diff --git a/initializer.c b/initializer.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..397e0d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/initializer.c
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+/*---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+initializer.c
+
+initializer routines
+
+Markus Zolliker, March 2005
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+*/
+
+#include "sics.h"
+#include "initializer.h"
+
+typedef struct Item {
+  struct Item *next;
+  const char *type;
+  const char *name;
+  Initializer maker;
+  int startupOnly;
+} Item;
+
+static Item *list = NULL;
+static int startup = 1;
+
+void MakeInitializer(const char *type, const char *name, Initializer maker, int startupOnly) {
+  Item *item;
+  
+  item = calloc(1, sizeof *item);
+  assert(item);
+  item->maker = maker;
+  item->next = list;
+  item->type = type;
+  item->name = name;
+  item->startupOnly = startupOnly;
+  list = item;
+}
+
+Initializer GetInitializer(const char *type, const char *name) {
+  Item *p, **last;
+
+  if (startup && pServ->pReader != NULL) {
+    /* pServ->pReader exists: startup finished */
+    startup = 0;
+    /* remove startup initializers */
+    p = list;
+    last = &list;
+    while (p != NULL) {
+      if (p->startupOnly) {
+        *last = p->next;
+        free(p);
+        p = *last;
+      } else {
+        last = &p->next;
+        p = p->next;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  p = list;
+  while (p != NULL && (strcasecmp(p->name, name) != 0 || strcasecmp(p->type, type) != 0)) {
+    p = p->next;
+  }
+  if (p) {
+    return p->maker;
+  }
+  return NULL;
+}
+
+static int MakeObject(SConnection *con, SicsInterp *sics,
+                   void *data, int argc, char *argv[]) {
+  CmdInitializer cmdin;
+  CommandList *command;
+  char *className;
+  
+  if (argc < 3) {
+    SCPrintf(con, eError, "%s needs more arguments", argv[0]);
+    return 0;
+  }
+    
+  cmdin = (CmdInitializer)GetInitializer("Object", argv[2]);
+  if (cmdin) {
+    return cmdin(con, argc, argv, ! startup);
+  } else {
+    SCPrintf(con, eError, "do not know how to make a %s object", argv[2]);
+    return 0;
+  }
+}
+
+static int RemoveObject(SConnection *con, SicsInterp *sics,
+                   void *data, int argc, char *argv[]) {
+  CmdInitializer cmdin;
+  CommandList *command;
+  char *className;
+  
+  if (argc != 2) {
+    SCPrintf(con, eError, "%s has 1 argument", argv[0]);
+    return 0;
+  }
+    
+  command = FindCommand(sics, argv[1]);
+  if (!command) {
+    SCPrintf(con, eError, "ERROR: %s not found", argv[1]);
+    return 0;
+  }
+  className = ((pDummy)command->pData)->pDescriptor->name;
+  cmdin = (CmdInitializer)GetInitializer("Object", className);
+  if (cmdin) {
+    /* if we have an initializer, we are allowed to remove */
+    if (pServ->pExecutor && isInRunMode(pServ->pExecutor)) {
+      SCPrintf(con, eError, "ERROR: cannot remove %s while running", argv[1]);
+      return 0;
+    }
+    SCPrintf(con, eValue, "remove %s", argv[1]);
+    SCparChange(con);
+    return RemoveCommand(sics, argv[1]);
+  } else {
+    SCPrintf(con, eError, "ERROR: %s is not removable", argv[1]);
+    return 0;
+  }
+}
+
+static void KillInitializers(void *data) {
+  KillDummy(data);
+  Item *item, *next;
+  
+  item = list;
+  while (item) {
+    next = item->next;
+    free(item);
+    item = next;
+  }
+  list = NULL;
+}
+
+void MakeDriver(const char *driver, CmdInitializer maker, int startupOnly) {
+  if (! FindCommand(pServ->pSics, "MakeObject")) {
+    AddCommandWithFlag(pServ->pSics, "MakeObject", MakeObject, KillInitializers, NULL, 0);
+    AddCommandWithFlag(pServ->pSics, "RemoveObject", RemoveObject, NULL, NULL, 0);
+  }
+  MakeInitializer("Object", driver, (Initializer)maker, startupOnly);
+}
diff --git a/initializer.h b/initializer.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d156e58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/initializer.h
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+/*---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+initializer.h
+
+initializer list routines
+
+Markus Zolliker, March 2005
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+*/
+
+#ifndef SICSINIT_H
+#define SICSINIT_H
+
+typedef void (*Initializer)(void);
+
+void MakeInitializer(const char *type, const char *name, Initializer maker, int startupOnly);
+
+Initializer GetInitializer(const char *type, const char *name);
+
+/*
+   MakeObject has the following syntax:
+   
+     MakeObject objectName driver [ args ... ]
+   
+*/
+typedef int (*CmdInitializer) (SConnection *pCon, int argc, char *argv[], int dynamic);
+/*    
+   make a driver with the initializer function maker
+   when the dynamic argument is not 0, the command was created after startup,
+   i.e. the SaveStatus routine has also to write command creation code.
+*/
+void MakeDriver(const char *driver, CmdInitializer maker, int startupOnly);
+
+#endif