diff --git a/src/aotcompile.cpp b/src/aotcompile.cpp
index d91da9c64cda9..1b44a91be8746 100644
--- a/src/aotcompile.cpp
+++ b/src/aotcompile.cpp
@@ -974,10 +974,18 @@ static GlobalVariable *emit_shard_table(Module &M, Type *T_size, Type *T_psize,
     return tables_gv;
 }
 
+static Function *emit_pgcstack_default_func(Module &M, Type *T_ptr) {
+    auto FT = FunctionType::get(T_ptr, false);
+    auto F = Function::Create(FT, GlobalValue::InternalLinkage, "pgcstack_default_func", &M);
+    llvm::IRBuilder<> builder(BasicBlock::Create(M.getContext(), "top", F));
+    builder.CreateRet(Constant::getNullValue(T_ptr));
+    return F;
+}
+
 // See src/processor.h for documentation about this table. Corresponds to jl_image_ptls_t.
-static GlobalVariable *emit_ptls_table(Module &M, Type *T_size, Type *T_psize) {
+static GlobalVariable *emit_ptls_table(Module &M, Type *T_size, Type *T_ptr) {
     std::array<Constant *, 3> ptls_table{
-        new GlobalVariable(M, T_size, false, GlobalValue::ExternalLinkage, Constant::getNullValue(T_size), "jl_pgcstack_func_slot"),
+        new GlobalVariable(M, T_ptr, false, GlobalValue::ExternalLinkage, emit_pgcstack_default_func(M, T_ptr), "jl_pgcstack_func_slot"),
         new GlobalVariable(M, T_size, false, GlobalValue::ExternalLinkage, Constant::getNullValue(T_size), "jl_pgcstack_key_slot"),
         new GlobalVariable(M, T_size, false, GlobalValue::ExternalLinkage, Constant::getNullValue(T_size), "jl_tls_offset"),
     };
@@ -985,7 +993,7 @@ static GlobalVariable *emit_ptls_table(Module &M, Type *T_size, Type *T_psize) {
         cast<GlobalVariable>(gv)->setVisibility(GlobalValue::HiddenVisibility);
         cast<GlobalVariable>(gv)->setDSOLocal(true);
     }
-    auto ptls_table_arr = ConstantArray::get(ArrayType::get(T_psize, ptls_table.size()), ptls_table);
+    auto ptls_table_arr = ConstantArray::get(ArrayType::get(T_ptr, ptls_table.size()), ptls_table);
     auto ptls_table_gv = new GlobalVariable(M, ptls_table_arr->getType(), false,
                                             GlobalValue::ExternalLinkage, ptls_table_arr, "jl_ptls_table");
     ptls_table_gv->setVisibility(GlobalValue::HiddenVisibility);
@@ -2184,6 +2192,7 @@ void jl_dump_native_impl(void *native_code,
 
         Type *T_size = DL.getIntPtrType(Context);
         Type *T_psize = T_size->getPointerTo();
+        Type *T_ptr = PointerType::get(Context, 0);
 
         auto FT = FunctionType::get(Type::getInt8Ty(Context)->getPointerTo()->getPointerTo(), {}, false);
         auto F = Function::Create(FT, Function::ExternalLinkage, "get_jl_RTLD_DEFAULT_handle_addr", metadataM);
@@ -2226,7 +2235,7 @@ void jl_dump_native_impl(void *native_code,
                                         GlobalVariable::InternalLinkage,
                                         value, "jl_dispatch_target_ids");
             auto shards = emit_shard_table(metadataM, T_size, T_psize, threads);
-            auto ptls = emit_ptls_table(metadataM, T_size, T_psize);
+            auto ptls = emit_ptls_table(metadataM, T_size, T_ptr);
             auto header = emit_image_header(metadataM, threads, nfvars, ngvars);
             auto AT = ArrayType::get(T_size, sizeof(jl_small_typeof) / sizeof(void*));
             auto jl_small_typeof_copy = new GlobalVariable(metadataM, AT, false,
diff --git a/src/dlload.c b/src/dlload.c
index 91980cc4ecbbf..7c3c88dc08df8 100644
--- a/src/dlload.c
+++ b/src/dlload.c
@@ -240,21 +240,32 @@ JL_DLLEXPORT int jl_dlclose(void *handle) JL_NOTSAFEPOINT
 #endif
 }
 
