diff --git a/init.go b/init.go
index d0f8f03..6e11710 100644
--- a/init.go
+++ b/init.go
@@ -23,9 +23,6 @@ func Default(opts ...OptionFunc) *Engine {
 }
 */
 
-// todo: use initOnce
-// cache.go has Do()
-// f.initOnce.Do(f.initWork)
 func Init() *Forge {
 	f := InitPB()
 
@@ -162,25 +159,27 @@ func (f *Forge) RawInitPB() {
 // try to NOT use the ENV settings anywhere but here
 // all initial ENV settings should be stored in the forge struct
 func (f *Forge) setenv() {
-	if err := fhelp.ConfigureENV(); err != nil {
-		log.Info("forge ConfigureENV() failed", err)
-		os.Exit(-1)
-	}
-	f.configDir = os.Getenv("FORGE_CONFIG")
-	f.goSrc = os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC")
-	f.repoPB = os.Getenv("FORGE_REPOPB")
-	f.forgeURL = os.Getenv("FORGE_URL")
-	f.patchDir = os.Getenv("FORGE_PATCHDIR")
-	if os.Getenv("FORGE_GOWORK") == "true" {
-		f.goWork = true
-	}
-	log.Printf("FORGE_CONFIG   = %s\n", f.configDir)
-	log.Printf("FORGE_GOSRC    = %s\n", f.goSrc)
-	log.Printf("FORGE_GOWORK   = %v\n", f.goWork)
-	log.Printf("FORGE_REPOPB   = %s\n", f.repoPB)
-	log.Printf("FORGE_URL      = %s\n", f.forgeURL)
-	log.Printf("FORGE_PATCHDIR = %s\n", f.patchDir)
-	log.Printf("HOSTNAME       = %s\n", os.Getenv("HOSTNAME"))
+	f.once.Do(func() {
+		if err := fhelp.ConfigureENV(); err != nil {
+			log.Info("forge ConfigureENV() failed", err)
+			os.Exit(-1)
+		}
+		f.configDir = os.Getenv("FORGE_CONFIG")
+		f.goSrc = os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC")
+		f.repoPB = os.Getenv("FORGE_REPOPB")
+		f.forgeURL = os.Getenv("FORGE_URL")
+		f.patchDir = os.Getenv("FORGE_PATCHDIR")
+		if os.Getenv("FORGE_GOWORK") == "true" {
+			f.goWork = true
+		}
+		log.Printf("FORGE_CONFIG   = %s\n", f.configDir)
+		log.Printf("FORGE_GOSRC    = %s\n", f.goSrc)
+		log.Printf("FORGE_GOWORK   = %v\n", f.goWork)
+		log.Printf("FORGE_REPOPB   = %s\n", f.repoPB)
+		log.Printf("FORGE_URL      = %s\n", f.forgeURL)
+		log.Printf("FORGE_PATCHDIR = %s\n", f.patchDir)
+		log.Printf("HOSTNAME       = %s\n", os.Getenv("HOSTNAME"))
+	})
 }
 
 func (f *Forge) GetForgeURL() string {
diff --git a/structs.go b/structs.go
index 561bf8f..97e088d 100644
--- a/structs.go
+++ b/structs.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 // maybe an interface someday?
 type Forge struct {
 	// one-time initialized data
-	initOnce    sync.Once
+	once        sync.Once
 	initErr     error         // init error, if any
 	goSrc       string        // the path to go/src
 	repoPB      string        // the path to the repos.pb cache file