diff --git a/src/analyze.zig b/src/analyze.zig
index b4aa178..47b5e52 100644
--- a/src/analyze.zig
+++ b/src/analyze.zig
@@ -178,6 +178,6 @@ test "trivial error: db file" {
     try testing.expectEqual(@as(u8, 1), exit_code);
     try testing.expectEqualStrings(
         stderr.items,
-        "ERROR: failed to open './db.turbo': FileNotFound\n",
+        "ERROR: failed to open 'db.turbo': FileNotFound\n",
     );
 }
diff --git a/src/libnss.zig b/src/libnss.zig
index 6975527..ee2e048 100644
--- a/src/libnss.zig
+++ b/src/libnss.zig
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 const std = @import("std");
 const os = std.os;
 const fmt = std.fmt;
+const log = std.log;
 const mem = std.mem;
 const process = std.process;
+const once = std.once;
 
 const DB = @import("DB.zig");
 const File = @import("File.zig");
@@ -16,92 +18,61 @@ const c = @cImport({
     @cInclude("nss.h");
 });
 
-const TURBONSS_DB = "DB";
-const TURBONSS_VERBOSE = "TURBONSS_VERBOSE";
-const TURBONSS_OMIT_MEMBERS = "TURBONSS_OMIT_MEMBERS";
-
-extern fn putenv(name: [*:0]const u8, value: [*:0]const u8, overwrite: c_int) c_int;
-extern fn getenv(name: [*:0]const u8) ?[*:0]const u8;
+const ENV_DB = "TURBONSS_DB";
+const ENV_VERBOSE = "TURBONSS__VERBOSE";
+const ENV_OMIT_MEMBERS = "TURBONSS_OMIT_MEMBERS";
 
 export const turbonss_default_path: [:0]const u8 = "/etc/turbonss/db.turbo";
 
+pub var log_level: std.log.Level = .err;
+
 // State is a type of the global variable holding the process state:
 // the DB handle and all the iterators.
 const State = struct {
     file: ?File,
-    getpwent_iterator: ?PackedUser.Iterator,
-    getgrent_iterator: ?PackedGroup.Iterator,
+    getpwent_iterator: ?PackedUser.Iterator = null,
+    getgrent_iterator: ?PackedGroup.Iterator = null,
     omit_members: bool,
-    verbose: bool = false,
-
-    fn debug(self: *const State, comptime format: []const u8, args: anytype) void {
-        self.log(.debug, format, args);
-    }
-    fn info(self: *const State, comptime format: []const u8, args: anytype) void {
-        self.log(.info, format, args);
-    }
-    fn err(self: *const State, comptime format: []const u8, args: anytype) void {
-        self.log(.err, format, args);
-    }
-    fn log(
-        self: *const State,
-        comptime level: std.log.Level,
-        comptime format: []const u8,
-        args: anytype,
-    ) void {
-        if (!self.verbose) return;
-        const stderr = std.io.getStdErr().writer();
-        std.debug.getStderrMutex().lock();
-        defer std.debug.getStderrMutex().unlock();
-        stderr.print("[" ++ level.asText() ++ "] " ++ format ++ "\n", args) catch return;
-    }
 };
 
-// state is initialized on library startup.
-var state: State = undefined;
+// global_state is initialized on first call to an nss function
+var global_state: State = undefined;
+var global_start = once(init);
 
-// constructor
-export fn _turbo_init() void {
-    //if (os.getenvZ(TURBONSS_VERBOSE)) |env|
-    //    state.verbose = mem.eql(u8, env, "1");
+// assigns State from environment variables et al
+fn init() void {
+    if (os.getenvZ(ENV_VERBOSE)) |env|
+        log_level = if (mem.eql(u8, mem.sliceTo(env, 0), "1"))
+            .debug
+        else
+            .err;
 
-    if (getenv(TURBONSS_VERBOSE)) |env| {
-        const envZ = mem.sliceTo(env, 0);
-        state.verbose = mem.eql(u8, envZ, "1");
-    }
+    const fname = os.getenvZ(ENV_DB) orelse turbonss_default_path[0..];
+    log.debug("opening {s}", .{fname});
 
-    //std.debug.print("TURBONSS_VERBOSE: {s}\n", .{os.getenv(TURBONSS_VERBOSE)});
-    std.debug.print("TURBONSS_VERBOSE: {s}\n", .{getenv(TURBONSS_VERBOSE)});
+    const env_omit_members = os.getenvZ(ENV_OMIT_MEMBERS) orelse "auto";
+    const omit_members = shouldOmitMembers(env_omit_members, os.argv);
+    log.debug("omitting members from getgr* calls: {any}\n", .{omit_members});
 
