diff --git a/source/m3_env.c b/source/m3_env.c
index da53263..e170242 100644
--- a/source/m3_env.c
+++ b/source/m3_env.c
@@ -647,11 +647,11 @@ _               (ReadLEB_u32 (& functionIndex, & bytes, end));
     _catch: return result;
 }
 
-M3Result  InitStartFunc  (IM3Module io_module)
+M3Result  m3_RunStart  (IM3Module io_module)
 {
     M3Result result = m3Err_none;
 
-    if (io_module->startFunction >= 0)
+    if (io_module and io_module->startFunction >= 0)
     {
         IM3Function function = & io_module->functions [io_module->startFunction];
 
@@ -750,7 +750,7 @@ M3Result  m3_FindFunction  (IM3Function * o_function, IM3Runtime i_runtime, cons
 
     // Check if start function needs to be called
     if (function and function->module->startFunction) {
-        result = InitStartFunc (function->module);
+        result = m3_RunStart (function->module);
         if (result)
             return result;
     }
diff --git a/source/wasm3.h b/source/wasm3.h
index 155ffbc..57a81d4 100644
--- a/source/wasm3.h
+++ b/source/wasm3.h
@@ -190,6 +190,9 @@ d_m3ErrorConst  (trapStackOverflow,             "[trap] stack overflow")
     M3Result            m3_LoadModule               (IM3Runtime io_runtime,  IM3Module io_module);
     //  LoadModule transfers ownership of a module to the runtime. Do not free modules once successfully imported into the runtime
 
+    // Calling m3_RunStart is optional
+    M3Result            m3_RunStart                 (IM3Module i_module);
+
     typedef const void * (* M3RawCall) (IM3Runtime runtime, IM3ImportContext _ctx, uint64_t * _sp, void * _mem);
 
     M3Result            m3_LinkRawFunction          (IM3Module              io_module,