diff --git a/include/maxscale/query_classifier.h b/include/maxscale/query_classifier.h
index 200ff316f..101a6ce6d 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/query_classifier.h
+++ b/include/maxscale/query_classifier.h
@@ -127,7 +127,8 @@ typedef struct qc_field_info
  */
 typedef struct query_classifier
 {
-    bool (*qc_init)(const char* args);
+    bool (*qc_setup)(const char* args);
+    bool (*qc_init)(void);
     void (*qc_end)(void);
 
     bool (*qc_thread_init)(void);
diff --git a/query_classifier/qc_dummy/qc_dummy.cc b/query_classifier/qc_dummy/qc_dummy.cc
index 946c93a9a..719edce2e 100644
--- a/query_classifier/qc_dummy/qc_dummy.cc
+++ b/query_classifier/qc_dummy/qc_dummy.cc
@@ -78,7 +78,12 @@ void qc_sqlite_get_field_info(GWBUF* query, const QC_FIELD_INFO** infos, size_t*
     *n_infos = 0;
 }
 
-bool qc_init(const char* args)
+bool qc_setup(const char* args)
+{
+    return true;
+}
+
+bool qc_init(void)
 {
     return true;
 }
@@ -102,6 +107,7 @@ extern "C"
     {
         static QUERY_CLASSIFIER qc =
         {
+            qc_setup,
             qc_init,
             qc_end,
             qc_thread_init,
diff --git a/query_classifier/qc_mysqlembedded/qc_mysqlembedded.cc b/query_classifier/qc_mysqlembedded/qc_mysqlembedded.cc
index 9366d0b01..2363c8691 100644
--- a/query_classifier/qc_mysqlembedded/qc_mysqlembedded.cc
+++ b/query_classifier/qc_mysqlembedded/qc_mysqlembedded.cc
@@ -2487,16 +2487,21 @@ void configure_options(const char* datadir, const char* langdir)
 
 }
 
-bool qc_init(const char* args)
+bool qc_setup(const char* args)
 {
-    bool inited = false;
-
     if (args)
     {
         MXS_WARNING("qc_mysqlembedded: '%s' provided as arguments, "
                     "even though no arguments are supported.", args);
     }
 
+    return true;
+}
+
+bool qc_init(void)
+{
+    bool inited = false;
+
     if (strlen(get_langdir()) >= PATH_MAX)
     {
         fprintf(stderr, "MaxScale: error: Language path is too long: %s.", get_langdir());
@@ -2561,6 +2566,7 @@ MXS_MODULE* MXS_CREATE_MODULE()
 {
     static QUERY_CLASSIFIER qc =
     {
+        qc_setup,
         qc_init,
         qc_end,
         qc_thread_init,
diff --git a/query_classifier/qc_sqlite/qc_sqlite.c b/query_classifier/qc_sqlite/qc_sqlite.c
index cbd33a078..f90bc34ea 100644
--- a/query_classifier/qc_sqlite/qc_sqlite.c
+++ b/query_classifier/qc_sqlite/qc_sqlite.c
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ typedef enum qc_log_level
 static struct
 {
     bool initialized;
+    bool setup;
     qc_log_level_t log_level;
 } this_unit;
 
@@ -2596,7 +2597,8 @@ void maxscaleUse(Parse* pParse, Token* pToken)
 /**
  * API
  */
-static bool qc_sqlite_init(const char* args);
+static bool qc_sqlite_setup(const char* args);
+static bool qc_sqlite_init(void);
 static void qc_sqlite_end(void);
 static bool qc_sqlite_thread_init(void);
 static void qc_sqlite_thread_end(void);
@@ -2628,10 +2630,10 @@ static bool get_key_and_value(char* arg, const char** pkey, const char** pvalue)
 
 static char ARG_LOG_UNRECOGNIZED_STATEMENTS[] = "log_unrecognized_statements";
 
-static bool qc_sqlite_init(const char* args)
+static bool qc_sqlite_setup(const char* args)
 {
     QC_TRACE();
-    assert(!this_unit.initialized);
+    assert(!this_unit.setup);
 
     qc_log_level_t log_level = QC_LOG_NOTHING;
 
@@ -2672,20 +2674,31 @@ static bool qc_sqlite_init(const char* args)
         }
     }
 
+    this_unit.setup = true;
+    this_unit.log_level = log_level;
+
+    return this_unit.setup;
+}
+
+static bool qc_sqlite_init(void)
+{
+    QC_TRACE();
+    assert(this_unit.setup);
+    assert(!this_unit.initialized);
+
     if (sqlite3_initialize() == 0)
     {
         init_builtin_functions();
 
         this_unit.initialized = true;
-        this_unit.log_level = log_level;
 
         if (qc_sqlite_thread_init())
         {
-            if (log_level != QC_LOG_NOTHING)
+            if (this_unit.log_level != QC_LOG_NOTHING)
             {
                 const char* message;
 
-                switch (log_level)
+                switch (this_unit.log_level)
                 {
                 case QC_LOG_NON_PARSED:
                     message = "Statements that cannot be parsed completely are logged.";
@@ -3176,6 +3189,7 @@ MXS_MODULE* MXS_CREATE_MODULE()
 {
     static QUERY_CLASSIFIER qc =
     {
+        qc_sqlite_setup,
         qc_sqlite_init,
         qc_sqlite_end,
         qc_sqlite_thread_init,
diff --git a/query_classifier/test/compare.cc b/query_classifier/test/compare.cc
index 8c51124c7..ba7847b2c 100644
--- a/query_classifier/test/compare.cc
+++ b/query_classifier/test/compare.cc
@@ -163,9 +163,9 @@ QUERY_CLASSIFIER* get_classifier(const char* zName, const char* zArgs)
 
     if (pClassifier)
     {
-        if (!pClassifier->qc_init(zArgs))
+        if (!pClassifier->qc_setup(zArgs) || !pClassifier->qc_init())
         {
-            cerr << "error: Could not init classifier " << zName << "." << endl;
+            cerr << "error: Could not setup or init classifier " << zName << "." << endl;
             qc_unload(pClassifier);
             pClassifier = 0;
         }
diff --git a/server/core/query_classifier.c b/server/core/query_classifier.c
index eabcefd1f..e7358f33f 100644
--- a/server/core/query_classifier.c
+++ b/server/core/query_classifier.c
@@ -54,7 +54,12 @@ bool qc_init(const char* plugin_name, const char* plugin_args)
 
     if (classifier)
     {
-        success = classifier->qc_init(plugin_args);
+        success = classifier->qc_setup(plugin_args);
+
+        if (success)
+        {
+            success = classifier->qc_init();
+        }
     }
 
     return success;