-    const fname = os.getenvZ(TURBONSS_DB) orelse turbonss_default_path[0..];
-    state.debug("opening {s}", .{fname});
-    state.file = File.open(fname) catch |err| {
-        state.err("open {s}: {s}", .{ fname, @errorName(err) });
+    const file = File.open(fname) catch |err| {
+        log.warn("open '{s}': {s}", .{ fname, @errorName(err) });
         return;
     };
-    state.debug("turbonss database opened", .{});
+    log.debug("turbonss database opened", .{});
 
-    const omit_members_env = os.getenvZ(TURBONSS_OMIT_MEMBERS) orelse "auto";
-    state.omit_members = shouldOmitMembers(omit_members_env, os.argv);
-    state.debug("omitting members from getgr* calls: {any}\n", .{state.omit_members});
-
-    return;
+    global_state = State{
+        .file = file,
+        .omit_members = omit_members,
+    };
 }
 
-fn shouldOmitMembers(env: []const u8, argv: [][*:0]u8) bool {
-    if (mem.eql(u8, env, "1")) return true;
-    if (mem.eql(u8, env, "0")) return false;
+fn shouldOmitMembers(envvar: []const u8, argv: [][*:0]u8) bool {
+    if (mem.eql(u8, envvar, "1")) return true;
+    if (mem.eql(u8, envvar, "0")) return false;
     if (argv.len == 0) return false;
-
     return mem.eql(u8, mem.sliceTo(argv[0], 0), "id");
 }
 
-// destructor
-export fn _turbo_fini() void {
-    if (state.file) |*fooo|
-        fooo.close();
-}
-
 export fn _nss_turbo_getpwuid_r(
     uid: c_uint,
     res: *CUser,
@@ -109,11 +80,16 @@ export fn _nss_turbo_getpwuid_r(
     len: usize,
     errnop: *c_int,
 ) c.enum_nss_status {
-    if (state.file == null) {
+    global_start.call();
+
+    if (global_state.file == null) {
         errnop.* = @enumToInt(os.E.AGAIN);
         return c.NSS_STATUS_UNAVAIL;
     }
-    const cuser = state.file.?.db.getpwuid(uid, buf[0..len]) catch |err| switch (err) {
+
+    const db = global_state.file.?.db;
+
+    const cuser = db.getpwuid(uid, buf[0..len]) catch |err| switch (err) {
         error.OutOfMemory => {
             errnop.* = @enumToInt(os.E.RANGE);
             return c.NSS_STATUS_TRYAGAIN;
@@ -135,21 +111,4 @@ test "nss_turbo_getpwuid_r" {
     var errc = ErrCtx{};
     var tf = try File.TestDB.init(testing.allocator, &errc);
     defer tf.deinit();
-
-    var env = try process.getEnvMap(testing.allocator);
-    defer env.deinit();
-
-    if (true)
-        return error.SkipZigTest;
-
-    try testing.expectEqual(putenv(TURBONSS_VERBOSE, "1", 1), 0);
-    try testing.expectEqual(putenv(TURBONSS_DB, tf.path, 1), 0);
-    _turbo_init();
-    try testing.expect(state.file != null);
-
-    var buf = try testing.allocator.alloc(u8, state.file.?.db.getpwBufsize());
-    var user: CUser = undefined;
-    var errno: c_int = undefined;
-    const ret = _nss_turbo_getpwuid_r(128, &user, buf.ptr, buf.len, &errno);
-    try testing.expectEqual(ret, c.NSS_STATUS_SUCCESS);
 }
diff --git a/src/unix2db.zig b/src/unix2db.zig
index 0046852..c0ee53d 100644
--- a/src/unix2db.zig
+++ b/src/unix2db.zig
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ test "trivial error: missing passwd file" {
 
     const exit_code = execute(allocator, stdout.writer(), stderr.writer(), args[0..]);
     try testing.expectEqual(@as(u8, 1), exit_code);
-    try testing.expectEqualStrings(stderr.items, "ERROR FileNotFound: open './passwd'\n");
+    try testing.expectEqualStrings(stderr.items, "ERROR FileNotFound: open 'passwd'\n");
 }
 
 test "fail" {