diff --git a/compiler/compile_target_code.m b/compiler/compile_target_code.m
index 8b0f03c51..845c4e574 100644
--- a/compiler/compile_target_code.m
+++ b/compiler/compile_target_code.m
@@ -639,16 +639,6 @@ assemble(ErrorStream, PIC, ModuleName, Succeeded) -->
 %-----------------------------------------------------------------------------%
 
 make_init_file(ErrorStream, MainModuleName, AllModules, Succeeded) -->
-    globals__io_lookup_maybe_string_option(make_init_file_command,
-		MaybeInitFileCommand),
-    (
-	{ MaybeInitFileCommand = yes(InitFileCommand0) },
-	{ InitFileCommand = substitute_user_command(InitFileCommand0,
-		MainModuleName, AllModules) },
-	invoke_shell_command(ErrorStream, verbose_commands,
-		InitFileCommand, Succeeded)
-    ;
-	{ MaybeInitFileCommand = no },
 	module_name_to_file_name(MainModuleName, ".init.tmp",
 		yes, TmpInitFileName),
 	io__open_output(TmpInitFileName, InitFileRes),
@@ -674,10 +664,25 @@ make_init_file(ErrorStream, MainModuleName, AllModules, Succeeded) -->
 				[]
 			)
 		    ), AllModules),
+		globals__io_lookup_maybe_string_option(extra_init_command,
+			MaybeInitFileCommand),
+		(
+			{ MaybeInitFileCommand = yes(InitFileCommand0) },
+			{ InitFileCommand = substitute_user_command(
+				InitFileCommand0, MainModuleName,
+				AllModules) },
+			invoke_shell_command(InitFileStream, verbose_commands,
+				InitFileCommand, Succeeded0)
+		;
+			{ MaybeInitFileCommand = no },
+			{ Succeeded0 = yes }
+		),
+
 		io__close_output(InitFileStream),
 		module_name_to_file_name(MainModuleName, ".init",
 			yes, InitFileName),
-		update_interface(InitFileName, Succeeded)
+		update_interface(InitFileName, Succeeded1),
+		{ Succeeded = Succeeded0 `and` Succeeded1 }
 	;
 		{ InitFileRes = error(Error) },
 		io__progname_base("mercury_compile", ProgName),
@@ -689,8 +694,7 @@ make_init_file(ErrorStream, MainModuleName, AllModules, Succeeded) -->
 		io__write_string(ErrorStream, io__error_message(Error)),
 		io__nl(ErrorStream),
 		{ Succeeded = no }
-	)
-    ).
+	).
 
 %-----------------------------------------------------------------------------%
 
diff --git a/compiler/modules.m b/compiler/modules.m
index 21be377f0..3fb36a468 100644
--- a/compiler/modules.m
+++ b/compiler/modules.m
@@ -4047,6 +4047,12 @@ generate_dep_file(SourceFileName, ModuleName, DepsMap, DepStream) -->
 		"\techo > ", InitFileName, "\n"
 	]),
 	list__foldl(append_to_init_list(DepStream, InitFileName), Modules),
+
+	% $(EXTRA_INIT_COMMAND) should expand to a command to
+	% generate extra entries in the `.init' file for a library.
+	% It may expand to the empty string.
+	io__write_string(DepStream, "\t$(EXTRA_INIT_COMMAND) >> "),
+	io__write_string(DepStream, InitFileName),
 	io__write_string(DepStream, "\n"),
 
