diff --git a/libselinux/src/audit2why.c b/libselinux/src/audit2why.c
index 0c814aab..86574e46 100644
--- a/libselinux/src/audit2why.c
+++ b/libselinux/src/audit2why.c
@@ -299,6 +299,10 @@ static int __policy_init(const char *init_path)
 static PyObject *init(PyObject *self __attribute__((unused)), PyObject *args) {
   int result;
   char *init_path=NULL;
+  if (avc) {
+	  PyErr_SetString( PyExc_RuntimeError, "init called multiple times");
+	  return NULL;
+  }
   if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args,(char *)"|s:policy_init",&init_path))
     return NULL;
   result = __policy_init(init_path);