diff --git a/autoload/airline/init.vim b/autoload/airline/init.vim
index aa93e1e..3e416f7 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/init.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/init.vim
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ function! airline#init#bootstrap()
   endif
   let s:loaded = 1
 
+  let g:airline#init#bootstrapping = 1
+
   call s:check_defined('g:airline_left_sep', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0)?"":">")
   call s:check_defined('g:airline_left_alt_sep', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0)?"":">")
   call s:check_defined('g:airline_right_sep', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0)?"":"<")
@@ -61,10 +63,6 @@ function! airline#init#bootstrap()
         \ 'modified': '+',
         \ 'space': ' ',
         \ }, 'keep')
-endfunction
-
-function! airline#init#sections()
-  let g:airline#init#initializing_sections = 1
 
   call airline#parts#define('mode', {
         \ 'function': 'airline#parts#mode',
@@ -82,6 +80,10 @@ function! airline#init#sections()
   call airline#parts#define_function('ffenc', 'airline#parts#ffenc')
   call airline#parts#define_empty(['hunks', 'branch', 'tagbar', 'syntastic', 'whitespace'])
 
+  unlet g:airline#init#bootstrapping
+endfunction
+
+function! airline#init#sections()
   let spc = g:airline_symbols.space
   if !exists('g:airline_section_a')
     let g:airline_section_a = airline#section#create_left(['mode', 'paste', 'iminsert'])
@@ -107,7 +109,5 @@ function! airline#init#sections()
   if !exists('g:airline_section_warning')
     let g:airline_section_warning = airline#section#create(['syntastic', 'whitespace'])
   endif
-
-  unlet g:airline#init#initializing_sections
 endfunction
 
diff --git a/autoload/airline/parts.vim b/autoload/airline/parts.vim
index 0a43b97..bec4504 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/parts.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/parts.vim
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ let s:parts = {}
 
 function! airline#parts#define(key, config)
   let s:parts[a:key] = get(s:parts, a:key, {})
-  if exists('g:airline#init#initializing_sections')
+  if exists('g:airline#init#bootstrapping')
     call extend(s:parts[a:key], a:config, 'keep')
   else
     call extend(s:parts[a:key], a:config, 'force')
diff --git a/t/section.vim b/t/section.vim
index d36fe5c..7781651 100644
--- a/t/section.vim
+++ b/t/section.vim
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-call airline#init#bootstrap()
-call airline#extensions#load()
-
 function! SectionSpec()
 endfunction
 
@@ -11,6 +8,11 @@ describe 'section'
     call airline#parts#define_function('func', 'SectionSpec')
   end
 
+  it 'should be able to reference default parts'
+    let s = airline#section#create(['paste'])
+    Expect s == '%{airline#util#wrap(airline#parts#paste(),0)}'
+  end
+
   it 'should create sections with no separators'
     let s = airline#section#create(['text', 'raw', 'func'])
     Expect s == '%{airline#util#wrap("text",0)}raw%{airline#util#wrap(SectionSpec(),0)}'
@@ -43,6 +45,7 @@ describe 'section'
   end
 
   it 'should parse out a section from the distro'
+    call airline#extensions#load()
     let s = airline#section#create(['whitespace'])
     Expect s =~ 'airline#extensions#whitespace#check'
   end