diff --git a/dlls/kernel32/process.c b/dlls/kernel32/process.c
index 21185117a3b..868cc042ddb 100644
--- a/dlls/kernel32/process.c
+++ b/dlls/kernel32/process.c
@@ -1022,6 +1022,18 @@ void __wine_kernel_init(void)
     RtlInitUnicodeString( &NtCurrentTeb()->Peb->ProcessParameters->DllPath,
                           MODULE_get_dll_load_path(main_exe_name) );
 
+    if (boot_event)
+    {
+        if (WaitForSingleObject( boot_event, 30000 )) WARN( "boot event wait timed out\n" );
+        CloseHandle( boot_event );
+        /* if we didn't find environment section, try again now that wineboot has run */
+        if (!got_environment)
+        {
+            set_registry_environment();
+            set_additional_environment();
+        }
+    }
+
     if (!(peb->ImageBaseAddress = LoadLibraryExW( main_exe_name, 0, DONT_RESOLVE_DLL_REFERENCES )))
     {
         char msg[1024];
@@ -1041,18 +1053,6 @@ void __wine_kernel_init(void)
         ExitProcess( error );
     }
 
-    if (boot_event)
-    {
-        if (WaitForSingleObject( boot_event, 30000 )) WARN( "boot event wait timed out\n" );
-        CloseHandle( boot_event );
-        /* if we didn't find environment section, try again now that wineboot has run */
-        if (!got_environment)
-        {
-            set_registry_environment();
-            set_additional_environment();
-        }
-    }
-
     LdrInitializeThunk( 0, 0, 0, 0 );
     /* switch to the new stack */
     wine_switch_to_stack( start_process, NULL, NtCurrentTeb()->Tib.StackBase );