diff --git a/doc/manual/rl-next/c-api-flake-init.md b/doc/manual/rl-next/c-api-flake-init.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d6e7c3890
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/rl-next/c-api-flake-init.md
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+---
+synopsis: C API `nix_flake_init_global` removed
+prs: 12759
+issues: 5638
+---
+
+In order to improve the modularity of the code base, we are removing a use of global state, and therefore the `nix_flake_init_global` function.
+
+Instead, use `nix_flake_settings_add_to_eval_state_builder`. For example:
+
+```diff
+-    nix_flake_init_global(ctx, settings);
+-    HANDLE_ERROR(ctx);
+-
+     nix_eval_state_builder * builder = nix_eval_state_builder_new(ctx, store);
+     HANDLE_ERROR(ctx);
+ 
++    nix_flake_settings_add_to_eval_state_builder(ctx, settings, builder);
++    HANDLE_ERROR(ctx);
+```
diff --git a/src/libflake-c/nix_api_flake.cc b/src/libflake-c/nix_api_flake.cc
index 17cf6572d..2479bf2e0 100644
--- a/src/libflake-c/nix_api_flake.cc
+++ b/src/libflake-c/nix_api_flake.cc
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "nix_api_flake.h"
 #include "nix_api_flake_internal.hh"
 #include "nix_api_util_internal.h"
+#include "nix_api_expr_internal.h"
 
 #include "flake/flake.hh"
 
@@ -18,15 +19,11 @@ void nix_flake_settings_free(nix_flake_settings * settings)
     delete settings;
 }
 
-nix_err nix_flake_init_global(nix_c_context * context, nix_flake_settings * settings)
+nix_err nix_flake_settings_add_to_eval_state_builder(
+    nix_c_context * context, nix_flake_settings * settings, nix_eval_state_builder * builder)
 {
-    static std::shared_ptr<nix::flake::Settings> registeredSettings;
     try {
-        if (registeredSettings)
-            throw nix::Error("nix_flake_init_global already initialized");
-
-        registeredSettings = settings->settings;
-        nix::flake::initLib(*registeredSettings);
+        settings->settings->configureEvalSettings(builder->settings);
     }
     NIXC_CATCH_ERRS
 }
diff --git a/src/libflake-c/nix_api_flake.h b/src/libflake-c/nix_api_flake.h
index 80051298d..75675835e 100644
--- a/src/libflake-c/nix_api_flake.h
+++ b/src/libflake-c/nix_api_flake.h
@@ -35,9 +35,15 @@ nix_flake_settings * nix_flake_settings_new(nix_c_context * context);
 void nix_flake_settings_free(nix_flake_settings * settings);
 
 /**
- * @brief Register Flakes support process-wide.
+ * @brief Initialize a `nix_flake_settings` to contain `builtins.getFlake` and
+ * potentially more.
+ *
+ * @param[out] context Optional, stores error information
+ * @param[in] settings The settings to use for e.g. `builtins.getFlake`
+ * @param[in] builder The builder to modify
  */
-nix_err nix_flake_init_global(nix_c_context * context, nix_flake_settings * settings);
+nix_err nix_flake_settings_add_to_eval_state_builder(
+    nix_c_context * context, nix_flake_settings * settings, nix_eval_state_builder * builder);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 } // extern "C"
diff --git a/src/libflake-tests/nix_api_flake.cc b/src/libflake-tests/nix_api_flake.cc
index 1678e3e55..9aa7773a0 100644
--- a/src/libflake-tests/nix_api_flake.cc
+++ b/src/libflake-tests/nix_api_flake.cc
@@ -25,13 +25,13 @@ TEST_F(nix_api_store_test, nix_api_init_global_getFlake_exists)
     assert_ctx_ok();
     ASSERT_NE(nullptr, settings);
 
-    nix_flake_init_global(ctx, settings);
-    assert_ctx_ok();
-
     nix_eval_state_builder * builder = nix_eval_state_builder_new(ctx, store);
     ASSERT_NE(nullptr, builder);
     assert_ctx_ok();
 
