diff --git a/libguile/init.c b/libguile/init.c
index 3bd173a0d..781c18112 100644
--- a/libguile/init.c
+++ b/libguile/init.c
@@ -436,7 +436,6 @@ scm_i_init_guile (SCM_STACKITEM *base)
 
   scm_storage_prehistory ();
   scm_threads_prehistory (base);
-  scm_ports_prehistory ();
   scm_smob_prehistory ();
   scm_weaks_prehistory ();
 #ifdef GUILE_DEBUG_MALLOC
diff --git a/libguile/ports.c b/libguile/ports.c
index 1fd6f6350..5500e1084 100644
--- a/libguile/ports.c
+++ b/libguile/ports.c
@@ -95,8 +95,8 @@
  * Indexes into this table are used when generating type
  * tags for smobjects (if you know a tag you can get an index and conversely).
  */
-scm_t_ptob_descriptor *scm_ptobs;
-long scm_numptob;
+scm_t_ptob_descriptor *scm_ptobs = NULL;
+long scm_numptob = 0;
 
 /* GC marker for a port with stream of SCM type.  */
 SCM 
@@ -2266,13 +2266,6 @@ scm_port_print (SCM exp, SCM port, scm_print_state *pstate SCM_UNUSED)
   return 1;
 }
 
-void
-scm_ports_prehistory ()
-{
-  scm_numptob = 0;
-  scm_ptobs = NULL;
-}
-
 
 
 /* Void ports.   */
diff --git a/libguile/ports.h b/libguile/ports.h
index 2ac736e44..3af344186 100644
--- a/libguile/ports.h
+++ b/libguile/ports.h
@@ -304,7 +304,6 @@ SCM_API SCM scm_port_conversion_strategy (SCM port);
 SCM_API SCM scm_set_port_conversion_strategy_x (SCM port, SCM behavior);
 SCM_API int scm_port_print (SCM exp, SCM port, scm_print_state *);
 SCM_API void scm_print_port_mode (SCM exp, SCM port);
-SCM_API void scm_ports_prehistory (void);
 SCM_API SCM scm_void_port (char * mode_str);
 SCM_API SCM scm_sys_make_void_port (SCM mode);
 SCM_INTERNAL void scm_init_ports (void);