diff --git a/include/libpsl.h b/include/libpsl.h
index 894e125..c458226 100644
--- a/include/libpsl.h
+++ b/include/libpsl.h
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ psl_ctx_t *
 	psl_load_file(const char *fname);
 psl_ctx_t *
 	psl_load_fp(FILE *fp);
-psl_ctx_t *
+const psl_ctx_t *
 	psl_builtin(void);
 int
 	psl_is_public(const psl_ctx_t *psl, const char *domain);
diff --git a/src/psl.c b/src/psl.c
index 7e04326..484100e 100644
--- a/src/psl.c
+++ b/src/psl.c
@@ -81,8 +81,8 @@ struct _psl_ctx_st {
 #include "suffixes.c"
 
 // references to this PSL will result in lookups to built-in data
-static psl_ctx_t
-	_builtin_psl;
+static const psl_ctx_t
+	_builtin_psl = { .suffixes = NULL, .suffix_exceptions = NULL, };
 
 static _psl_vector_t *_vector_alloc(int max, int (*cmp)(const _psl_entry_t *, const _psl_entry_t *))
 {
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ static int _suffix_compare(const _psl_entry_t *s1, const _psl_entry_t *s2)
 	if ((n = s1->length - s2->length))
 		return n;  // shorter rules first
 
-	return strcmp(s1->label, s2->label);
+	return strcmp(s1->label, s2->label ? s2->label : s2->label_buf);
 }
 
 static void _suffix_init(_psl_entry_t *suffix, const char *rule, size_t length)
@@ -299,23 +299,6 @@ int psl_is_public(const psl_ctx_t *psl, const char *domain)
 	return 1;
 }
 
-int psl_global_init(void)
-{
-	size_t it;
-
-	for (it = 0; it < countof(suffixes); it++)
-		suffixes[it].label = suffixes[it].label_buf;
-
-	for (it = 0; it < countof(suffix_exceptions); it++)
-		suffix_exceptions[it].label = suffix_exceptions[it].label_buf;
-
-	return 0; // 0 = OK
-}
-
-void psl_global_deinit(void)
-{
-}
-
 psl_ctx_t *psl_load_file(const char *fname)
 {
 	FILE *fp;
@@ -380,7 +363,7 @@ psl_ctx_t *psl_load_fp(FILE *fp)
 }
 
 // return built-in PSL structure
-psl_ctx_t *psl_builtin(void)
+const psl_ctx_t *psl_builtin(void)
 {
 	return &_builtin_psl;
 }
diff --git a/tests/test-is-public-all.c b/tests/test-is-public-all.c
index fb5ed6e..5c4d93a 100644
--- a/tests/test-is-public-all.c
+++ b/tests/test-is-public-all.c
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ static void test_psl(void)
 	unsigned it, result;
 	char buf[256], domain[64], *linep, *p;
 
-	if (psl_global_init() == 0) {
 		psl = psl_load_file(DATADIR "/effective_tld_names.dat");
 
 		printf("loaded %d suffixes and %d exceptions\n", psl_suffix_count(psl), psl_suffix_exception_count(psl));
@@ -113,9 +112,6 @@ static void test_psl(void)
 		}
 
 		psl_free(&psl);
-		psl_global_deinit();
-	} else
-		failed++;
 }
 
 int main(int argc, const char * const *argv)
diff --git a/tests/test-is-public-builtin.c b/tests/test-is-public-builtin.c
index adc28d4..ff1dad4 100644
--- a/tests/test-is-public-builtin.c
+++ b/tests/test-is-public-builtin.c
@@ -70,9 +70,8 @@ static void test_psl(void)
 		{ "www.xn--czr694b", 1 },
 	};
 	unsigned it;
-	psl_ctx_t *psl;
+	const psl_ctx_t *psl;
 
-	if (psl_global_init() == 0) {
 		psl = psl_builtin();
 
 		printf("have %d suffixes and %d exceptions\n", psl_suffix_count(psl), psl_suffix_exception_count(psl));
@@ -97,9 +96,6 @@ static void test_psl(void)
 
 		printf("psl_builtin_sha1sum()=%s\n", psl_builtin_sha1sum());
 		*psl_builtin_sha1sum() == 0 ? failed++ : ok++;
-
-		psl_global_deinit();
-	}
 }
 
 int main(int argc, const char * const *argv)
diff --git a/tests/test-is-public.c b/tests/test-is-public.c
index 34ad543..07c3df0 100644
--- a/tests/test-is-public.c
+++ b/tests/test-is-public.c
@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@ static void test_psl(void)
 	unsigned it;
 	psl_ctx_t *psl;
 
-	if (psl_global_init() == 0) {
 		psl = psl_load_file(DATADIR "/effective_tld_names.dat");
 
 		printf("loaded %d suffixes and %d exceptions\n", psl_suffix_count(psl), psl_suffix_exception_count(psl));
@@ -88,8 +87,6 @@ static void test_psl(void)
 		}
 
 		psl_free(&psl);
-		psl_global_deinit();
-	}
 }
 
 int main(int argc, const char * const *argv)