diff --git a/include/file.h b/include/file.h
index 997abd4b..5f831c36 100644
--- a/include/file.h
+++ b/include/file.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #define _FILE_H_
 
 #include <stddef.h>
+#include <time.h>
 
 struct empfile {
     int ef_uid;			/* Table ID */
@@ -127,13 +128,6 @@ struct empfile {
 
 #define EF_IS_GAME_STATE(type) (EF_SECTOR <= (type) && (type) <= EF_LOST)
 
-struct fileinit {
-    int ef_type;
-    void (*init) (int, char *);
-    int (*postread) (int, char *);
-    int (*prewrite) (int, char *);
-};
-
 extern struct castr *ef_cadef(int);
 extern int ef_read(int, int, void *);
 extern void *ef_ptr(int, int);
@@ -150,6 +144,7 @@ extern int ef_nelem(int);
 extern int ef_flags(int);
 extern int ef_byname(char *);
 extern int ef_byname_from(char *, int *);
+extern void ef_init(void);
 
 extern struct empfile empfile[EF_MAX + 1];
 
diff --git a/include/prototypes.h b/include/prototypes.h
index 1bcfb1b2..16b41f6d 100644
--- a/include/prototypes.h
+++ b/include/prototypes.h
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ extern int disloan(int, register struct lonstr *);
 /* distrea.c */
 extern int distrea(int, register struct trtstr *);
 /* fileinit.c */
-extern void ef_init(void);
+extern void ef_init_srv(void);
 /* fortdef.c */
 extern int sd(natid, natid, coord, coord, int, int, int);
 extern int dd(natid, natid, coord, coord, int, int);
diff --git a/src/lib/common/file.c b/src/lib/common/file.c
index 5229a2bc..53880586 100644
--- a/src/lib/common/file.c
+++ b/src/lib/common/file.c
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 #include "match.h"
 #include "misc.h"
 #include "nsc.h"
+#include "optlist.h"
 
 static int fillcache(struct empfile *, int);
 static int do_write(struct empfile *, void *, int, int);
@@ -506,3 +507,56 @@ ef_ensure_space(int type, int id, int count)
     }
     return 1;
 }
+
+static void
+ef_fix_size(struct empfile *ep, int n)
+{
+    ep->cids = ep->fids = n;
+    ep->csize = n + 1;
+}
+
+static void
+ef_init_chr(int type, size_t size, ptrdiff_t name_offs)
+{
+    struct empfile *ep = &empfile[type];
+    char *p;
+
+    for (p = ep->cache; **((char **)(p + name_offs)); p += size) ;
+    ef_fix_size(ep, (p - ep->cache) / size);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Initialize Empire tables.
+ * Must be called once, before using anything else from this module.
+ */
+void
+ef_init(void)
+{
+    struct castr *ca;
+    struct empfile *ep;
+    struct symbol *lup;
+    int i;
+
+    empfile[EF_MAP].size = empfile[EF_BMAP].size = (WORLD_X * WORLD_Y) / 2;
+
+    ef_init_chr(EF_SHIP_CHR,
+		sizeof(struct mchrstr), offsetof(struct mchrstr, m_name));
+    ef_init_chr(EF_PLANE_CHR,
+		sizeof(struct plchrstr), offsetof(struct plchrstr, pl_name));
+    ef_init_chr(EF_LAND_CHR,
+		sizeof(struct lchrstr), offsetof(struct lchrstr, l_name));
+    ef_init_chr(EF_NUKE_CHR,
+		sizeof(struct nchrstr), offsetof(struct nchrstr, n_name));
+
+    ca = (struct castr *)empfile[EF_META].cache;
+    for (i = 0; ca[i].ca_name; i++) ;
+    ef_fix_size(&empfile[EF_META], i);
+
+    for (ep = empfile; ep->ef_uid >= 0; ep++) {
+	if (ep->cadef == symbol_ca) {
+	    lup = (struct symbol *)ep->cache;
+	    for (i = 0; lup[i].value; i++) ;
+	    ef_fix_size(ep, i);
+	}
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/subs/fileinit.c b/src/lib/subs/fileinit.c
index 57f41916..6b20eeb5 100644
--- a/src/lib/subs/fileinit.c
+++ b/src/lib/subs/fileinit.c
@@ -25,23 +25,24 @@
  *
  *  ---
  *
- *  fileinit.c: Fill the empfile[] with function pointers only required for
- *              full server operations.  This allows the empfile[] to be
- *              used in files and fairland.
+ *  fileinit.c: Initialize Empire tables for full server operations.
  * 
  *  Known contributors to this file:
  *     Ron Koenderink, 2005
  *  
  */
 
-#include <fcntl.h>
-#include "misc.h"
-#include "nsc.h"
 #include "file.h"
 #include "prototypes.h"
-#include "optlist.h"
 
-struct fileinit fileinit[] = {
+struct fileinit {
+    int ef_type;
+    void (*init) (int, char *);
+    int (*postread) (int, char *);
+    int (*prewrite) (int, char *);
+};
+
+static struct fileinit fileinit[] = {
     {EF_SECTOR, NULL, sct_postread, sct_prewrite},
     {EF_SHIP, shp_init, shp_postread, shp_prewrite},
     {EF_PLANE, pln_init, pln_postread, pln_prewrite},
@@ -49,10 +50,16 @@ struct fileinit fileinit[] = {
     {EF_NUKE, nuk_init, nuk_postread, nuk_prewrite}
 };
 
+/*
+ * Initialize empfile for full server operations.
+ * Like ef_init(), but additionally installs the server's callbacks.
+ * This is separate from ef_init(), so that utility programs like
+ * files can use empfile.
+ */
 void
-ef_init(void)
+ef_init_srv(void)
 {
-    int i;
+    unsigned i;
 
     for (i = 0; i < sizeof(fileinit) / sizeof(fileinit[0]); i++) {
 	empfile[fileinit[i].ef_type].init = fileinit[i].init;
@@ -60,5 +67,5 @@ ef_init(void)
 	empfile[fileinit[i].ef_type].prewrite = fileinit[i].prewrite;
     }
 
-    empfile[EF_MAP].size = empfile[EF_BMAP].size = (WORLD_X * WORLD_Y) / 2;
+    ef_init();
 }
diff --git a/src/server/main.c b/src/server/main.c
index d8cefac0..21b0e31c 100644
--- a/src/server/main.c
+++ b/src/server/main.c
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ init_server(void)
     global_init();
     shutdown_init();
     player_init();
-    ef_init();
+    ef_init_srv();
     init_files();
     io_init();
     init_nreport();
diff --git a/src/util/files.c b/src/util/files.c
index 2261a829..f42c6db5 100644
--- a/src/util/files.c
+++ b/src/util/files.c
@@ -101,8 +101,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
     if (emp_config(config_file) < 0)
 	exit(1);
 
-    empfile[EF_MAP].size = (WORLD_X * WORLD_Y) / 2;
-    empfile[EF_BMAP].size = (WORLD_X * WORLD_Y) / 2;
+    ef_init();
 
     if (access(datadir, F_OK) < 0 && mkdir(datadir, 0750) < 0) {
 	perror(datadir);