diff --git a/src/operations.cpp b/src/operations.cpp
index 4114e02a..bea1c68c 100644
--- a/src/operations.cpp
+++ b/src/operations.cpp
@@ -548,9 +548,7 @@ namespace
     /*_In_*/ BOOLEAN          CaseInSensitive
   );
 
-  PtrRtlEqualUnicodeString rtl_equal_unicode_string_api = PtrRtlEqualUnicodeString(
-    ::GetProcAddress(
-      ::GetModuleHandleW(L"ntdll.dll"), "RtlEqualUnicodeString"));
+  PtrRtlEqualUnicodeString rtl_equal_unicode_string_api;
 
 #ifndef LOCALE_INVARIANT
 #  define LOCALE_INVARIANT (MAKELCID(MAKELANGID(LANG_INVARIANT, SUBLANG_NEUTRAL), SORT_DEFAULT))
@@ -614,9 +612,35 @@ namespace
   
   typedef bool (*Ptr_equal_string_ordinal_ic)(const wchar_t*, const wchar_t*);
 
-  Ptr_equal_string_ordinal_ic equal_string_ordinal_ic = 
-    rtl_equal_unicode_string_api ? equal_string_ordinal_ic_1 : equal_string_ordinal_ic_2;
-  
+  BOOST_NOINLINE Ptr_equal_string_ordinal_ic get_compare_function()
+  {
+    rtl_equal_unicode_string_api = PtrRtlEqualUnicodeString(
+      ::GetProcAddress(
+        ::GetModuleHandleW(L"ntdll.dll"), "RtlEqualUnicodeString"));
+
+    return rtl_equal_unicode_string_api ? equal_string_ordinal_ic_1
+                                        : equal_string_ordinal_ic_2;
+  }
+
+  static Ptr_equal_string_ordinal_ic compare_function;
+
+  inline Ptr_equal_string_ordinal_ic compare()
+  {
+    if (!compare_function)
+	{
+       compare_function = get_compare_function();
+	}
+    return compare_function;
+  }
+
+  // force function pointer setup into initialization phase
+  static bool compare_function_initializer = compare() != 0;
+
+  inline bool equal_string_ordinal_ic(const wchar_t* s1, const wchar_t* s2)
+  {
+    return compare()(s1, s2);
+  }
+
   perms make_permissions(const path& p, DWORD attr)
   {
     perms prms = fs::owner_read | fs::group_read | fs::others_read;