 	% The `force-module_init' dependency forces the commands for
diff --git a/compiler/options.m b/compiler/options.m
index 967a790b5..bf3535b93 100644
--- a/compiler/options.m
+++ b/compiler/options.m
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@
 		;	keep_going
 		;	rebuild
 		;	invoked_by_mmc_make
-		;	make_init_file_command
+		;	extra_init_command
 		;	pre_link_command
 		;	install_prefix
 		;	install_command
@@ -1086,7 +1086,7 @@ option_defaults_2(build_system_option, [
 	rebuild			-	bool(no),
 	invoked_by_mmc_make	-	bool(no),
 	pre_link_command	-	maybe_string(no),
-	make_init_file_command	-	maybe_string(no),
+	extra_init_command	-	maybe_string(no),
 	install_prefix		-	string("/usr/local/"),
 	install_command		-	string("cp"),
 	libgrades		-	accumulating([]),
@@ -1665,7 +1665,7 @@ long_option("keep-going",		keep_going).
 long_option("rebuild",			rebuild).
 long_option("invoked-by-mmc-make",	invoked_by_mmc_make).
 long_option("pre-link-command",		pre_link_command).
-long_option("make-init-file-command",	make_init_file_command).
+long_option("extra-init-command",	extra_init_command).
 long_option("install-prefix",		install_prefix).
 long_option("install-command",		install_command).
 long_option("library-grade",		libgrades).
@@ -3433,11 +3433,10 @@ options_help_build_system -->
 		"\treplaced with the list of modules making up the library.",
 		"\tOccurrences of `@@' and `%%' will be replaced with `@'",
 		"\tand `%' respectively.",
-		"--make-init-file-command <command>",
-		"\tSpecify an alternative command to produce the `.init' file",
-		"\tfor a library. Occurrences of `@' and `%' in the command",
+		"--extra-init-command <command>",
+		"\tSpecify a command to produce extra entries in the `.init'",
+		"\tfile for a library. Occurrences of `@' and `%' in the command",
 		"\tare substituted as for the `--pre-link-command' option.",
-		"\tBy default, `mmc --make' creates the `.init' file itself.",
 		"--install-prefix <dir>",
 		"\tThe directory under which to install Mercury libraries.",
 		"--install-command <command>",
diff --git a/doc/user_guide.texi b/doc/user_guide.texi
index ae195ef7d..47fb5cea1 100644
--- a/doc/user_guide.texi
+++ b/doc/user_guide.texi
@@ -5634,12 +5634,11 @@ replaced with the list of modules making up the library.
 Occurrences of @samp{@@@@} and @samp{%%} will be replaced
 with @samp{@@} and @samp{%} respectively.
 
-@item --make-init-file-command @var{command}
-@findex --make-init-file-command
-Specify an alternative command to produce the @file{.init} file
+@item --extra-init-command @var{command}
+@findex --extra-init-command
+Specify a command to produce extra entries in the @file{.init} file
 for a library. Occurrences of @samp{@@} and @samp{%} in the command
 are substituted as for the @samp{--pre-link-command} option.
-By default, @samp{mmc --make} creates the @samp{.init} file itself.
 
 @item -k
 @itemx --keep-going
diff --git a/library/Mmakefile b/library/Mmakefile
index c50eeceb4..276c963a6 100644
--- a/library/Mmakefile
+++ b/library/Mmakefile
@@ -246,23 +246,19 @@ lib_std: lib$(STD_LIB_NAME)
 
 ifeq ($(MMAKE_USE_MMC_MAKE),no)
 
-$(STD_LIB_NAME).init: $(deps_subdir)$(STD_LIB_NAME).dep
+EXTRA_INIT_COMMAND = \
 	for file in $($(STD_LIB_NAME).ms); do \
 		grep '^INIT ' $$file; \
-		echo "INIT mercury__`basename $$file .m`__init"; \
-	done > $(STD_LIB_NAME).init
-
+		true; \
+	done
 
 else
 
-# The command below is invoked as "command >& module.err". The braces
-# stop the output meant for the `.init' file being redirected to the
-# `.err' file.
-MCFLAGS += --make-init-file-command \
-		"{ for module in %; do \
+MCFLAGS += --extra-init-command \
+		"for module in %; do \
 			grep '^INIT ' $$$${module}.m; \
-			echo INIT mercury__$$$${module}__init; \
-		done > @.init; }"
+			true; \
+		done"
 endif
 
 endif	# GRADE != il
diff --git a/scripts/Mmake.vars.in b/scripts/Mmake.vars.in
index 1ad9fae06..49973bd0e 100644
--- a/scripts/Mmake.vars.in
+++ b/scripts/Mmake.vars.in
@@ -282,6 +282,10 @@ C2INITARGS	=
 EXTRA_C2INITARGS =
 LIB_C2INITARGS	= $(patsubst %,%.init,$(ALL_EXTRA_LIBRARIES))
 
+# $(EXTRA_INIT_COMMAND) should expand to a command to generate extra entries
+# in the `.init' file for a library. It may expand to the empty string.
+EXTRA_INIT_COMMAND =
+
 # c2init and ml take the same arguments.
 C2INIT_AND_MLFLAGS = $(MLFLAGS) $(C2INITFLAGS) \
 			$(EXTRA_MLFLAGS) $(EXTRA_C2INITFLAGS) \