diff --git a/src/buddies/src/bd/bdInit.cc b/src/buddies/src/bd/bdInit.cc
index ddfc7051e..6fd95db14 100644
--- a/src/buddies/src/bd/bdInit.cc
+++ b/src/buddies/src/bd/bdInit.cc
@@ -21,9 +21,12 @@
 */
 
 #include "bdInit.h"
+#include "dbInit.h"
 #include "tlCommandLineParser.h"
 #include "tlProgress.h"
 #include "version.h"
+#include "gsi.h"
+#include "gsiExpression.h"
 
 #include <list>
 
@@ -48,8 +51,18 @@ void init ()
   license += "\n";
   license += prg_about_text;
   tl::CommandLineOptions::set_license (license);
-}
 
+  //  initialize db plugins
+  db::init ();
+
+  //  initialize the GSI class system (Variant binding, Expression support)
+  //  We have to do this now since plugins may register GSI classes and before the
+  //  ruby interpreter, because it depends on a proper class system.
+  gsi::initialize ();
+
+  //  initialize the tl::Expression subsystem with GSI-bound classes
+  gsi::initialize_expressions ();
+}
 
 class ProgressAdaptor
   : public tl::ProgressAdaptor
diff --git a/src/buddies/src/bd/strmrun.cc b/src/buddies/src/bd/strmrun.cc
index 130c75c10..74aa497dd 100644
--- a/src/buddies/src/bd/strmrun.cc
+++ b/src/buddies/src/bd/strmrun.cc
@@ -72,14 +72,6 @@ BD_PUBLIC int strmrun (int argc, char *argv[])
 
   cmd.parse (argc, argv);
 
-  //  initialize the GSI class system (Variant binding, Expression support)
-  //  We have to do this now since plugins may register GSI classes and before the
-  //  ruby interpreter, because it depends on a proper class system.
-  gsi::initialize ();
-
-  //  initialize the tl::Expression subsystem with GSI-bound classes
-  gsi::initialize_expressions ();
-
   //  create the ruby and python interpreter instances now.
   //  Hint: we do this after load_plugin, because that way the plugins can register GSI classes and methods.
   //  TODO: do this through some auto-registration