diff --git a/share/config.fish b/share/config.fish
index 85d7ba09a..dddecae2a 100644
--- a/share/config.fish
+++ b/share/config.fish
@@ -105,6 +105,13 @@ if not contains -- $__fish_data_dir/completions $fish_complete_path
     set fish_complete_path $fish_complete_path $__fish_data_dir/completions
 end
 
+# : is a sh/bash-compatibility function, but because its name can cause problems on many
+# systems, it is saved as colon.fish and not :.fish, which means that it's never autoloaded
+# since the name of the file and the name of the function differ. Force evaluation of colon.fish
+# as a function by simply trying to  load the non-existent function colon, which will pull in
+# colon.fish and lead to `:` being recognized. Sourced up here so it can be used later safely.
+type -q colon; or true # just to reset $status
+
 #
 # This is a Solaris-specific test to modify the PATH so that
 # Posix-conformant tools are used by default. It is separate from the
diff --git a/src/env.cpp b/src/env.cpp
index 1850160c3..67cf0fbe7 100644
--- a/src/env.cpp
+++ b/src/env.cpp
@@ -746,12 +746,6 @@ static void setup_user(bool force) {
     }
 }
 
-void misc_init_with_paths() {
-    // Since ':' can cause problems in filenames, the : function is saved to colon.fish
-    // But that means it isn't autoloaded since the name doesn't match the function.
-    bool loaded = function_load(L"colon");
-}
-
 /// Various things we need to initialize at run-time that don't really fit any of the other init
 /// routines.
 void misc_init() {
@@ -769,7 +763,7 @@ void misc_init() {
     // MS Windows tty devices do not currently have either a read or write timestamp. Those
     // respective fields of `struct stat` are always the current time. Which means we can't
     // use them. So we assume no external program has written to the terminal behind our
-    // back. This makes multiline prompt usable. See issue #2859 and
+    // back. This makes multiline promptusable. See issue #2859 and
     // https://github.com/Microsoft/BashOnWindows/issues/545
     has_working_tty_timestamps = false;
 #endif
diff --git a/src/env.h b/src/env.h
index 7f6050e5e..543b4dd11 100644
--- a/src/env.h
+++ b/src/env.h
@@ -67,8 +67,6 @@ void env_init(const struct config_paths_t *paths = NULL);
 /// Various things we need to initialize at run-time that don't really fit any of the other init
 /// routines.
 void misc_init();
-/// Same as misc_init() but after configuration paths have been loaded
-void misc_init_with_paths();
 
 class env_var_t {
    private:
diff --git a/src/fish.cpp b/src/fish.cpp
index 2568a4558..5568086b7 100644
--- a/src/fish.cpp
+++ b/src/fish.cpp
@@ -384,9 +384,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 
     const io_chain_t empty_ios;
     if (read_init(paths)) {
-        // Additional initialization that must occur after paths are loaded
-        misc_init_with_paths();
-
         // Stomp the exit status of any initialization commands (issue #635).
         proc_set_last_status(STATUS_CMD_OK);
 
diff --git a/src/function.cpp b/src/function.cpp
index 8d0ab1d12..f15b06739 100644
--- a/src/function.cpp
+++ b/src/function.cpp
@@ -194,13 +194,11 @@ int function_exists(const wcstring &cmd) {
     return loaded_functions.find(cmd) != loaded_functions.end();
 }
 
-bool function_load(const wcstring &cmd) {
+void function_load(const wcstring &cmd) {
     if (!parser_keywords_is_reserved(cmd)) {
         scoped_rlock locker(functions_lock);
-        return load(cmd) == 0;
+        load(cmd);
     }
-
-    return false; //not loaded
 }
 
 int function_exists_no_autoload(const wcstring &cmd, const env_vars_snapshot_t &vars) {
diff --git a/src/function.h b/src/function.h
index d72d9453f..5adfabb18 100644
--- a/src/function.h
+++ b/src/function.h
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ void function_set_desc(const wcstring &name, const wcstring &desc);
 int function_exists(const wcstring &name);
 
 /// Attempts to load a function if not yet loaded. This is used by the completion machinery.
-bool function_load(const wcstring &name);
+void function_load(const wcstring &name);
 
 /// Returns true if the function with the name name exists, without triggering autoload.
 int function_exists_no_autoload(const wcstring &name, const env_vars_snapshot_t &vars);