diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/app.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/app.js
index fc51dd47d9a..e303100c63d 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/app.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/app.js
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ const Discourse = Application.extend({
     Object.keys(requirejs._eak_seen).forEach((key) => {
       if (/\/pre\-initializers\//.test(key)) {
         this.initializer(this._prepareInitializer(key));
-      } else if (/\/initializers\//.test(key)) {
+      } else if (/\/(api\-)?initializers\//.test(key)) {
         this.instanceInitializer(this._prepareInitializer(key));
       }
     });
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/api.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/api.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..51a933f67ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/api.js
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import { withPluginApi } from "discourse/lib/plugin-api";
+
+/**
+ * apiInitializer(version, apiCodeCallback, opts)
+ *
+ * An API to simplify the creation of initializers for plugins/themes by removing
+ * some of the boilerplate.
+ */
+let _apiInitializerId = 0;
+export function apiInitializer(version, cb, opts) {
+  return {
+    name: `api-initializer${_apiInitializerId++}`,
+    after: "inject-objects",
+    initialize() {
+      return withPluginApi(version, cb, opts);
+    },
+  };
+}