diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index bacd550..8a5e157 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 #include <locale.h>
 #endif
 
-__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/main.c,v 1.207 2012/03/23 19:38:12 tg Exp $");
+__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/main.c,v 1.208 2012/03/23 21:58:21 tg Exp $");
 
 extern char **environ;
 
@@ -258,6 +258,12 @@ main_init(int argc, const char *argv[], Source **sp, struct block **lp)
 
 	init_histvec();
 
+#ifdef TIOCGWINSZ
+	/* try to initialise tty size before importing environment */
+	tty_init(false, false);
+	change_winsz();
+#endif
+
 #ifdef _PATH_DEFPATH
 	def_path = _PATH_DEFPATH;
 #else
diff --git a/misc.c b/misc.c
index 92a00ca..4296fde 100644
--- a/misc.c
+++ b/misc.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 #include <grp.h>
 #endif
 
-__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/misc.c,v 1.183 2012/03/23 20:07:11 tg Exp $");
+__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/misc.c,v 1.184 2012/03/23 21:58:22 tg Exp $");
 
 /* type bits for unsigned char */
 unsigned char chtypes[UCHAR_MAX + 1];
@@ -1174,10 +1174,6 @@ print_columns(struct shf *shf, int n,
 	++max_oct;
 	str = alloc(max_oct, ATEMP);
 
-	/* ensure x_cols is valid first */
-	if (x_cols < MIN_COLS)
-		change_winsz();
-
 	/*
 	 * We use (max_col + 1) to consider the space separator.
 	 * Note that no space is printed after the last column
diff --git a/sh.h b/sh.h
index c084146..72f227a 100644
--- a/sh.h
+++ b/sh.h
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifdef EXTERN
-__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/sh.h,v 1.524 2012/03/23 20:07:11 tg Exp $");
+__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/sh.h,v 1.525 2012/03/23 21:58:22 tg Exp $");
 #endif
 #define MKSH_VERSION "R40 2012/03/03"
 
@@ -858,7 +858,7 @@ EXTERN char	*current_wd;
 #define MIN_COLS	(2 + MIN_EDIT_SPACE + 3)
 #define MIN_LINS	3
 EXTERN mksh_ari_t x_cols E_INIT(80);	/* tty columns */
-EXTERN mksh_ari_t x_lins E_INIT(-1);	/* tty lines */
+EXTERN mksh_ari_t x_lins E_INIT(24);	/* tty lines */
 
 /* These to avoid bracket matching problems */
 #define OPAREN	'('
diff --git a/var.c b/var.c
index be84347..099ea13 100644
--- a/var.c
+++ b/var.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 #include <sys/sysctl.h>
 #endif
 
-__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/var.c,v 1.141 2012/03/03 21:30:59 tg Exp $");
+__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/var.c,v 1.142 2012/03/23 21:58:24 tg Exp $");
 
 /*-
  * Variables
@@ -1132,7 +1132,6 @@ getspec(struct tbl *vp)
 		 * and the window is then resized, the app won't
 		 * see the change cause the environ doesn't change.
 		 */
-		change_winsz();
 		i = st == V_COLUMNS ? x_cols : x_lins;
 		break;
 	default:
@@ -1458,16 +1457,6 @@ set_array(const char *var, bool reset, const char **vals)
 void
 change_winsz(void)
 {
-	if (x_lins < 0) {
-		/* first time initialisation */
-#ifdef TIOCGWINSZ
-		if (tty_fd < 0)
-			/* non-FTALKING, try to get an fd anyway */
-			tty_init(true, false);
-#endif
-		x_cols = -1;
-	}
-
 #ifdef TIOCGWINSZ
 	/* check if window size has changed */
 	if (tty_fd >= 0) {