->name) || strcmp(n->sym->name, "init") == 0)
+	if(exportname(n->sym->name) || initname(n->sym->name))
 		exportsym(n);
 	else
 		packagesym(n);
@@ -304,7 +310,7 @@ importsym(Sym *s, int op)
 
 	// mark the symbol so it is not reexported
 	if(s->def == N) {
-		if(exportname(s->name))
+		if(exportname(s->name) || initname(s->name))
 			s->flags |= SymExport;
 		else
 			s->flags |= SymPackage;	// package scope
@@ -374,7 +380,7 @@ importvar(Sym *s, Type *t, int ctxt)
 {
 	Node *n;
 
-	if(!exportname(s->name) && !mypackage(s))
+	if(!exportname(s->name) && !initname(s->name) && !mypackage(s))
 		return;
 
 	importsym(s, ONAME);
diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/init.c b/src/cmd/gc/init.c
index dc073443e0..af4eb03360 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/init.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/init.c
@@ -30,19 +30,19 @@ renameinit(Node *n)
 
 /*
  * hand-craft the following initialization code
- *	var initdone·<file> uint8 			(1)
- *	func	Init·<file>()				(2)
- *		if initdone·<file> != 0 {		(3)
- *			if initdone·<file> == 2		(4)
+ *	var initdone· uint8 				(1)
+ *	func init()					(2)
+ *		if initdone· != 0 {			(3)
+ *			if initdone· == 2		(4)
  *				return
  *			throw();			(5)
  *		}
- *		initdone.<file> = 1;			(6)
+ *		initdone· = 1;				(6)
  *		// over all matching imported symbols
- *			<pkg>.init·<file>()		(7)
+ *			<pkg>.init()			(7)
  *		{ <init stmts> }			(8)
- *		init·<file>()	// if any		(9)
- *		initdone.<file> = 2;			(10)
+ *		init·<n>() // if any			(9)
+ *		initdone· = 2;				(10)
  *		return					(11)
  *	}
  */
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ anyinit(NodeList *n)
 	// are there any imported init functions
 	for(h=0; h<NHASH; h++)
 	for(s = hash[h]; s != S; s = s->link) {
-		if(s->name[0] != 'I' || strncmp(s->name, "Init·", 6) != 0)
+		if(s->name[0] != 'i' || strcmp(s->name, "init") != 0)
 			continue;
 		if(s->def == N)
 			continue;
@@ -118,12 +118,7 @@ fninit(NodeList *n)
 
 	// (2)
 	maxarg = 0;
-	snprint(namebuf, sizeof(namebuf), "Init·");
-
-	// this is a botch since we need a known name to
-	// call the top level init function out of rt0
-	if(strcmp(localpkg->name, "main") == 0)
-		snprint(namebuf, sizeof(namebuf), "init");
+	snprint(namebuf, sizeof(namebuf), "init");
 
 	fn = nod(ODCLFUNC, N, N);
 	initsym = lookup(namebuf);
@@ -154,7 +149,7 @@ fninit(NodeList *n)
 	// (7)
 	for(h=0; h<NHASH; h++)
 	for(s = hash[h]; s != S; s = s->link) {
-		if(s->name[0] != 'I' || strncmp(s->name, "Init·", 6) != 0)
+		if(s->name[0] != 'i' || strcmp(s->name, "init") != 0)
 			continue;
 		if(s->def == N)
 			continue;
diff --git a/src/cmd/gc/subr.c b/src/cmd/gc/subr.c
index 94e6dc5d52..142e5ba41e 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gc/subr.c
+++ b/src/cmd/gc/subr.c
@@ -2268,7 +2268,7 @@ syslook(char *name, int copy)
 
 	s = pkglookup(name, runtimepkg);
 	if(s == S || s->def == N)
-		fatal("looksys: cant find runtime.%s", name);
+		fatal("syslook: can't find runtime.%s", name);
 
 	if(!copy)
 		return s->def;
diff --git a/test/init.go b/test/init.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b6c8c97063
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/init.go
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+// errchk $G -e $D/$F.go
+
+// Copyright 2011 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package main
+
+import "runtime"
+
+func init() {
+}
+
+func main() {
+	init()         // ERROR "undefined: init"
+	runtime.init() // ERROR "unexported.*runtime\.init"
+	var _ = init   // ERROR "undefined: init"
+}