diff --git a/include/cln/rational_ring.h b/include/cln/rational_ring.h
index b6026cc..0a3dbfd 100644
--- a/include/cln/rational_ring.h
+++ b/include/cln/rational_ring.h
@@ -11,7 +11,15 @@ namespace cln {
 typedef cl_specialized_number_ring<cl_RA> cl_rational_ring;
 extern const cl_rational_ring cl_RA_ring;	// math. Q
 extern cl_class cl_class_rational_ring;
-//CL_REQUIRE(cl_RA_ring)
+
+class cl_RA_ring_init_helper
+{
+	static int count;
+public:
+	cl_RA_ring_init_helper();
+	~cl_RA_ring_init_helper();
+};
+static cl_RA_ring_init_helper cl_RA_ring_init_helper_instance;
 
 }  // namespace cln
 
diff --git a/include/cln/univpoly_rational.h b/include/cln/univpoly_rational.h
index a1a6283..b958245 100644
--- a/include/cln/univpoly_rational.h
+++ b/include/cln/univpoly_rational.h
@@ -223,8 +223,6 @@ inline const cl_UP_RA deriv (const cl_UP_RA& x)
 
 #endif
 
-CL_REQUIRE(cl_RA_ring)
-
 
 // Returns the n-th Legendre polynomial (n >= 0).
 extern const cl_UP_RA legendre (sintL n);
diff --git a/src/rational/ring/cl_RA_ring.cc b/src/rational/ring/cl_RA_ring.cc
index f23035f..b42130f 100644
--- a/src/rational/ring/cl_RA_ring.cc
+++ b/src/rational/ring/cl_RA_ring.cc
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 // General includes.
 #include "cl_sysdep.h"
 
-CL_PROVIDE(cl_RA_ring)
-
 // Specification.
 #include "cln/rational_ring.h"
 
@@ -143,19 +141,34 @@ static void cl_rational_ring_dprint (cl_heap* pointer)
 	fprint(cl_debugout, "(cl_rational_ring) cl_RA_ring");
 }
 
-cl_class cl_class_rational_ring = {
-	cl_rational_ring_destructor,
-	cl_class_flags_number_ring,
-	cl_rational_ring_dprint
-};
+cl_class cl_class_rational_ring;
+static cl_heap_rational_ring* cl_heap_rational_ring_instance;
 
 // Constructor.
 template <>
 inline cl_rational_ring::cl_specialized_number_ring ()
-	: cl_number_ring (new cl_heap_rational_ring()) {}
+	: cl_number_ring(cl_heap_rational_ring_instance) { }
 
-const cl_rational_ring cl_RA_ring;
+const cl_rational_ring cl_RA_ring = cl_RA_ring;
 
-}  // namespace cln
+int cl_RA_ring_init_helper::count = 0;
+
+cl_RA_ring_init_helper::cl_RA_ring_init_helper()
+{
+	if (count++ == 0) {
+		cl_class_rational_ring.destruct = cl_rational_ring_destructor;
+		cl_class_rational_ring.flags = cl_class_flags_number_ring;
+		cl_class_rational_ring.dprint = cl_rational_ring_dprint;
+		cl_heap_rational_ring_instance = new cl_heap_rational_ring();
+		new ((void *)&cl_RA_ring) cl_rational_ring();
+	}
+}
 
-CL_PROVIDE_END(cl_RA_ring)
+cl_RA_ring_init_helper::~cl_RA_ring_init_helper()
+{
+	if (--count == 0) {
+		delete cl_heap_rational_ring_instance;
+	}
+}
+
+}  // namespace cln