diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/importer/ureader.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/importer/ureader.go
index ccd4c7c502d..d00b765859c 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/importer/ureader.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/importer/ureader.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func ReadPackage(ctxt *types2.Context, imports map[string]*types2.Package, input
 
 	r := pr.newReader(pkgbits.RelocMeta, pkgbits.PublicRootIdx, pkgbits.SyncPublic)
 	pkg := r.pkg()
-	r.Bool() // has init
+	r.Bool() // TODO(mdempsky): Remove; was "has init"
 
 	for i, n := 0, r.Len(); i < n; i++ {
 		// As if r.obj(), but avoiding the Scope.Lookup call,
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/unified.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/unified.go
index d9b15ab3852..eebbb037428 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/unified.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/unified.go
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ func writePkgStub(noders []*noder) string {
 	{
 		w := publicRootWriter
 		w.pkg(pkg)
-		w.Bool(false) // has init; XXX
+		w.Bool(false) // TODO(mdempsky): Remove; was "has init"
 
 		scope := pkg.Scope()
 		names := scope.Names()
@@ -237,12 +237,7 @@ func readPackage(pr *pkgReader, importpkg *types.Pkg, localStub bool) {
 		pkg := r.pkg()
 		base.Assertf(pkg == importpkg, "have package %q (%p), want package %q (%p)", pkg.Path, pkg, importpkg.Path, importpkg)
 
-		if r.Bool() {
-			sym := pkg.Lookup(".inittask")
-			task := ir.NewNameAt(src.NoXPos, sym)
-			task.Class = ir.PEXTERN
-			sym.Def = task
-		}
+		r.Bool() // TODO(mdempsky): Remove; was "has init"
 
 		for i, n := 0, r.Len(); i < n; i++ {
 			r.Sync(pkgbits.SyncObject)
@@ -262,6 +257,13 @@ func readPackage(pr *pkgReader, importpkg *types.Pkg, localStub bool) {
 	if !localStub {
 		r := pr.newReader(pkgbits.RelocMeta, pkgbits.PrivateRootIdx, pkgbits.SyncPrivate)
 
+		if r.Bool() {
+			sym := importpkg.Lookup(".inittask")
+			task := ir.NewNameAt(src.NoXPos, sym)
+			task.Class = ir.PEXTERN
+			sym.Def = task
+		}
+
 		for i, n := 0, r.Len(); i < n; i++ {
 			path := r.String()
 			name := r.String()
@@ -302,7 +304,7 @@ func writeUnifiedExport(out io.Writer) {
 		r.Sync(pkgbits.SyncPkg)
 		selfPkgIdx = l.relocIdx(pr, pkgbits.RelocPkg, r.Reloc(pkgbits.RelocPkg))
 
-		r.Bool() // has init
+		r.Bool() // TODO(mdempsky): Remove; was "has init"
 
 		for i, n := 0, r.Len(); i < n; i++ {
 			r.Sync(pkgbits.SyncObject)
@@ -333,8 +335,7 @@ func writeUnifiedExport(out io.Writer) {
 
 		w.Sync(pkgbits.SyncPkg)
 		w.Reloc(pkgbits.RelocPkg, selfPkgIdx)
-
-		w.Bool(typecheck.Lookup(".inittask").Def != nil)
+		w.Bool(false) // TODO(mdempsky): Remove; was "has init"
 
 		w.Len(len(idxs))
 		for _, idx := range idxs {
@@ -361,6 +362,8 @@ func writeUnifiedExport(out io.Writer) {
 
 		w := privateRootWriter
 
+		w.Bool(typecheck.Lookup(".inittask").Def != nil)
+
 		w.Len(len(bodies))
 		for _, body := range bodies {
 			w.String(body.sym.Pkg.Path)
diff --git a/src/go/internal/gcimporter/ureader.go b/src/go/internal/gcimporter/ureader.go
index 63718a59e18..2047ad8ae90 100644
--- a/src/go/internal/gcimporter/ureader.go
+++ b/src/go/internal/gcimporter/ureader.go
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func readUnifiedPackage(fset *token.FileSet, ctxt *types.Context, imports map[st
 
 	r := pr.newReader(pkgbits.RelocMeta, pkgbits.PublicRootIdx, pkgbits.SyncPublic)
 	pkg := r.pkg()
-	r.Bool() // has init
+	r.Bool() // TODO(mdempsky): Remove; was "has init"
 
 	for i, n := 0, r.Len(); i < n; i++ {
 		// As if r.obj(), but avoiding the Scope.Lookup call,
diff --git a/src/internal/pkgbits/encoder.go b/src/internal/pkgbits/encoder.go
index c0f22529098..f1bc8367ef0 100644
--- a/src/internal/pkgbits/encoder.go
+++ b/src/internal/pkgbits/encoder.go
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ import (
 //   - v0: initial prototype
 //
 //   - v1: adds the flags uint32 word
+//
+// TODO(mdempsky): For the next version bump:
+//   - remove the unused dict.derived.needed bool
+//   - remove the legacy "has init" bool from the public root
 const currentVersion uint32 = 1
 
 // A PkgEncoder provides methods for encoding a package's Unified IR