diff --git a/common/startup.c b/common/startup.c
index e59b06d..6178fc5 100644
--- a/common/startup.c
+++ b/common/startup.c
@@ -62,6 +62,24 @@
 fs_initcall(mount_root);
 #endif
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_ENV_HANDLING
+static int load_environment(void)
+{
+	const char *default_environment_path;
+
+	default_environment_path = default_environment_path_get();
+
+	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT))
+		defaultenv_load("/env", 0);
+
+	envfs_load(default_environment_path, "/env", 0);
+	nvvar_load();
+
+	return 0;
+}
+environment_initcall(load_environment);
+#endif
+
 int (*barebox_main)(void);
 
 void __noreturn start_barebox(void)
@@ -84,16 +102,6 @@
 
 	pr_debug("initcalls done\n");
 
-	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ENV_HANDLING)) {
-		char *default_environment_path = default_environment_path_get();
-
-		if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT))
-			defaultenv_load("/env", 0);
-
-		envfs_load(default_environment_path, "/env", 0);
-		nvvar_load();
-	}
-
 	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_COMMAND_SUPPORT)) {
 		pr_info("running /env/bin/init...\n");
 
diff --git a/include/asm-generic/barebox.lds.h b/include/asm-generic/barebox.lds.h
index e359187..254397e 100644
--- a/include/asm-generic/barebox.lds.h
+++ b/include/asm-generic/barebox.lds.h
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@
 	KEEP(*(.initcall.9))			\
 	KEEP(*(.initcall.10))			\
 	KEEP(*(.initcall.11))			\
-	KEEP(*(.initcall.12))
+	KEEP(*(.initcall.12))			\
+	KEEP(*(.initcall.13))			\
+	KEEP(*(.initcall.14))
 
 #define BAREBOX_CMDS	KEEP(*(SORT_BY_NAME(.barebox_cmd*)))
 
diff --git a/include/init.h b/include/init.h
index 37c7eed..f619c95 100644
--- a/include/init.h
+++ b/include/init.h
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@
 #define device_initcall(fn)		__define_initcall("10",fn,10)
 #define crypto_initcall(fn)		__define_initcall("11",fn,11)
 #define late_initcall(fn)		__define_initcall("12",fn,12)
+#define environment_initcall(fn)	__define_initcall("13",fn,13)
+#define postenvironment_initcall(fn)	__define_initcall("14",fn,14)
 
 /* section for code used very early when
  * - we're not running from where we linked at