diff --git a/lib/initend.c b/lib/initend.c
index 3624513f..93b86961 100644
--- a/lib/initend.c
+++ b/lib/initend.c
@@ -91,52 +91,6 @@ config_inject_repos(struct xbps_handle *xh)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void
-config_inject_vpkgs(struct xbps_handle *xh)
-{
-	DIR *dirp;
-	struct dirent *dp;
-	char *ext, *vpkgdir;
-	FILE *fp;
-
-	if (strcmp(xh->rootdir, "/"))
-		vpkgdir = xbps_xasprintf("%s/etc/xbps/virtualpkg.d",
-		    xh->rootdir);
-	else
-		vpkgdir = strdup("/etc/xbps/virtualpkg.d");
-
-	if ((dirp = opendir(vpkgdir)) == NULL) {
-		xbps_dbg_printf(xh, "cannot access to %s: %s\n",
-		    vpkgdir, strerror(errno));
-		return;
-	}
-
-	while ((dp = readdir(dirp)) != NULL) {
-		if ((strcmp(dp->d_name, "..") == 0) ||
-		    (strcmp(dp->d_name, ".") == 0))
-			continue;
-		/* only process .conf files, ignore something else */
-		if ((ext = strrchr(dp->d_name, '.')) == NULL)
-			continue;
-		if (strcmp(ext, ".conf") == 0) {
-			char *path;
-
-			path = xbps_xasprintf("%s/%s", vpkgdir, dp->d_name);
-			fp = fopen(path, "r");
-			assert(fp);
-			if (cfg_parse_fp(xh->cfg, fp) != 0) {
-				xbps_error_printf("Failed to parse "
-				    "vpkg conf file %s:\n", dp->d_name);
-			}
-			fclose(fp);
-			xbps_dbg_printf(xh, "Injected vpkgs from %s\n", path);
-			free(path);
-		}
-	}
-	closedir(dirp);
-	free(vpkgdir);
-}
-
 static int
 cb_validate_virtual(cfg_t *cfg, cfg_opt_t *opt)
 {
@@ -274,9 +228,6 @@ xbps_init(struct xbps_handle *xhp)
 	if (xhp->flags & XBPS_FLAG_SYSLOG)
 		syslog_enabled = true;
 
-	/* Inject virtual packages from virtualpkg.d files */
-	config_inject_vpkgs(xhp);
-
 	xbps_fetch_set_cache_connection(cc, cch);
 
 	xbps_dbg_printf(xhp, "Rootdir=%s\n", xhp->rootdir);
diff --git a/lib/plist_find.c b/lib/plist_find.c
index c144e7ef..b9efdac0 100644
--- a/lib/plist_find.c
+++ b/lib/plist_find.c
@@ -28,9 +28,13 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <errno.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <dirent.h>
 
 #include "xbps_api_impl.h"
 
+static bool cfg_vpkgs_init;
+
 static prop_dictionary_t
 get_pkg_in_array(prop_array_t array, const char *str, bool virtual)
 {
@@ -176,6 +180,53 @@ match_pkg_by_pattern(prop_dictionary_t repod, const char *p)
 	return d;
 }
 
+static void
+config_inject_vpkgs(struct xbps_handle *xh)
+{
+	DIR *dirp;
+	struct dirent *dp;
+	char *ext, *vpkgdir;
+	FILE *fp;
+
+	if (strcmp(xh->rootdir, "/"))
+		vpkgdir = xbps_xasprintf("%s/etc/xbps/virtualpkg.d",
+		    xh->rootdir);
+	else
+		vpkgdir = strdup("/etc/xbps/virtualpkg.d");
+
+	if ((dirp = opendir(vpkgdir)) == NULL) {
+		xbps_dbg_printf(xh, "cannot access to %s: %s\n",
+		    vpkgdir, strerror(errno));
+		return;
+	}
+
+	while ((dp = readdir(dirp)) != NULL) {
+		if ((strcmp(dp->d_name, "..") == 0) ||
+		    (strcmp(dp->d_name, ".") == 0))
+			continue;
+		/* only process .conf files, ignore something else */
+		if ((ext = strrchr(dp->d_name, '.')) == NULL)
+			continue;
+		if (strcmp(ext, ".conf") == 0) {
+			char *path;
+
+			path = xbps_xasprintf("%s/%s", vpkgdir, dp->d_name);
+			fp = fopen(path, "r");
+			assert(fp);
+			if (cfg_parse_fp(xh->cfg, fp) != 0) {
+				xbps_error_printf("Failed to parse "
+				    "vpkg conf file %s:\n", dp->d_name);
+			}
+			fclose(fp);
+			xbps_dbg_printf(xh, "Injected vpkgs from %s\n", path);
+			free(path);
+		}
+	}
+	closedir(dirp);
+	free(vpkgdir);
+	cfg_vpkgs_init = true;
+}
+
 const char HIDDEN *
 vpkg_user_conf(struct xbps_handle *xhp,
 	       const char *vpkg,
@@ -188,6 +239,10 @@ vpkg_user_conf(struct xbps_handle *xhp,
 	if (xhp->cfg == NULL)
 		return NULL;
 
+	/* inject virtual packages from sysconfdir */
+	if (!cfg_vpkgs_init)
+		config_inject_vpkgs(xhp);
+
 	if ((cnt = cfg_size(xhp->cfg, "virtual-package")) == 0) {
 		/* no virtual packages configured */
 		return NULL;