diff --git a/cbits/nix.cpp b/cbits/nix.cpp
index 8dbd715..80d5b81 100644
--- a/cbits/nix.cpp
+++ b/cbits/nix.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ static ref<Store> getStore()
 
 extern "C" {
 
+// Must be called once before the server is stated to avoid races
+void initStore()
+{
+    getStore();
+}
+
 void freeString(struct string * const input)
 {
     free((void *) input->data);
diff --git a/src/Main.hs b/src/Main.hs
index 7201610..f7f354d 100644
--- a/src/Main.hs
+++ b/src/Main.hs
@@ -341,6 +341,8 @@ main = do
     options@Options{ priority, timeout, verbosity } <- do
         Options.execParser Options.parserInfo
 
+    Nix.initStore
+
     storeDirectory <- Nix.getStoreDir
 
     secretKeyFile <- Environment.lookupEnv "NIX_SECRET_KEY_FILE"
diff --git a/src/Nix.hsc b/src/Nix.hsc
index 0bd007d..c4313c0 100644
--- a/src/Nix.hsc
+++ b/src/Nix.hsc
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ import qualified Foreign
 
 #include "nix.hh"
 
+foreign import ccall "initStore" initStore :: IO ()
+
 foreign import ccall "freeString" freeString :: Ptr String_ -> IO ()
 
 data String_ = String_ { data_ :: Ptr CChar, size  :: CSize }