diff --git a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.h b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.h
--- a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.h
+++ b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.h
@@ -246,6 +246,7 @@
     bool z_nodeflib : 1;	/* Don't search default library path */
     bool z_global : 1;		/* Make the object global */
     bool z_pie : 1;		/* Object proclaimed itself PIE executable */
+    bool z_initfirst : 1;	/* Proceed initializers before other objects */
     bool static_tls : 1;	/* Needs static TLS allocation */
     bool static_tls_copied : 1;	/* Needs static TLS copying */
     bool ref_nodel : 1;		/* Refcount increased to prevent dlclose */
diff --git a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.c b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.c
--- a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.c
+++ b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.c
@@ -1564,6 +1564,8 @@
 				obj->z_nodeflib = true;
 			if (dynp->d_un.d_val & DF_1_PIE)
 				obj->z_pie = true;
+			if (dynp->d_un.d_val & DF_1_INITFIRST)
+				obj->z_initfirst = true;
 			break;
 
 		default:
@@ -2570,25 +2572,55 @@
 
 	if (obj->init_scanned || obj->init_done)
 		return;
-	obj->init_scanned = true;
 
-	/* Recursively process the successor objects. */
-	nobj = globallist_next(obj);
-	if (nobj != NULL && obj != tail)
-		initlist_add_objects(nobj, tail, list);
+	if (obj->z_initfirst) {
+		Objlist flist;
+		Objlist_Entry *tmp;
 
-	/* Recursively process the needed objects. */
-	if (obj->needed != NULL)
-		initlist_add_neededs(obj->needed, list);
-	if (obj->needed_filtees != NULL)
-		initlist_add_neededs(obj->needed_filtees, list);
-	if (obj->needed_aux_filtees != NULL)
-		initlist_add_neededs(obj->needed_aux_filtees, list);
+		objlist_init(&flist);
+		/* Recursively process the needed objects. */
+		if (obj->needed != NULL)
+			initlist_add_neededs(obj->needed, &flist);
+		if (obj->needed_filtees != NULL)
+			initlist_add_neededs(obj->needed_filtees, &flist);
+		if (obj->needed_aux_filtees != NULL)
+			initlist_add_neededs(obj->needed_aux_filtees, &flist);
+		objlist_push_tail(&flist, obj);
 
-	/* Add the object to the init list. */
-	objlist_push_tail(list, obj);
+		/*
+		 * This might result in the same object appearing more
+		 * than once on the init list.  objlist_call_init()
+		 * uses obj->init_scanned to avoid dup calls.
+		 */
+		STAILQ_REVERSE(&flist, Struct_Objlist_Entry, link);
+		STAILQ_FOREACH(tmp, &flist, link)
+			objlist_push_head(list, tmp->obj);
 
-	/* Add the object to the global fini list in the reverse order. */
+		objlist_clear(&flist);
+	} else {
+		obj->init_scanned = true;
+
+		/* Recursively process the successor objects. */
+		nobj = globallist_next(obj);
+		if (nobj != NULL && obj != tail)
+			initlist_add_objects(nobj, tail, list);
+		
+		/* Recursively process the needed objects. */
+		if (obj->needed != NULL)
+			initlist_add_neededs(obj->needed, list);
+		if (obj->needed_filtees != NULL)
+			initlist_add_neededs(obj->needed_filtees, list);
+		if (obj->needed_aux_filtees != NULL)
+			initlist_add_neededs(obj->needed_aux_filtees, list);
+		
+		/* Add the object to the init list. */
+		objlist_push_tail(list, obj);
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Add the object to the global fini list in the
+	 * reverse order.
+	 */
 	if ((obj->fini != (Elf_Addr)NULL ||
 	    obj->fini_array != (Elf_Addr)NULL) &&
 	    !obj->on_fini_list) {