diff --git a/src/cmd/godoc/appconfig.go b/src/cmd/godoc/appconfig.go
index 1f420fc6cff..052a9ebc8ab 100644
--- a/src/cmd/godoc/appconfig.go
+++ b/src/cmd/godoc/appconfig.go
@@ -17,9 +17,11 @@ const (
 	// in the .zip file.
 	zipGoroot = "/home/user/go"
 
-	// indexFilenames is a glob pattern specifying
-	// files containing the search index served by
-	// godoc. The files are concatenated in sorted
+	// If indexFilenames != "", the search index is
+	// initialized with the index stored in these
+	// files (otherwise it will be built at run-time,
+	// eventually). indexFilenames is a glob pattern;
+	// the specified files are concatenated in sorted
 	// order (by filename).
 	// app-engine limit: file sizes must be <= 10MB;
 	// use "split -b8m indexfile index.split." to get
diff --git a/src/cmd/godoc/appinit.go b/src/cmd/godoc/appinit.go
index 96f8d5e2acb..baba53fa6f1 100644
--- a/src/cmd/godoc/appinit.go
+++ b/src/cmd/godoc/appinit.go
@@ -88,9 +88,7 @@ func init() {
 
 	// initialize search index
 	if *indexEnabled {
-		if err := initIndex(); err != nil {
-			log.Fatalf("error initializing index: %s", err)
-		}
+		go indexer()
 	}
 
 	log.Println("godoc initialization complete")
diff --git a/src/cmd/godoc/godoc.go b/src/cmd/godoc/godoc.go
index a4e26b87262..6b646a1a66f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/godoc/godoc.go
+++ b/src/cmd/godoc/godoc.go
@@ -1065,11 +1065,7 @@ func lookup(query string) (result SearchResult) {
 	if *indexEnabled {
 		if _, ts := fsModified.get(); timestamp < ts {
 			// The index is older than the latest file system change under godoc's observation.
-			if *indexFiles != "" {
-				result.Alert = "Index not automatically updated: result may be inaccurate"
-			} else {
-				result.Alert = "Indexing in progress: result may be inaccurate"
-			}
+			result.Alert = "Indexing in progress: result may be inaccurate"
 		}
 	} else {
 		result.Alert = "Search index disabled: no results available"
@@ -1145,49 +1141,8 @@ func fsDirnames() <-chan string {
 	return c
 }
 
-func updateIndex() {
-	if *verbose {
-		log.Printf("updating index...")
-	}
-	start := time.Nanoseconds()
-	index := NewIndex(fsDirnames(), *maxResults > 0, *indexThrottle)
-	stop := time.Nanoseconds()
-	searchIndex.set(index)
-	if *verbose {
-		secs := float64((stop-start)/1e6) / 1e3
-		stats := index.Stats()
-		log.Printf("index updated (%gs, %d bytes of source, %d files, %d lines, %d unique words, %d spots)",
-			secs, stats.Bytes, stats.Files, stats.Lines, stats.Words, stats.Spots)
-	}
-	log.Printf("before GC: bytes = %d footprint = %d", runtime.MemStats.HeapAlloc, runtime.MemStats.Sys)
-	runtime.GC()
-	log.Printf("after  GC: bytes = %d footprint = %d", runtime.MemStats.HeapAlloc, runtime.MemStats.Sys)
-}
-
-func indexer() {
-	for {
-		if !indexUpToDate() {
-			// index possibly out of date - make a new one
-			updateIndex()
-		}
-		var delay int64 = 60 * 1e9 // by default, try every 60s
-		if *testDir != "" {
-			// in test mode, try once a second for fast startup
-			delay = 1 * 1e9
-		}
-		time.Sleep(delay)
-	}
-}
-
-func initIndex() os.Error {
-	if *indexFiles == "" {
-		// run periodic indexer
-		go indexer()
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	// get search index from files
-	matches, err := filepath.Glob(*indexFiles)
+func readIndex(filenames string) os.Error {
+	matches, err := filepath.Glob(filenames)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -1208,3 +1163,45 @@ func initIndex() os.Error {
 	searchIndex.set(x)
 	return nil
 }
+
+func updateIndex() {
+	if *verbose {
+		log.Printf("updating index...")
+	}
+	start := time.Nanoseconds()
+	index := NewIndex(fsDirnames(), *maxResults > 0, *indexThrottle)
+	stop := time.Nanoseconds()
+	searchIndex.set(index)
+	if *verbose {
+		secs := float64((stop-start)/1e6) / 1e3
+		stats := index.Stats()
+		log.Printf("index updated (%gs, %d bytes of source, %d files, %d lines, %d unique words, %d spots)",
+			secs, stats.Bytes, stats.Files, stats.Lines, stats.Words, stats.Spots)
+	}
+	log.Printf("before GC: bytes = %d footprint = %d", runtime.MemStats.HeapAlloc, runtime.MemStats.Sys)
+	runtime.GC()
+	log.Printf("after  GC: bytes = %d footprint = %d", runtime.MemStats.HeapAlloc, runtime.MemStats.Sys)
+}
+
+func indexer() {
+	// initialize the index from disk if possible
+	if *indexFiles != "" {
+		if err := readIndex(*indexFiles); err != nil {
+			log.Printf("error reading index: %s", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// repeatedly update the index when it goes out of date
+	for {
+		if !indexUpToDate() {
+			// index possibly out of date - make a new one
+			updateIndex()
+		}
+		var delay int64 = 60 * 1e9 // by default, try every 60s
+		if *testDir != "" {
+			// in test mode, try once a second for fast startup
+			delay = 1 * 1e9
+		}
+		time.Sleep(delay)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/cmd/godoc/main.go b/src/cmd/godoc/main.go
index 20eff6dd3a3..74d3111ffd2 100644
--- a/src/cmd/godoc/main.go
+++ b/src/cmd/godoc/main.go
@@ -248,6 +248,7 @@ func main() {
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Fatalf("%s: %s\n", *zipfile, err)
 		}
+		defer rc.Close()                  // be nice (e.g., -writeIndex mode)
 		*goroot = path.Join("/", *goroot) // fsHttp paths are relative to '/'
 		fs = NewZipFS(rc)
 		fsHttp = NewHttpZipFS(rc, *goroot)
@@ -262,8 +263,9 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	if *writeIndex {
+		// Write search index and exit.
 		if *indexFiles == "" {
-			log.Fatal("no index files specified")
+			log.Fatal("no index file specified")
 		}
 
 		log.Println("initialize file systems")
@@ -342,9 +344,7 @@ func main() {
 
 		// Initialize search index.
 		if *indexEnabled {
-			if err := initIndex(); err != nil {
-				log.Fatalf("error initializing index: %s", err)
-			}
+			go indexer()
 		}
 
 		// Start http server.