+    nix_flake_settings_add_to_eval_state_builder(ctx, settings, builder);
+    assert_ctx_ok();
+
     auto state = nix_eval_state_build(ctx, builder);
     assert_ctx_ok();
     ASSERT_NE(nullptr, state);
diff --git a/src/libflake/flake/flake-primops.cc b/src/libflake/flake/flake-primops.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f04887e85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libflake/flake/flake-primops.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#include "flake-primops.hh"
+#include "eval.hh"
+#include "flake.hh"
+#include "flakeref.hh"
+#include "settings.hh"
+
+namespace nix::flake::primops {
+
+PrimOp getFlake(const Settings & settings)
+{
+    auto prim_getFlake = [&settings](EvalState & state, const PosIdx pos, Value ** args, Value & v) {
+        std::string flakeRefS(
+            state.forceStringNoCtx(*args[0], pos, "while evaluating the argument passed to builtins.getFlake"));
+        auto flakeRef = nix::parseFlakeRef(state.fetchSettings, flakeRefS, {}, true);
+        if (state.settings.pureEval && !flakeRef.input.isLocked())
+            throw Error(
+                "cannot call 'getFlake' on unlocked flake reference '%s', at %s (use --impure to override)",
+                flakeRefS,
+                state.positions[pos]);
+
+        callFlake(
+            state,
+            lockFlake(
+                settings,
+                state,
+                flakeRef,
+                LockFlags{
+                    .updateLockFile = false,
+                    .writeLockFile = false,
+                    .useRegistries = !state.settings.pureEval && settings.useRegistries,
+                    .allowUnlocked = !state.settings.pureEval,
+                }),
+            v);
+    };
+
+    return PrimOp{
+        .name = "__getFlake",
+        .args = {"args"},
+        .doc = R"(
+          Fetch a flake from a flake reference, and return its output attributes and some metadata. For example:
+
+          ```nix
+          (builtins.getFlake "nix/55bc52401966fbffa525c574c14f67b00bc4fb3a").packages.x86_64-linux.nix
+          ```
+
+          Unless impure evaluation is allowed (`--impure`), the flake reference
+          must be "locked", e.g. contain a Git revision or content hash. An
+          example of an unlocked usage is:
+
+          ```nix
+          (builtins.getFlake "github:edolstra/dwarffs").rev
+          ```
+        )",
+        .fun = prim_getFlake,
+        .experimentalFeature = Xp::Flakes,
+    };
+}
+
+} // namespace nix::flake::primops
diff --git a/src/libflake/flake/flake-primops.hh b/src/libflake/flake/flake-primops.hh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..662761c4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libflake/flake/flake-primops.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "eval.hh"
+#include "flake/settings.hh"
+
+namespace nix::flake::primops {
+
+/**
+ * Returns a `builtins.getFlake` primop with the given nix::flake::Settings.
+ */
+nix::PrimOp getFlake(const Settings & settings);
+
+} // namespace nix::flake
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/libflake/flake/flake.cc b/src/libflake/flake/flake.cc
index 475e159cd..1427b5818 100644
--- a/src/libflake/flake/flake.cc
+++ b/src/libflake/flake/flake.cc
@@ -973,49 +973,6 @@ void callFlake(EvalState & state,
     state.callFunction(*vCallFlake, args, vRes, noPos);
 }
 
