diff --git a/encoding.c b/encoding.c
index 1ee7fcfc..c708d22b 100644
--- a/encoding.c
+++ b/encoding.c
@@ -1482,16 +1482,20 @@ xmlNewCharEncodingHandler(const char *name,
 /**
  * xmlInitCharEncodingHandlers:
  *
- * DEPRECATED: This function will be made private. Call xmlInitParser to
- * initialize the library.
- *
- * Initialize the char encoding support, it registers the default
- * encoding supported.
- * NOTE: while public, this function usually doesn't need to be called
- *       in normal processing.
+ * DEPRECATED: Alias for xmlInitParser.
  */
 void
 xmlInitCharEncodingHandlers(void) {
+    xmlInitParser();
+}
+
+/**
+ * xmlInitEncodingInternal:
+ *
+ * Initialize the char encoding support.
+ */
+void
+xmlInitEncodingInternal(void) {
     unsigned short int tst = 0x1234;
     unsigned char *ptr = (unsigned char *) &tst;
 
diff --git a/include/private/enc.h b/include/private/enc.h
index 4fd32342..77a5b98d 100644
--- a/include/private/enc.h
+++ b/include/private/enc.h
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 #include <libxml/encoding.h>
 #include <libxml/tree.h>
 
+void xmlInitEncodingInternal(void);
+
 int xmlCharEncFirstLineInput(xmlParserInputBufferPtr input, int len);
 int xmlCharEncInput(xmlParserInputBufferPtr input, int flush);
 int xmlCharEncOutput(xmlOutputBufferPtr output, int init);
diff --git a/parser.c b/parser.c
index 7cc2a782..3576134e 100644
--- a/parser.c
+++ b/parser.c
@@ -14503,7 +14503,7 @@ xmlInitParser(void) {
 	xmlInitGlobalsInternal();
 	xmlInitMemoryInternal();
         __xmlInitializeDict();
-	xmlInitCharEncodingHandlers();
+	xmlInitEncodingInternal();
 	xmlRegisterDefaultInputCallbacks();
 #ifdef LIBXML_OUTPUT_ENABLED
 	xmlRegisterDefaultOutputCallbacks();