diff --git a/pisi/__init__.py b/pisi/__init__.py
index 864b6427..5ba82456 100644
--- a/pisi/__init__.py
+++ b/pisi/__init__.py
@@ -21,3 +21,6 @@ class Error(Exception):
 class Exception(Exception):
     """Class of exceptions that must be caught and handled within PISI"""
     pass
+
+# FIXME: can't do this due to name clashes in config and other singletons booo
+#from pisi.api import *
diff --git a/pisi/api.py b/pisi/api.py
index 3637ed4e..1ffdb492 100644
--- a/pisi/api.py
+++ b/pisi/api.py
@@ -18,6 +18,27 @@ if ver[0] <= 2 and ver[1] < 4:
     from sets import Set as set
 
 import pisi
+
+class Error(pisi.Error):
+    pass
+
+def init(database = True, options = None, ui = None ):
+    import pisi.config
+    import pisi.ui
+    """Initialize PiSi subsystem"""
+    pisi.config.config = pisi.config.Config(options)
+    if ui is None:
+        if options:
+            pisi.ui.ui = pisi.ui.CLI(options.debug)
+        else:
+            pisi.ui.ui = pisi.ui.CLI()
+    else:
+        pisi.ui.ui = ui
+    # initialize repository databases
+    if database:
+        from pisi.repodb import repodb
+        repodb.init_dbs()
+
 from pisi.config import config
 from pisi.constants import const
 from pisi.ui import ui
@@ -31,16 +52,6 @@ from pisi.repodb import repodb
 from pisi.installdb import installdb
 from pisi.index import Index
 
-class Error(pisi.Error):
-    pass
-
-def init(database = True):
-    """Kickstart PISI subsystem"""
-        # initialize repository databases
-    if database:
-        from pisi.repodb import repodb
-        repodb.init_dbs()
-
 
 def install(packages):
     """install a list of packages (either files/urls, or names)"""
diff --git a/pisi/cli/commands.py b/pisi/cli/commands.py
index 915e63da..db90363e 100644
--- a/pisi/cli/commands.py
+++ b/pisi/cli/commands.py
@@ -58,12 +58,6 @@ class Command(object):
         self.commonopts()
         (self.options, self.args) = self.parser.parse_args()
         self.args.pop(0)                # exclude command arg
-
-        import pisi
-
-        # initialize PiSi
-        pisi.config.config = pisi.config.Config(self.options)
-        pisi.ui.ui = pisi.ui.CLI(self.options.debug)
         
         self.check_auth_info()
 
@@ -119,11 +113,11 @@ class Command(object):
         """initialize PiSi components"""
         
         # NB: command imports here or in the command class run fxns
+        import pisi
         import pisi.api
+        pisi.api.init(database, self.options)
         from pisi.ui import ui
 
-        pisi.api.init(database)
-
     def finalize(self):
         """do cleanup work for PiSi components"""
         pass