diff --git a/core/boot.js b/core/boot.js
index cdeef7e424..c633fbc193 100644
--- a/core/boot.js
+++ b/core/boot.js
@@ -131,6 +131,11 @@ async function initServicesForFrontend() {
     await routeSettings.init();
     debug('End: Routing Settings');
 
+    debug('Begin: Redirects');
+    const customRedirects = require('./server/services/redirects');
+    await customRedirects.init(),
+    debug('End: Redirects');
+
     debug('Begin: Themes');
     // customThemSettingsService.api must be initialized before any theme activation occurs
     const customThemeSettingsService = require('./server/services/custom-theme-settings');
@@ -222,7 +227,6 @@ async function initServices({config}) {
     const appService = require('./frontend/services/apps');
     const limits = require('./server/services/limits');
     const scheduling = require('./server/adapters/scheduling');
-    const customRedirects = require('./server/services/redirects');
 
     const urlUtils = require('./shared/url-utils');
 
@@ -236,7 +240,6 @@ async function initServices({config}) {
     await offers.init();
 
     await Promise.all([
-        customRedirects.init(),
         members.init(),
         permissions.init(),
         xmlrpc.listen(),
diff --git a/core/server/services/redirects/index.js b/core/server/services/redirects/index.js
index f7eb690e5f..6f9c9fce4d 100644
--- a/core/server/services/redirects/index.js
+++ b/core/server/services/redirects/index.js
@@ -4,17 +4,18 @@ const urlUtils = require('../../../shared/url-utils');
 const DynamicRedirectManager = require('@tryghost/express-dynamic-redirects');
 const CustomRedirectsAPI = require('./api');
 
-const redirectManager = new DynamicRedirectManager({
-    permanentMaxAge: config.get('caching:customRedirects:maxAge'),
-    getSubdirectoryURL: (pathname) => {
-        return urlUtils.urlJoin(urlUtils.getSubdir(), pathname);
-    }
-});
-
 let customRedirectsAPI;
+let redirectManager;
 
 module.exports = {
     init() {
+        redirectManager = new DynamicRedirectManager({
+            permanentMaxAge: config.get('caching:customRedirects:maxAge'),
+            getSubdirectoryURL: (pathname) => {
+                return urlUtils.urlJoin(urlUtils.getSubdir(), pathname);
+            }
+        });
+
         customRedirectsAPI = new CustomRedirectsAPI({
             basePath: config.getContentPath('data'),
             redirectManager
@@ -27,5 +28,7 @@ module.exports = {
         return customRedirectsAPI;
     },
 
-    middleware: redirectManager.handleRequest
+    get middleware() {
+        return redirectManager.handleRequest;
+    }
 };