diff --git a/rustls-platform-verifier/src/android.rs b/rustls-platform-verifier/src/android.rs
index f50db6c..98d3358 100644
--- a/rustls-platform-verifier/src/android.rs
+++ b/rustls-platform-verifier/src/android.rs
@@ -74,22 +74,62 @@ fn global() -> &'static Global {
 /// nothing else in your application needs access the Android runtime.
 ///
 /// Initialization must be done before any verification is attempted.
-pub fn init_hosted(env: &mut JNIEnv, context: JObject) -> Result<(), JNIError> {
+pub fn init_with_env(env: &mut JNIEnv, context: JObject) -> Result<(), JNIError> {
     GLOBAL.get_or_try_init(|| -> Result<_, JNIError> {
         let loader =
             env.call_method(&context, "getClassLoader", "()Ljava/lang/ClassLoader;", &[])?;
-        let global = Global::Internal {
+
+        Ok(Global::Internal {
             java_vm: env.get_java_vm()?,
             context: env.new_global_ref(context)?,
             loader: env.new_global_ref(JObject::try_from(loader)?)?,
-        };
-
-        Ok(global)
+        })
     })?;
-
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// Initializes and stores the required context for the Android platform.
+///
+/// This method will setup and store an envrionment locally. This is useful if
+/// nothing else in your application needs access the Android runtime.
+///
+/// Initialization must be done before any verification is attempted.
+#[deprecated(since = "0.5.0", note = "please use `init_with_env` instead")]
+pub fn init_hosted(env: &mut JNIEnv, context: JObject) -> Result<(), JNIError> {
+    init_with_env(env, context)
+}
+
+/// Initializes and stores the required context for the Android platform.
+///
+/// This method takes a [`JavaVM`] and [`GlobalRef`]s to the needed context and class loader
+/// objects.
+///
+/// Initialization must be done before any verification is attempted.
+///
+/// # Examples
+///
+/// ```rust
+/// use std::ffi::c_void;
+///
+/// pub fn android_init(raw_env: *mut c_void, raw_context: *mut c_void) -> Result<(), jni::errors::Error> {
+///     let mut env = unsafe { jni::JNIEnv::from_raw(raw_env as *mut jni::sys::JNIEnv).unwrap() };
+///     let context = unsafe { JObject::from_raw(raw_context as jni::sys::jobject) };
+///     let loader = env.call_method(&context, "getClassLoader", "()Ljava/lang/ClassLoader;", &[])?;
+///
+///     rustls_platform_verifier::android::init_with_refs(
+///         env.get_java_vm()?,
+///         env.new_global_ref(context)?,
+///         env.new_global_ref(JObject::try_from(loader)?)?,
+/// }
+/// ```
+pub fn init_with_refs(java_vm: JavaVM, context: GlobalRef, loader: GlobalRef) {
+    GLOBAL.get_or_init(|| Global::Internal {
+        java_vm,
+        context,
+        loader,
+    });
+}
+
 /// Initializes and stores the required context for the Android platform.
 ///
 /// This method utilizes an existing Android runtime environment and set anything
@@ -99,10 +139,24 @@ pub fn init_hosted(env: &mut JNIEnv, context: JObject) -> Result<(), JNIError> {
 /// This function will never panic, and is therefore safe to use at FFI boundaries.
 ///
 /// Initialization must be done before any verification is attempted.
-pub fn init_external(runtime: &'static dyn Runtime) {
+pub fn init_with_runtime(runtime: &'static dyn Runtime) {
     GLOBAL.get_or_init(|| Global::External(runtime));
 }
 
+/// Initializes and stores the required context for the Android platform.
+///
+/// This method utilizes an existing Android runtime envrionment and set anything
+/// else up on its own. This is useful if your application already interacts with
+/// the runtime and has pre-existing handles.
+///
+/// This function will never panic, and is therefore safe to use at FFI boundaries.
+///
+/// Initialization must be done before any verification is attempted.
+#[deprecated(since = "0.5.0", note = "please use `init_with_runtime` instead")]
+pub fn init_external(runtime: &'static dyn Runtime) {
+    init_with_runtime(runtime);
+}
+
 /// Wrapper for JNI errors that will log and clear exceptions
 /// It should generally be preferred to `jni::errors::Error`
 #[derive(Debug)]
diff --git a/rustls-platform-verifier/src/tests/ffi.rs b/rustls-platform-verifier/src/tests/ffi.rs
index 9030cc3..70ab573 100644
--- a/rustls-platform-verifier/src/tests/ffi.rs
+++ b/rustls-platform-verifier/src/tests/ffi.rs
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ mod android {
                     .with_max_level(log::Level::Trace.to_level_filter())
                     .with_filter(log_filter),
             );
-            crate::android::init_hosted(env, cx).unwrap();
+            crate::android::init_with_env(env, cx).unwrap();
             crate::tests::ensure_global_state();
             std::panic::set_hook(Box::new(|info| {
                 let msg = if let Some(msg) = info.payload().downcast_ref::<&'static str>() {