diff --git a/src/runtime/nonhosted.go b/src/runtime/nonhosted.go
index 61f5023d..531c1c1e 100644
--- a/src/runtime/nonhosted.go
+++ b/src/runtime/nonhosted.go
@@ -11,6 +11,14 @@ package runtime
 // The primary use case is `tinygo test`, which takes some parameters (such as
 // -test.v).
 
+// This is the default set of arguments, if nothing else has been set.
+var args = []string{"/proc/self/exe"}
+
+//go:linkname os_runtime_args os.runtime_args
+func os_runtime_args() []string {
+	return args
+}
+
 var env []string
 
 //go:linkname syscall_runtime_envs syscall.runtime_envs
diff --git a/src/runtime/runtime.go b/src/runtime/runtime.go
index 55102411..5243d34e 100644
--- a/src/runtime/runtime.go
+++ b/src/runtime/runtime.go
@@ -23,16 +23,6 @@ func GOROOT() string {
 	return "/usr/local/go"
 }
 
-// This is the default set of arguments, if nothing else has been set.
-// This may be overriden by modifying this global at runtime init (for example,
-// on Linux where there are real command line arguments).
-var args = []string{"/proc/self/exe"}
-
-//go:linkname os_runtime_args os.runtime_args
-func os_runtime_args() []string {
-	return args
-}
-
 // Copy size bytes from src to dst. The memory areas must not overlap.
 // Calls to this function are converted to LLVM intrinsic calls such as
 // llvm.memcpy.p0i8.p0i8.i32(dst, src, size, false).
diff --git a/src/runtime/runtime_unix.go b/src/runtime/runtime_unix.go
index 684063b4..23a41714 100644
--- a/src/runtime/runtime_unix.go
+++ b/src/runtime/runtime_unix.go
@@ -74,28 +74,9 @@ func postinit() {}
 func main(argc int32, argv *unsafe.Pointer) int {
 	preinit()
 
-	// Make args global big enough so that it can store all command line
-	// arguments. Unfortunately this has to be done with some magic as the heap
-	// is not yet initialized.
-	argsSlice := (*struct {
-		ptr unsafe.Pointer
-		len uintptr
-		cap uintptr
-	})(unsafe.Pointer(&args))
-	argsSlice.ptr = malloc(uintptr(argc) * (unsafe.Sizeof(uintptr(0))) * 3)
-	argsSlice.len = uintptr(argc)
-	argsSlice.cap = uintptr(argc)
-
-	// Initialize command line parameters.
-	for i := 0; i < int(argc); i++ {
-		// Convert the C string to a Go string.
-		length := strlen(*argv)
-		arg := (*_string)(unsafe.Pointer(&args[i]))
-		arg.length = length
-		arg.ptr = (*byte)(*argv)
-		// This is the Go equivalent of "argc++" in C.
-		argv = (*unsafe.Pointer)(unsafe.Pointer(uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(argv)) + unsafe.Sizeof(argv)))
-	}
+	// Store argc and argv for later use.
+	main_argc = argc
+	main_argv = argv
 
 	// Obtain the initial stack pointer right before calling the run() function.
 	// The run function has been moved to a separate (non-inlined) function so
@@ -107,6 +88,34 @@ func main(argc int32, argv *unsafe.Pointer) int {
 	return 0
 }
 
+var (
+	main_argc int32
+	main_argv *unsafe.Pointer
+	args      []string
+)
+
+//go:linkname os_runtime_args os.runtime_args
+func os_runtime_args() []string {
+	if args == nil {
+		// Make args slice big enough so that it can store all command line
+		// arguments.
+		args = make([]string, main_argc)
+
+		// Initialize command line parameters.
+		argv := main_argv
+		for i := 0; i < int(main_argc); i++ {
+			// Convert the C string to a Go string.
+			length := strlen(*argv)
+			arg := (*_string)(unsafe.Pointer(&args[i]))
+			arg.length = length
+			arg.ptr = (*byte)(*argv)
+			// This is the Go equivalent of "argv++" in C.
+			argv = (*unsafe.Pointer)(unsafe.Pointer(uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(argv)) + unsafe.Sizeof(argv)))
+		}
+	}
+	return args
+}
+
 // Must be a separate function to get the correct stack pointer.
 //go:noinline
 func runMain() {
diff --git a/src/runtime/runtime_wasm_wasi.go b/src/runtime/runtime_wasm_wasi.go
index 90f62614..96174e80 100644
--- a/src/runtime/runtime_wasm_wasi.go
+++ b/src/runtime/runtime_wasm_wasi.go
@@ -26,30 +26,38 @@ func _start() {
 //     wasmtime ./program.wasm arg1 arg2
 func init() {
 	__wasm_call_ctors()
+}
 
-	// Read the number of args (argc) and the buffer size required to store all
-	// these args (argv).
-	var argc, argv_buf_size uint32
-	args_sizes_get(&argc, &argv_buf_size)
-	if argc == 0 {
-		return
-	}
+var args []string
 
-	// Obtain the command line arguments
-	argsSlice := make([]unsafe.Pointer, argc)
-	buf := make([]byte, argv_buf_size)
-	args_get(&argsSlice[0], unsafe.Pointer(&buf[0]))
-
-	// Convert the array of C strings to an array of Go strings.
-	args = make([]string, argc)
-	for i, cstr := range argsSlice {
-		length := strlen(cstr)
-		argString := _string{
-			length: length,
-			ptr:    (*byte)(cstr),
+//go:linkname os_runtime_args os.runtime_args
+func os_runtime_args() []string {
+	if args == nil {
+		// Read the number of args (argc) and the buffer size required to store
+		// all these args (argv).
+		var argc, argv_buf_size uint32
+		args_sizes_get(&argc, &argv_buf_size)
+		if argc == 0 {
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		// Obtain the command line arguments
+		argsSlice := make([]unsafe.Pointer, argc)
+		buf := make([]byte, argv_buf_size)
+		args_get(&argsSlice[0], unsafe.Pointer(&buf[0]))
+
+		// Convert the array of C strings to an array of Go strings.
+		args = make([]string, argc)
+		for i, cstr := range argsSlice {
+			length := strlen(cstr)
+			argString := _string{
+				length: length,
+				ptr:    (*byte)(cstr),
+			}
+			args[i] = *(*string)(unsafe.Pointer(&argString))
 		}
-		args[i] = *(*string)(unsafe.Pointer(&argString))
 	}
+	return args
 }
 
 func ticksToNanoseconds(ticks timeUnit) int64 {