diff --git a/src/pl/tcl/pltcl.c b/src/pl/tcl/pltcl.c
index 4ca9fbbc681..2aeb0dc916a 100644
--- a/src/pl/tcl/pltcl.c
+++ b/src/pl/tcl/pltcl.c
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
  *	  ENHANCEMENTS, OR MODIFICATIONS.
  *
  * IDENTIFICATION
- *	  $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/pl/tcl/pltcl.c,v 1.79.2.1 2004/01/24 23:06:41 tgl Exp $
+ *	  $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/pl/tcl/pltcl.c,v 1.79.2.2 2010/01/25 01:58:57 tgl Exp $
  *
  **********************************************************************/
 
@@ -219,9 +219,12 @@ pltcl_init(void)
 	 ************************************************************/
 	if ((pltcl_hold_interp = Tcl_CreateInterp()) == NULL)
 		elog(ERROR, "could not create \"hold\" interpreter");
+	if (Tcl_Init(pltcl_hold_interp) == TCL_ERROR)
+		elog(ERROR, "could not initialize \"hold\" interpreter");
 
 	/************************************************************
-	 * Create the two interpreters
+	 * Create the two slave interpreters.  Note: Tcl automatically does
+	 * Tcl_Init on the normal slave, and it's not wanted for the safe slave.
 	 ************************************************************/
 	if ((pltcl_norm_interp =
 		 Tcl_CreateSlave(pltcl_hold_interp, "norm", 0)) == NULL)