diff --git a/pkg/blobserver/registry.go b/pkg/blobserver/registry.go
index 060e6e796..256ce7599 100644
--- a/pkg/blobserver/registry.go
+++ b/pkg/blobserver/registry.go
@@ -64,6 +64,13 @@ type Loader interface {
 	GetStorage(prefix string) (Storage, error)
 }
 
+// HandlerIniter is an optional interface which can be implemented
+// by Storage or http.Handlers (from StorageConstructor or HandlerConstructor)
+// to be called once all the handlers have been created.
+type HandlerIniter interface {
+	InitHandler(FindHandlerByTyper) error
+}
+
 // A StorageConstructor returns a Storage implementation from a Loader
 // environment and a configuration.
 type StorageConstructor func(Loader, jsonconfig.Obj) (Storage, error)
diff --git a/pkg/importer/importer.go b/pkg/importer/importer.go
index 88cc086ce..49effc7ee 100644
--- a/pkg/importer/importer.go
+++ b/pkg/importer/importer.go
@@ -29,15 +29,14 @@ import (
 	"camlistore.org/pkg/blobserver"
 	"camlistore.org/pkg/jsonconfig"
 	"camlistore.org/pkg/search"
+	"camlistore.org/pkg/server"
 )
 
 // A Host is the environment hosting an importer.
 type Host struct {
 	imp Importer
 
-	// target is the blobserver to populate.
 	target blobserver.StatReceiver
-
 	search *search.Handler
 
 	// client optionally specifies how to fetch external network
@@ -190,8 +189,24 @@ func Create(name string, hl blobserver.Loader, cfg jsonconfig.Obj) (*Host, error
 	}
 	h := &Host{
 		imp: imp,
-		// TODO: get search & blobserver from the HandlerLoader
-		// via the "root" type.
 	}
 	return h, nil
 }
+
+func (h *Host) InitHandler(hl blobserver.FindHandlerByTyper) error {
+	_, handler, err := hl.FindHandlerByType("root")
+	if err != nil || handler == nil {
+		return errors.New("importer requires a 'root' handler")
+	}
+	rh := handler.(*server.RootHandler)
+	searchHandler, ok := rh.SearchHandler()
+	if !ok {
+		return errors.New("importer requires a 'root' handler with 'searchRoot' defined.")
+	}
+	h.search = searchHandler
+	if rh.Storage == nil {
+		return errors.New("importer requires a 'root' handler with 'blobRoot' defined.")
+	}
+	h.target = rh.Storage
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/serverconfig/serverconfig.go b/pkg/serverconfig/serverconfig.go
index 97c0949cd..1be814b47 100644
--- a/pkg/serverconfig/serverconfig.go
+++ b/pkg/serverconfig/serverconfig.go
@@ -425,6 +425,16 @@ func (config *Config) InstallHandlers(hi HandlerInstaller, baseURL string, conte
 	}
 	hl.setupAll()
 
+	// Now that everything is setup, run any handlers' InitHandler
+	// methods.
+	for pfx, handler := range hl.handler {
+		if in, ok := handler.(blobserver.HandlerIniter); ok {
+			if err := in.InitHandler(hl); err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error calling InitHandler on %s: %v", pfx, err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	if v, _ := strconv.ParseBool(os.Getenv("CAMLI_HTTP_EXPVAR")); v {
 		hi.Handle("/debug/vars", expvarHandler{})
 	}