-void *jl_find_dynamic_library_by_addr(void *symbol) {
+void *jl_find_dynamic_library_by_addr(void *symbol, int throw_err) {
     void *handle;
 #ifdef _OS_WINDOWS_
     if (!GetModuleHandleExW(GET_MODULE_HANDLE_EX_FLAG_FROM_ADDRESS | GET_MODULE_HANDLE_EX_FLAG_UNCHANGED_REFCOUNT,
                             (LPCWSTR)symbol,
                             (HMODULE*)&handle)) {
-        jl_error("could not load base module");
+        if (throw_err)
+            jl_error("could not load base module");
+        return NULL;
     }
 #else
     Dl_info info;
     if (!dladdr(symbol, &info) || !info.dli_fname) {
-        jl_error("could not load base module");
+        if (throw_err)
+            jl_error("could not load base module");
+        return NULL;
     }
     handle = dlopen(info.dli_fname, RTLD_NOW | RTLD_NOLOAD | RTLD_LOCAL);
-    dlclose(handle); // Undo ref count increment from `dlopen`
+#if !defined(__APPLE__)
+    if (handle == RTLD_DEFAULT && (RTLD_DEFAULT != NULL || dlerror() == NULL)) {
+        // We loaded the executable but got RTLD_DEFAULT back, ask for a real handle instead
+        handle = dlopen("", RTLD_NOW | RTLD_NOLOAD | RTLD_LOCAL);
+    }
+#endif
+    if (handle != NULL)
+        dlclose(handle); // Undo ref count increment from `dlopen`
 #endif
     return handle;
 }
@@ -277,7 +288,7 @@ JL_DLLEXPORT void *jl_load_dynamic_library(const char *modname, unsigned flags,
 
     // modname == NULL is a sentinel value requesting the handle of libjulia-internal
     if (modname == NULL)
-        return jl_find_dynamic_library_by_addr(&jl_load_dynamic_library);
+        return jl_find_dynamic_library_by_addr(&jl_load_dynamic_library, throw_err);
 
     abspath = jl_isabspath(modname);
     is_atpath = 0;
diff --git a/src/init.c b/src/init.c
index aada2c75ed7a6..ba79a741d39bd 100644
--- a/src/init.c
+++ b/src/init.c
@@ -808,8 +808,8 @@ JL_DLLEXPORT void julia_init(JL_IMAGE_SEARCH rel)
     void *stack_lo, *stack_hi;
     jl_init_stack_limits(1, &stack_lo, &stack_hi);
 
-    jl_libjulia_internal_handle = jl_find_dynamic_library_by_addr(&jl_load_dynamic_library);
-    jl_libjulia_handle = jl_find_dynamic_library_by_addr(&jl_any_type);
+    jl_libjulia_internal_handle = jl_find_dynamic_library_by_addr(&jl_load_dynamic_library, /* throw_err */ 1);
+    jl_libjulia_handle = jl_find_dynamic_library_by_addr(&jl_any_type, /* throw_err */ 1);
 #ifdef _OS_WINDOWS_
     jl_exe_handle = GetModuleHandleA(NULL);
     jl_RTLD_DEFAULT_handle = jl_libjulia_internal_handle;
diff --git a/src/jl_exported_funcs.inc b/src/jl_exported_funcs.inc
index 664e1270c7381..bdf8cedd6b3f6 100644
--- a/src/jl_exported_funcs.inc
+++ b/src/jl_exported_funcs.inc
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
     XX(jl_atomic_store_bits) \
     XX(jl_atomic_storeonce_bits) \
     XX(jl_atomic_swap_bits) \
+    XX(jl_autoinit_and_adopt_thread) \
     XX(jl_backtrace_from_here) \
     XX(jl_base_relative_to) \
     XX(jl_bitcast) \
diff --git a/src/julia_internal.h b/src/julia_internal.h
index 782e0bd0b1a96..9b5ab90551b2e 100644
--- a/src/julia_internal.h
+++ b/src/julia_internal.h
@@ -1513,7 +1513,7 @@ void win32_formatmessage(DWORD code, char *reason, int len) JL_NOTSAFEPOINT;
 #endif
 
