diff --git a/api/boinc_api.C b/api/boinc_api.C
index ff6d190243..7e7132ed6e 100644
--- a/api/boinc_api.C
+++ b/api/boinc_api.C
@@ -246,12 +246,21 @@ static bool update_app_progress(
 // the following 2 functions are used for apps without graphics
 //
 int boinc_init() {
+    int retval;
+    if (!is_diagnostics_initialized()) {
+        retval = boinc_init_diagnostics(BOINC_DIAG_USEDEFULATS);
+        if (retval) return retval;
+    }
     boinc_options_defaults(options);
     return boinc_init_options(&options);
 }
 
 int boinc_init_options(BOINC_OPTIONS* opt) {
     int retval;
+    if (!is_diagnostics_initialized()) {
+        retval = boinc_init_diagnostics(BOINC_DIAG_USEDEFULATS);
+        if (retval) return retval;
+    }
     retval = boinc_init_options_general(*opt);
     if (retval) return retval;
     return set_worker_timer();
diff --git a/api/graphics_api.C b/api/graphics_api.C
index 61f2523d18..c41d3a8e61 100755
--- a/api/graphics_api.C
+++ b/api/graphics_api.C
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "config.h"
 #endif
 
+#include "diagnostics.h"
 #include "boinc_api.h"
 #include "graphics_impl.h"
 #include "graphics_api.h"
@@ -41,6 +42,11 @@ static void init_main_state() {
 }
 
 int boinc_init_graphics(void (*worker)()) {
+    int retval;
+    if (!is_diagnostics_initialized()) {
+        retval = boinc_init_diagnostics(BOINC_DIAG_USEDEFULATS);
+        if (retval) return retval;
+    }
     init_main_state();
     return boinc_init_graphics_impl(worker, &boinc_main_state);
 }
diff --git a/checkin_notes b/checkin_notes
index 59b17fda39..fc3d0045f0 100755
--- a/checkin_notes
+++ b/checkin_notes
@@ -4060,7 +4060,6 @@ David  19 Apr 2006
     sched/
         server_types.C
 
-
 Walt   19 Apr 2006
     - Code cleanup: remove duplicate calls to xml_unescape.
     - Bug Fix: Change HTTP redirect limit to 50
@@ -4072,7 +4071,17 @@ Walt   19 Apr 2006
           until the connection attempt completes or times out.
 
     client/
-         http_curl.C
+        http_curl.C
     lib/
         proxy_info.C
 
+Rom    19 Apr 2006
+    - If an application hasn't initialized the diagnostics system, provide
+        reasonable defaults and initialize it for them.  This only handles
+        the boinc_init() and boinc_init_graphics() cases.
+        
+    api/
+        boinc_api.C
+        graphics_api.C
+    lib/
+        diagnostics.C, .h
diff --git a/lib/diagnostics.C b/lib/diagnostics.C
index 7fa0e90fbc..ca63adc543 100644
--- a/lib/diagnostics.C
+++ b/lib/diagnostics.C
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
 #define MAX_STDOUT_FILE_SIZE        2048*1024
 
 
+static int         diagnostics_initialized = false;
 static int         flags;
 static char        stdout_log[256];
 static char        stdout_archive[256];
@@ -98,6 +99,13 @@ static void boinc_catch_signal(int signal);
 #endif
 
 
+// has the diagnostics library been initialized?.
+//
+int is_diagnostics_initialized(){
+    return diagnostics_initialized;
+}
+
+
 // stub function for initializing the diagnostics environment.
 //
 int boinc_init_diagnostics(int _flags) {
@@ -140,7 +148,6 @@ int boinc_install_signal_handlers() {
 int diagnostics_init(
     int _flags, const char* stdout_prefix, const char* stderr_prefix
 ) {
-
     flags = _flags;
     snprintf(stdout_log, sizeof(stdout_log), "%s.txt", stdout_prefix);
     snprintf(stdout_archive, sizeof(stdout_archive), "%s.old", stdout_prefix);
@@ -260,7 +267,10 @@ int diagnostics_init(
             if (match_tag(buf, "</app_init_data>")) break;
             else if (parse_str(buf, "<boinc_dir>", boinc_dir, 256)) continue;
             else if (parse_str(buf, "<project_symstore>", symstore, 256)) continue;
-            else if (match_tag(buf, "<use_http_proxy/>")) boinc_proxy_enabled = true;
+            else if (match_tag(buf, "<use_http_proxy/>")) {
+                boinc_proxy_enabled = true;
+                continue;
+            }
             else if (parse_str(buf, "<http_server_name>", proxy_address, 256)) continue;
             else if (parse_int(buf, "<http_server_port>", proxy_port)) continue;
         }
@@ -274,6 +284,11 @@ int diagnostics_init(
         }
     }
 
+
+    // We have completed initializing the diagnostics system.
+    diagnostics_initialized = true;
+
+
     return BOINC_SUCCESS;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/diagnostics.h b/lib/diagnostics.h
index 189118923a..a33175d882 100644
--- a/lib/diagnostics.h
+++ b/lib/diagnostics.h
@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@
 #define BOINC_DIAG_TRACETOSTDOUT            0x00000400L
 #define BOINC_DIAG_HEAPCHECKEVERYALLOC      0x00000800L
 #define BOINC_DIAG_BOINCAPPLICATION         0x00001000L
+#define BOINC_DIAG_USEDEFULATS              BOINC_DIAG_DUMPCALLSTACKENABLED | \
+                                            BOINC_DIAG_HEAPCHECKENABLED | \
+                                            BOINC_DIAG_MEMORYLEAKCHECKENABLED | \
+                                            BOINC_DIAG_REDIRECTSTDERR | \
+                                            BOINC_DIAG_TRACETOSTDERR
 
 
 // thread types used for dumping backtraces
@@ -73,6 +78,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #endif
 
 // These are functions common to all platforms
+extern int is_diagnostics_initialized();
 extern int boinc_init_diagnostics(int flags);
 extern int boinc_finish_diag();
 extern int boinc_install_signal_handlers();