diff --git a/backends/ze/gen_ze.rb b/backends/ze/gen_ze.rb
index 9e662b95..fc86a307 100644
--- a/backends/ze/gen_ze.rb
+++ b/backends/ze/gen_ze.rb
@@ -229,7 +229,10 @@ def gen_struct_printer(namespace, types)
     puts <<EOF
   _init_tracer();
 EOF
-    if c.name == 'zeInit'
+    # _init_tracer_dump() calls the real zeInit (ZE_INIT_PTR) and dumps device
+    # properties. zesInit piggybacks on it so a pure-Sysman program (no zeInit)
+    # still initializes the ze backend it depends on.
+    if %w[zeInit zesInit].include?(c.name)
       puts <<EOF
   _init_tracer_dump();
 EOF
diff --git a/backends/ze/ze_model.rb b/backends/ze/ze_model.rb
index 7341d253..70804c90 100644
--- a/backends/ze/ze_model.rb
+++ b/backends/ze/ze_model.rb
@@ -39,7 +39,11 @@
 gen_struct_map(typedefs, structs)
 gen_ffi_type_map(typedefs)
 
-INIT_FUNCTIONS = /zeInit|zeLoaderInit|zeInitDrivers/
+# zesInit is included here so that a pure-Sysman program (one that only calls
+# zesInit, never zeInit) still triggers the tracer initialization.
+# Ideally we would split this into INIT_ZE_FUNCTIONS / INIT_ZES_FUNCTIONS
+# so each namespace initializes its own symbols.
+INIT_FUNCTIONS = /zeInit|zeLoaderInit|zeInitDrivers|zesInit/
 
 $struct_type_conversion_table = {
   'ZE_STRUCTURE_TYPE_IMAGE_MEMORY_PROPERTIES_EXP' => 'ZE_STRUCTURE_TYPE_IMAGE_MEMORY_EXP_PROPERTIES',