diff --git a/C/c_interface.c b/C/c_interface.c
index 2a4959744..1336906fe 100644
--- a/C/c_interface.c
+++ b/C/c_interface.c
@@ -2937,7 +2937,13 @@ YAP_Init(YAP_init_args *yap_init)
   int restore_result;
   int do_bootstrap = (yap_init->YapPrologBootFile != NULL);
   CELL Trail = 0, Stack = 0, Heap = 0, Atts = 0;
-  static char boot_file[256];
+  char boot_file[256];
+  static int initialised = FALSE;
+
+  /* ignore repeated calls to YAP_Init */
+  if (initialised)
+    return YAP_BOOT_DONE_BEFOREHAND;
+  initialised = TRUE;
 
   Yap_InitPageSize();  /* init memory page size, required by later functions */
 #if defined(YAPOR_COPY) || defined(YAPOR_COW) || defined(YAPOR_SBA)
diff --git a/include/yap_structs.h b/include/yap_structs.h
index fd98977f1..f77e51b6e 100644
--- a/include/yap_structs.h
+++ b/include/yap_structs.h
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ typedef enum {
 #define YAP_BOOT_FROM_SAVED_CODE   1
 #define YAP_BOOT_FROM_SAVED_STACKS 2
 #define YAP_FULL_BOOT_FROM_PROLOG  4
+#define YAP_BOOT_DONE_BEFOREHAND   8
 #define YAP_BOOT_ERROR            -1
 
 #define YAP_WRITE_QUOTED		1