diff --git a/cli/init.go b/cli/init.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..199fb86e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/init.go
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package cli
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/blockstore"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/build"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/actors"
+)
+
+func init() {
+	// preload manifest so that we have the correct code CID inventory for cli since that doesn't
+	// go through CI
+	bs := blockstore.NewMemory()
+
+	if err := actors.FetchAndLoadBundles(context.Background(), bs, build.BuiltinActorReleases); err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cli/util/api.go b/cli/util/api.go
index 65afaf955..6c673d91f 100644
--- a/cli/util/api.go
+++ b/cli/util/api.go
@@ -21,9 +21,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/api/client"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/api/v0api"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/api/v1api"
-	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/blockstore"
-	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/build"
-	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/actors"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/node/repo"
 )
 
@@ -31,14 +28,6 @@ const (
 	metadataTraceContext = "traceContext"
 )
 
-func loadBundles(ctx context.Context) error {
-	// preload manifest so that we have the correct code CID inventory for cli since that doesn't
-	// go through CI
-	bs := blockstore.NewMemory()
-
-	return actors.FetchAndLoadBundles(ctx, bs, build.BuiltinActorReleases)
-}
-
 // GetAPIInfo returns the API endpoint to use for the specified kind of repo.
 //
 // The order of precedence is as follows:
@@ -48,11 +37,6 @@ func loadBundles(ctx context.Context) error {
 //  3. deprecated *_API_INFO environment variables
 //  4. *-repo command line flags.
 func GetAPIInfo(ctx *cli.Context, t repo.RepoType) (APIInfo, error) {
-	// do this first
-	if err := loadBundles(ctx.Context); err != nil {
-		return APIInfo{}, fmt.Errorf("error loading builtin-actor bundles: %w", err)
-	}
-
 	// Check if there was a flag passed with the listen address of the API
 	// server (only used by the tests)
 	for _, f := range t.APIFlags() {