--- a/src/device-msw.c	Sat Sep 08 09:12:09 2001 +0000
+++ b/src/device-msw.c	Sun Sep 09 04:37:48 2001 +0000
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 /* win32 DDE management library globals */
 #ifdef HAVE_DRAGNDROP
 DWORD mswindows_dde_mlid;
+int mswindows_dde_enable;
 HSZ mswindows_dde_service;
 HSZ mswindows_dde_topic_system;
 HSZ mswindows_dde_item_open;
@@ -179,17 +180,18 @@
 #endif
 }
 
+#ifdef HAVE_DRAGNDROP
 static void
-mswindows_finish_init_device (struct device *d, Lisp_Object props)
+mswindows_init_dde ()
 {
   /* Initialize DDE management library and our related globals. We execute a
    * dde Open("file") by simulating a drop, so this depends on dnd support. */
-#ifdef HAVE_DRAGNDROP
 # if !(defined(CYGWIN) || defined(MINGW))
   CoInitialize (NULL);
 # endif
 
   mswindows_dde_mlid = 0;
+  mswindows_dde_enable = 1;
   DdeInitialize (&mswindows_dde_mlid, (PFNCALLBACK)mswindows_dde_callback,
 		 APPCMD_FILTERINITS|CBF_FAIL_SELFCONNECTIONS|CBF_FAIL_ADVISES|
 		 CBF_FAIL_POKES|CBF_FAIL_REQUESTS|CBF_SKIP_ALLNOTIFICATIONS,
@@ -202,6 +204,27 @@
   mswindows_dde_item_open = DdeCreateStringHandle (mswindows_dde_mlid,
 						   TEXT(MSWINDOWS_DDE_ITEM_OPEN), 0);
   DdeNameService (mswindows_dde_mlid, mswindows_dde_service, 0L, DNS_REGISTER);
+}
+#endif
+
+void 
+init_mswindows_very_early()
+{
+#ifdef HAVE_DRAGNDROP
+  /* Initializing dde when the device is created is too late - the
+     client will give up waiting.  Instead we initialize here and tell
+     the client we're too busy until the rest of initialization has
+     happened. */
+  mswindows_init_dde();
+#endif
+}
+
+static void
+mswindows_finish_init_device (struct device *d, Lisp_Object props)
+{
+#ifdef HAVE_DRAGNDROP
+  /* Tell pending clients we are ready. */
+  mswindows_dde_enable = 1;
 #endif
 }