-void initLib(const Settings & settings)
-{
-    auto prim_getFlake = [&settings](EvalState & state, const PosIdx pos, Value * * args, Value & v)
-    {
-        std::string flakeRefS(state.forceStringNoCtx(*args[0], pos, "while evaluating the argument passed to builtins.getFlake"));
-        auto flakeRef = parseFlakeRef(state.fetchSettings, flakeRefS, {}, true);
-        if (state.settings.pureEval && !flakeRef.input.isLocked())
-            throw Error("cannot call 'getFlake' on unlocked flake reference '%s', at %s (use --impure to override)", flakeRefS, state.positions[pos]);
-
-        callFlake(state,
-            lockFlake(settings, state, flakeRef,
-                LockFlags {
-                    .updateLockFile = false,
-                    .writeLockFile = false,
-                    .useRegistries = !state.settings.pureEval && settings.useRegistries,
-                    .allowUnlocked = !state.settings.pureEval,
-                }),
-            v);
-    };
-
-    RegisterPrimOp::primOps->push_back({
-        .name =  "__getFlake",
-        .args = {"args"},
-        .doc = R"(
-          Fetch a flake from a flake reference, and return its output attributes and some metadata. For example:
-
-          ```nix
-          (builtins.getFlake "nix/55bc52401966fbffa525c574c14f67b00bc4fb3a").packages.x86_64-linux.nix
-          ```
-
-          Unless impure evaluation is allowed (`--impure`), the flake reference
-          must be "locked", e.g. contain a Git revision or content hash. An
-          example of an unlocked usage is:
-
-          ```nix
-          (builtins.getFlake "github:edolstra/dwarffs").rev
-          ```
-        )",
-        .fun = prim_getFlake,
-        .experimentalFeature = Xp::Flakes,
-    });
-}
-
 static void prim_parseFlakeRef(
     EvalState & state,
     const PosIdx pos,
diff --git a/src/libflake/flake/flake.hh b/src/libflake/flake/flake.hh
index d8cd9aac0..d7a151587 100644
--- a/src/libflake/flake/flake.hh
+++ b/src/libflake/flake/flake.hh
@@ -14,14 +14,6 @@ namespace flake {
 
 struct Settings;
 
-/**
- * Initialize `libnixflake`
- *
- * So far, this registers the `builtins.getFlake` primop, which depends
- * on the choice of `flake:Settings`.
- */
-void initLib(const Settings & settings);
-
 struct FlakeInput;
 
 typedef std::map<FlakeId, FlakeInput> FlakeInputs;
diff --git a/src/libflake/flake/settings.cc b/src/libflake/flake/settings.cc
index 6a0294e62..f5f9f96d0 100644
--- a/src/libflake/flake/settings.cc
+++ b/src/libflake/flake/settings.cc
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 #include "flake/settings.hh"
+#include "flake/flake-primops.hh"
 
 namespace nix::flake {
 
 Settings::Settings() {}
 
+void Settings::configureEvalSettings(nix::EvalSettings & evalSettings)
+{
+    evalSettings.addPrimOp(primops::getFlake(*this));
 }
+
+} // namespace nix
diff --git a/src/libflake/flake/settings.hh b/src/libflake/flake/settings.hh
index 991eaca1f..f629f3e74 100644
--- a/src/libflake/flake/settings.hh
+++ b/src/libflake/flake/settings.hh
@@ -1,21 +1,24 @@
 #pragma once
 ///@file
 
-#include "types.hh"
 #include "config.hh"
-#include "util.hh"
-
-#include <map>
-#include <limits>
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
 
+namespace nix {
+// Forward declarations
+struct EvalSettings;
+
+} // namespace nix
+
 namespace nix::flake {
 
 struct Settings : public Config
 {
     Settings();
 
+    void configureEvalSettings(nix::EvalSettings & evalSettings);
+
     Setting<bool> useRegistries{
         this,
         true,
diff --git a/src/libflake/meson.build b/src/libflake/meson.build
index b757d0d76..7dee31574 100644
--- a/src/libflake/meson.build
+++ b/src/libflake/meson.build
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ sources = files(
   'flake/flake.cc',
   'flake/flakeref.cc',
   'flake/lockfile.cc',
+  'flake/flake-primops.cc',
   'flake/settings.cc',
   'flake/url-name.cc',
 )
diff --git a/src/nix/main.cc b/src/nix/main.cc
index 0a6b77e9e..188d424bc 100644
--- a/src/nix/main.cc
+++ b/src/nix/main.cc
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "network-proxy.hh"
 #include "eval-cache.hh"
 #include "flake/flake.hh"
+#include "flake/settings.hh"
 #include "self-exe.hh"
 #include "json-utils.hh"
 #include "crash-handler.hh"
@@ -368,7 +369,7 @@ void mainWrapped(int argc, char * * argv)
 
     initNix();
     initGC();
-    flake::initLib(flakeSettings);
+    flakeSettings.configureEvalSettings(evalSettings);
 
     /* Set the build hook location