diff --git a/src/api/environment.cc b/src/api/environment.cc
index 3c5665a2d22623..e6a87d5a93a3b6 100644
--- a/src/api/environment.cc
+++ b/src/api/environment.cc
@@ -361,6 +361,9 @@ MaybeLocal<Object> GetPerContextExports(Local<Context> context) {
   return handle_scope.Escape(exports);
 }
 
+// Any initialization logic should be performed in
+// InitializeContext, because embedders don't necessarily
+// call NewContext and so they will experience breakages.
 Local<Context> NewContext(Isolate* isolate,
                           Local<ObjectTemplate> object_template) {
   auto context = Context::New(isolate, nullptr, object_template);
@@ -370,8 +373,6 @@ Local<Context> NewContext(Isolate* isolate,
     return Local<Context>();
   }
 
-  InitializeContextRuntime(context);
-
   return context;
 }
 
@@ -405,7 +406,7 @@ void InitializeContextRuntime(Local<Context> context) {
   }
 }
 
-bool InitializeContext(Local<Context> context) {
+bool InitializeContextForSnapshot(Local<Context> context) {
   Isolate* isolate = context->GetIsolate();
   HandleScope handle_scope(isolate);
 
@@ -459,6 +460,15 @@ bool InitializeContext(Local<Context> context) {
   return true;
 }
 
+bool InitializeContext(Local<Context> context) {
+  if (!InitializeContextForSnapshot(context)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  InitializeContextRuntime(context);
+  return true;
+}
+
 uv_loop_t* GetCurrentEventLoop(Isolate* isolate) {
   HandleScope handle_scope(isolate);
   Local<Context> context = isolate->GetCurrentContext();