diff --git a/src/xz/main.c b/src/xz/main.c
index 14502573..0685bc27 100644
--- a/src/xz/main.c
+++ b/src/xz/main.c
@@ -188,7 +188,8 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	// Set up the locale and message translations.
 	tuklib_gettext_init(PACKAGE, LOCALEDIR);
 
-	// Initialize handling of error/warning/other messages.
+	// Initialize progress message handling. It's not always needed
+	// but it's simpler to do this unconditionally.
 	message_init();
 
 	// Set hardware-dependent default values. These can be overridden
diff --git a/src/xz/message.c b/src/xz/message.c
index 46d7f0c8..0dfbebe1 100644
--- a/src/xz/message.c
+++ b/src/xz/message.c
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ static bool current_filename_printed = false;
 
 /// True if we should print progress indicator and update it automatically
 /// if also verbose >= V_VERBOSE.
-static bool progress_automatic;
+static bool progress_automatic = false;
 
 /// True if message_progress_start() has been called but
 /// message_progress_end() hasn't been called yet.
diff --git a/src/xz/message.h b/src/xz/message.h
index fd3333a7..1734f0ea 100644
--- a/src/xz/message.h
+++ b/src/xz/message.h
@@ -23,7 +23,10 @@ enum message_verbosity {
 extern const int message_progress_sigs[];
 
 
-/// \brief      Initializes the message functions
+/// \brief      Initializes the progress message functions
+///
+/// message_fatal() and such can be called even before message_init()
+/// has been called.
 ///
 /// If an error occurs, this function doesn't return.
 ///