diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 7a8868110..8f96b0538 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ BIN2C = $(builddir)/helper/bin2char$(EXEEXT_FOR_BUILD)
 
 # Convert .tcl to cfile
 startup_tcl.c: startup.tcl $(BIN2C)
-	$(BIN2C) startup_tcl < $< > $@ || rm -f $@
+	$(BIN2C) openocd_startup_tcl < $< > $@ || rm -f $@
 
 # add startup_tcl.c to make clean list
 CLEANFILES = startup.tcl startup_tcl.c
diff --git a/src/helper/command.c b/src/helper/command.c
index ad09e3de2..708a8024f 100644
--- a/src/helper/command.c
+++ b/src/helper/command.c
@@ -766,10 +766,9 @@ COMMAND_HANDLER(handle_fast_command)
 }
 
 
-struct command_context* command_init()
+struct command_context* command_init(const char *startup_tcl)
 {
 	struct command_context* context = malloc(sizeof(struct command_context));
-	extern const char startup_tcl[];
 	const char *HostOs;
 
 	context->mode = COMMAND_EXEC;
diff --git a/src/helper/command.h b/src/helper/command.h
index 62231fc83..05088b56f 100644
--- a/src/helper/command.h
+++ b/src/helper/command.h
@@ -190,7 +190,10 @@ struct command_context* copy_command_context(struct command_context* context);
 
 int command_context_mode(struct command_context *context, enum command_mode mode);
 
-struct command_context* command_init(void);
+/**
+ * Creates a new command context using the startup TCL provided.
+ */
+struct command_context* command_init(const char *startup_tcl);
 int command_done(struct command_context *context);
 
 void command_print(struct command_context *context, const char *format, ...)
diff --git a/src/openocd.c b/src/openocd.c
index 9edd611dd..b7781a6b6 100644
--- a/src/openocd.c
+++ b/src/openocd.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "config.h"
 #endif
 
+#include "openocd.h"
 #include "jtag.h"
 #include "configuration.h"
 #include "xsvf.h"
@@ -168,7 +169,7 @@ struct command_context *setup_command_handler(void)
 {
 	struct command_context *cmd_ctx;
 
-	global_cmd_ctx = cmd_ctx = command_init();
+	global_cmd_ctx = cmd_ctx = command_init(openocd_startup_tcl);
 
 	register_command(cmd_ctx, NULL, "version", handle_version_command,
 					 COMMAND_EXEC, "show OpenOCD version");
diff --git a/src/openocd.h b/src/openocd.h
index 1bf6b7e6f..70e3ee012 100644
--- a/src/openocd.h
+++ b/src/openocd.h
@@ -36,4 +36,7 @@ void openocd_sleep_prelude(void);
 /// used by the server_loop() function in src/server/server.c
 void openocd_sleep_postlude(void);
 
+/// provides a hard-coded command environment setup
+extern const char *openocd_startup_tcl;
+
 #endif