diff --git a/src/builtin.c b/src/builtin.c
index eb2cd876b1..5a1be9e536 100644
--- a/src/builtin.c
+++ b/src/builtin.c
@@ -1746,9 +1746,7 @@ static block bind_bytecoded_builtins(block b) {
   return block_bind(builtins, b, OP_IS_CALL_PSEUDO);
 }
 
-
-
-static const char* const jq_builtins =
+static const char jq_builtins[] =
 /* Include jq-coded builtins */
 #include "src/builtin.inc"
 
@@ -1784,45 +1782,17 @@ static block gen_builtin_list(block builtins) {
   return BLOCK(builtins, gen_function("builtins", gen_noop(), gen_const(list)));
 }
 
-static int builtins_bind_one(jq_state *jq, block* bb, const char* code) {
-  struct locfile* src;
-  src = locfile_init(jq, "<builtin>", code, strlen(code));
-  block funcs;
-  int nerrors = jq_parse_library(src, &funcs);
-  if (nerrors == 0) {
-    *bb = block_bind(funcs, *bb, OP_IS_CALL_PSEUDO);
-  }
-  locfile_free(src);
-  return nerrors;
-}
-
-static int slurp_lib(jq_state *jq, block* bb) {
-  int nerrors = 0;
-  char* home = getenv("HOME");
-  if (home) {    // silently ignore no $HOME
-    jv filename = jv_string_append_str(jv_string(home), "/.jq");
-    jv data = jv_load_file(jv_string_value(filename), 1);
-    if (jv_is_valid(data)) {
-      nerrors = builtins_bind_one(jq, bb, jv_string_value(data) );
-    }
-    jv_free(filename);
-    jv_free(data);
-  }
-  return nerrors;
-}
-
 int builtins_bind(jq_state *jq, block* bb) {
-  block builtins = gen_noop();
-  int nerrors = slurp_lib(jq, bb);
-  if (nerrors) {
-    block_free(*bb);
-    return nerrors;
-  }
-  nerrors = builtins_bind_one(jq, &builtins, jq_builtins);
+  block builtins;
+  struct locfile* src = locfile_init(jq, "<builtin>", jq_builtins, sizeof(jq_builtins)-1);
+  int nerrors = jq_parse_library(src, &builtins);
   assert(!nerrors);
+  locfile_free(src);
+
   builtins = bind_bytecoded_builtins(builtins);
   builtins = gen_cbinding(function_list, sizeof(function_list)/sizeof(function_list[0]), builtins);
   builtins = gen_builtin_list(builtins);
+
   *bb = block_bind(builtins, *bb, OP_IS_CALL_PSEUDO);
   *bb = block_drop_unreferenced(*bb);
   return nerrors;
diff --git a/src/linker.c b/src/linker.c
index 0b855d5f9e..5c3845f49c 100644
--- a/src/linker.c
+++ b/src/linker.c
@@ -387,6 +387,16 @@ int load_program(jq_state *jq, struct locfile* src, block *out_block) {
   if (nerrors)
     return nerrors;
 
+  char* home = getenv("HOME");
+  if (home) {    // silently ignore no $HOME
+    /* Import ~/.jq as a library named "" found in $HOME */
+    block import = gen_import_meta(gen_import("", NULL, 0),
+        gen_const(JV_OBJECT(
+            jv_string("optional"), jv_true(),
+            jv_string("search"), jv_string(home))));
+    program = BLOCK(import, program);
+  }
+
   nerrors = process_dependencies(jq, jq_get_jq_origin(jq), jq_get_prog_origin(jq), &program, &lib_state);
   block libs = gen_noop();
   for (uint64_t i = 0; i < lib_state.ct; ++i) {