 JL_DLLEXPORT void *jl_get_library_(const char *f_lib, int throw_err);
-void *jl_find_dynamic_library_by_addr(void *symbol);
+void *jl_find_dynamic_library_by_addr(void *symbol, int throw_err);
 #define jl_get_library(f_lib) jl_get_library_(f_lib, 1)
 JL_DLLEXPORT void *jl_load_and_lookup(const char *f_lib, const char *f_name, _Atomic(void*) *hnd);
 JL_DLLEXPORT void *jl_lazy_load_and_lookup(jl_value_t *lib_val, const char *f_name);
diff --git a/src/llvm-ptls.cpp b/src/llvm-ptls.cpp
index 238032e68d304..0bbac43bc004d 100644
--- a/src/llvm-ptls.cpp
+++ b/src/llvm-ptls.cpp
@@ -170,11 +170,11 @@ void LowerPTLS::fix_pgcstack_use(CallInst *pgcstack, Function *pgcstack_getter,
             *CFGModified = true;
         // emit slow branch code
         CallInst *adopt = cast<CallInst>(pgcstack->clone());
-        Function *adoptFunc = M->getFunction(XSTR(jl_adopt_thread));
+        Function *adoptFunc = M->getFunction(XSTR(jl_autoinit_and_adopt_thread));
         if (adoptFunc == NULL) {
             adoptFunc = Function::Create(pgcstack_getter->getFunctionType(),
                 pgcstack_getter->getLinkage(), pgcstack_getter->getAddressSpace(),
-                XSTR(jl_adopt_thread), M);
+                XSTR(jl_autoinit_and_adopt_thread), M);
             adoptFunc->copyAttributesFrom(pgcstack_getter);
             adoptFunc->copyMetadata(pgcstack_getter, 0);
         }
diff --git a/src/threading.c b/src/threading.c
index 690c5fafb5792..189fd58e485ea 100644
--- a/src/threading.c
+++ b/src/threading.c
@@ -434,7 +434,6 @@ static void jl_init_task_lock(jl_task_t *ct)
     }
 }
 
-
 JL_DLLEXPORT jl_gcframe_t **jl_adopt_thread(void)
 {
     // `jl_init_threadtls` puts us in a GC unsafe region, so ensure GC isn't running.
@@ -460,6 +459,23 @@ JL_DLLEXPORT jl_gcframe_t **jl_adopt_thread(void)
     return &ct->gcstack;
 }
 
+JL_DLLEXPORT jl_gcframe_t **jl_autoinit_and_adopt_thread(void)
+{
+    if (!jl_is_initialized()) {
+        void *retaddr = __builtin_extract_return_addr(__builtin_return_address(0));
+        void *sysimg_handle = jl_find_dynamic_library_by_addr(retaddr, /* throw_err */ 0);
+
+        if (sysimg_handle == NULL) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "error: runtime auto-initialization failed due to bad sysimage lookup\n"
+                            "       (this should not happen, please file a bug report)\n");
+            abort();
+        }
+
+        assert(0 && "TODO: implement auto-init");
+    }
+
+    return jl_adopt_thread();
+}
 
 void jl_safepoint_suspend_all_threads(jl_task_t *ct)
 {