diff --git a/red/runtime/nodes/registry/index.js b/red/runtime/nodes/registry/index.js
index 928fe7c76..0a6b9aac8 100644
--- a/red/runtime/nodes/registry/index.js
+++ b/red/runtime/nodes/registry/index.js
@@ -29,7 +29,12 @@ function init(runtime) {
     settings = runtime.settings;
     installer.init(runtime.settings);
     loader.init(runtime);
-    registry.init(runtime.settings,loader);
+    registry.init(settings,loader);
+}
+
+function load() {
+    registry.load();
+    return loader.load();
 }
 
 function addModule(module) {
@@ -52,7 +57,7 @@ function enableNodeSet(typeOrId) {
 
 module.exports = {
     init:init,
-    load:loader.load,
+    load:load,
     clear: registry.clear,
     registerType: registry.registerNodeConstructor,
 
diff --git a/red/runtime/nodes/registry/registry.js b/red/runtime/nodes/registry/registry.js
index aa1e73e2e..74606853e 100644
--- a/red/runtime/nodes/registry/registry.js
+++ b/red/runtime/nodes/registry/registry.js
@@ -35,11 +35,6 @@ var moduleNodes = {};
 function init(_settings,_loader) {
     settings = _settings;
     loader = _loader;
-    if (settings.available()) {
-        moduleConfigs = loadNodeConfigs();
-    } else {
-        moduleConfigs = {};
-    }
     moduleNodes = {};
     nodeTypeToId = {};
     nodeConstructors = {};
@@ -48,6 +43,14 @@ function init(_settings,_loader) {
     Node = require("../Node");
 }
 
+function load() {
+    if (settings.available()) {
+        moduleConfigs = loadNodeConfigs();
+    } else {
+        moduleConfigs = {};
+    }
+}
+
 function filterNodeInfo(n) {
     var r = {
         id: n.id||n.module+"/"+n.name,
@@ -535,6 +538,7 @@ function cleanModuleList() {
 
 var registry = module.exports = {
     init: init,
+    load: load,
     clear: clear,
 
     registerNodeConstructor: registerNodeConstructor,
diff --git a/test/red/runtime/nodes/registry/registry_spec.js b/test/red/runtime/nodes/registry/registry_spec.js
index ea57339d6..013b8bd64 100644
--- a/test/red/runtime/nodes/registry/registry_spec.js
+++ b/test/red/runtime/nodes/registry/registry_spec.js
@@ -75,9 +75,11 @@ describe("red/nodes/registry/registry",function() {
 
 
 
-    describe('#init', function() {
+    describe('#init/load', function() {
         it('loads initial config', function(done) {
             typeRegistry.init(settingsWithStorageAndInitialConfig);
+            typeRegistry.getNodeList().should.have.lengthOf(0);
+            typeRegistry.load();
             typeRegistry.getNodeList().should.have.lengthOf(1);
             done();
         });
@@ -113,6 +115,7 @@ describe("red/nodes/registry/registry",function() {
             };
             var expected = JSON.parse('{"node-red":{"name":"node-red","nodes":{"sentiment":{"name":"sentiment","types":["sentiment"],"enabled":true,"module":"node-red"},"inject":{"name":"inject","types":["inject"],"enabled":true,"module":"node-red"}}},"testModule":{"name":"testModule","nodes":{"a-module.js":{"name":"a-module.js","types":["example"],"enabled":true,"module":"testModule"}}}}');
             typeRegistry.init(legacySettings);
+            typeRegistry.load();
             legacySettings.set.calledOnce.should.be.true;
             legacySettings.set.args[0][1].should.eql(expected);
             done();