diff --git a/src/emu/netlist/nl_base.c b/src/emu/netlist/nl_base.c
index 16b4c88bcf3..0e1fee5778e 100644
--- a/src/emu/netlist/nl_base.c
+++ b/src/emu/netlist/nl_base.c
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ ATTR_COLD void netlist_base_t::start()
     for (tagmap_devices_t::entry_t *entry = m_devices.first(); entry != NULL; entry = m_devices.next(entry))
     {
         netlist_device_t *dev = entry->object();
-        dev->init(*this, entry->tag().cstr());
+        dev->start_dev();
     }
 
 }
@@ -373,13 +373,13 @@ ATTR_COLD netlist_setup_t &netlist_device_t::setup()
 ATTR_COLD void netlist_device_t::init(netlist_base_t &anetlist, const pstring &name)
 {
 	netlist_core_device_t::init(anetlist, name);
-	start();
 }
 
 
 ATTR_COLD void netlist_device_t::register_sub(netlist_device_t &dev, const pstring &name)
 {
 	dev.init(netlist(), this->name() + "." + name);
+	dev.start_dev();
 }
 
 ATTR_COLD void netlist_device_t::register_subalias(const pstring &name, netlist_core_terminal_t &term)
diff --git a/src/emu/netlist/nl_base.h b/src/emu/netlist/nl_base.h
index bb5025be111..6c54000c9e2 100644
--- a/src/emu/netlist/nl_base.h
+++ b/src/emu/netlist/nl_base.h
@@ -899,8 +899,6 @@ public:
     ATTR_COLD virtual ~netlist_core_device_t();
 
     ATTR_COLD virtual void init(netlist_base_t &anetlist, const pstring &name);
-
-
     ATTR_HOT virtual void update_param() {}
 
     ATTR_HOT inline void update_dev()
@@ -911,6 +909,10 @@ public:
         update();
 #endif
     }
+    ATTR_HOT inline void start_dev()
+    {
+        start();
+    }
 
     ATTR_HOT const netlist_sig_t INPLOGIC_PASSIVE(netlist_logic_input_t &inp);
 
diff --git a/src/emu/netlist/nl_setup.c b/src/emu/netlist/nl_setup.c
index c25af942325..e190acd4f68 100644
--- a/src/emu/netlist/nl_setup.c
+++ b/src/emu/netlist/nl_setup.c
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ netlist_setup_t::~netlist_setup_t()
 // FIXME: Move to netlist ...
 netlist_device_t *netlist_setup_t::register_dev(netlist_device_t *dev, const pstring &name)
 {
+    dev->init(netlist(), name);
 	if (!(netlist().m_devices.add(name, dev, false)==TMERR_NONE))
 		netlist().error("Error adding %s to device list\n", name.cstr());
 	return dev;
@@ -364,8 +365,8 @@ nld_base_d_to_a_proxy *netlist_setup_t::get_d_a_proxy(netlist_output_t &out)
         pstring x = pstring::sprintf("proxy_da_%d", m_proxy_cnt);
         m_proxy_cnt++;
 
-        proxy->init(netlist(), x);
         register_dev(proxy, x);
+        proxy->start_dev();
 
 #if 1
         /* connect all existing terminals to new net */
@@ -396,8 +397,8 @@ void netlist_setup_t::connect_input_output(netlist_input_t &in, netlist_output_t
 		pstring x = pstring::sprintf("proxy_ad_%d", m_proxy_cnt);
 		m_proxy_cnt++;
 
-		proxy->init(netlist(), x);
 		register_dev(proxy, x);
+        proxy->start_dev();
 
 		proxy->m_Q.net().register_con(in);
 		out.net().register_con(proxy->m_I);
@@ -429,8 +430,8 @@ void netlist_setup_t::connect_terminal_input(netlist_terminal_t &term, netlist_i
 		pstring x = pstring::sprintf("proxy_da_%d", m_proxy_cnt);
 		m_proxy_cnt++;
 
-		proxy->init(netlist(), x);
 		register_dev(proxy, x);
+        proxy->start_dev();
 
 		connect_terminals(term, proxy->m_I);