diff --git a/cmds/am/src/com/android/commands/am/Am.java b/cmds/am/src/com/android/commands/am/Am.java
index 4e46aa3f42d56..9564dde7fe06d 100644
--- a/cmds/am/src/com/android/commands/am/Am.java
+++ b/cmds/am/src/com/android/commands/am/Am.java
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ public class Am extends BaseCommand {
     private IActivityManager mAm;
     private IPackageManager mPm;
 
+    Am() {
+        svcInit();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Command-line entry point.
      *
@@ -50,6 +54,20 @@ public class Am extends BaseCommand {
         (new Am()).run(args);
     }
 
+    private void svcInit() {
+        mAm = ActivityManager.getService();
+        if (mAm == null) {
+            System.err.println(NO_SYSTEM_ERROR_CODE);
+            return;
+        }
+
+        mPm = IPackageManager.Stub.asInterface(ServiceManager.getService("package"));
+        if (mPm == null) {
+            System.err.println(NO_SYSTEM_ERROR_CODE);
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void onShowUsage(PrintStream out) {
         try {
@@ -61,19 +79,6 @@ public class Am extends BaseCommand {
 
     @Override
     public void onRun() throws Exception {
-
-        mAm = ActivityManager.getService();
-        if (mAm == null) {
-            System.err.println(NO_SYSTEM_ERROR_CODE);
-            throw new AndroidException("Can't connect to activity manager; is the system running?");
-        }
-
-        mPm = IPackageManager.Stub.asInterface(ServiceManager.getService("package"));
-        if (mPm == null) {
-            System.err.println(NO_SYSTEM_ERROR_CODE);
-            throw new AndroidException("Can't connect to package manager; is the system running?");
-        }
-
         String op = nextArgRequired();
 
         if (op.equals("instrument")) {