diff --git a/contrib/juliac.jl b/contrib/juliac.jl
index 20d56615c6357..3d1a3ef13fe79 100644
--- a/contrib/juliac.jl
+++ b/contrib/juliac.jl
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 # Julia compiler wrapper script
 # NOTE: The interface and location of this script are considered unstable/experimental
 
-cmd = Base.julia_cmd()
-cmd = `$cmd --startup-file=no --history-file=no`
+julia_cmd = `$(Base.julia_cmd()) --startup-file=no --history-file=no`
 output_type = nothing  # exe, sharedlib, sysimage
 outname = nothing
 file = nothing
@@ -55,9 +54,9 @@ isnothing(outname) && error("No output file specified")
 isnothing(file) && error("No input file specified")
 
 absfile = abspath(file)
-cflags = readchomp(`$(cmd) $(joinpath(Sys.BINDIR, Base.DATAROOTDIR,"julia", "julia-config.jl")) --cflags `)
+cflags = readchomp(`$(julia_cmd) $(joinpath(Sys.BINDIR, Base.DATAROOTDIR,"julia", "julia-config.jl")) --cflags `)
 cflags = Base.shell_split(cflags)
-allflags = readchomp(`$(cmd) $(joinpath(Sys.BINDIR, Base.DATAROOTDIR,"julia", "julia-config.jl")) --allflags`)
+allflags = readchomp(`$(julia_cmd) $(joinpath(Sys.BINDIR, Base.DATAROOTDIR,"julia", "julia-config.jl")) --allflags`)
 allflags = Base.shell_split(allflags)
 tmpdir = mktempdir(cleanup=false)
 initsrc_path = joinpath(tmpdir, "init.c")
@@ -65,45 +64,67 @@ init_path = joinpath(tmpdir, "init.a")
 img_path = joinpath(tmpdir, "img.a")
 bc_path = joinpath(tmpdir, "img-bc.a")
 
-open(initsrc_path, "w") do io
-    print(io, """
-              #include <julia.h>
-              __attribute__((constructor)) void static_init(void) {
-                  if (jl_is_initialized())
-                      return;
-                  julia_init(JL_IMAGE_IN_MEMORY);
-                  jl_exception_clear();
-              }
-              """)
-end
 
-cmd = addenv(`$cmd --project=$(Base.active_project()) --output-o $img_path --output-incremental=no --strip-ir --strip-metadata $julia_args $(joinpath(@__DIR__,"juliac-buildscript.jl")) $absfile $output_type $add_ccallables`, "OPENBLAS_NUM_THREADS" => 1, "JULIA_NUM_THREADS" => 1)
-verbose && println("Running: $cmd")
-if !success(pipeline(cmd; stdout, stderr))
-    println(stderr, "\nFailed to compile $file")
-    exit(1)
+function precompile_env()
+    # Pre-compile the environment
+    # (otherwise obscure error messages will occur)
+    cmd = addenv(`$julia_cmd --project=$(Base.active_project()) -e "using Pkg; Pkg.precompile()"`)
+    verbose && println("Running: $cmd")
+    if !success(pipeline(cmd; stdout, stderr))
+        println(stderr, "\nError encountered during pre-compilation of environment.")
+        exit(1)
+    end
 end
 
-run(`cc $(cflags) -g -c -o $init_path $initsrc_path`)
+function compile_products()
+    # Compile the Julia code
+    cmd = addenv(`$julia_cmd --project=$(Base.active_project()) --output-o $img_path --output-incremental=no --strip-ir --strip-metadata $julia_args $(joinpath(@__DIR__,"juliac-buildscript.jl")) $absfile $output_type $add_ccallables`, "OPENBLAS_NUM_THREADS" => 1, "JULIA_NUM_THREADS" => 1)
+    verbose && println("Running: $cmd")
+    if !success(pipeline(cmd; stdout, stderr))
+        println(stderr, "\nFailed to compile $file")
+        exit(1)
+    end
 
-if output_type == "--output-lib" || output_type == "--output-sysimage"
-    of, ext = splitext(outname)
-    soext = "." * Base.BinaryPlatforms.platform_dlext()
-    if ext == ""
-        outname = of * soext
+    # Compile the initialization code
+    open(initsrc_path, "w") do io
+        print(io, """
+                  #include <julia.h>
+                  __attribute__((constructor)) void static_init(void) {
+                      if (jl_is_initialized())
+                          return;
+                      julia_init(JL_IMAGE_IN_MEMORY);
+                      jl_exception_clear();
+                  }
+                  """)
     end
+    run(`cc $(cflags) -g -c -o $init_path $initsrc_path`)
 end
 
-julia_libs = Base.shell_split(Base.isdebugbuild() ? "-ljulia-debug -ljulia-internal-debug" : "-ljulia -ljulia-internal")
-try
-    if output_type == "--output-lib"
-        run(`cc $(allflags) -o $outname -shared -Wl,$(Base.Linking.WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $img_path  -Wl,$(Base.Linking.NO_WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $init_path  $(julia_libs)`)
-    elseif output_type == "--output-sysimage"
-        run(`cc $(allflags) -o $outname -shared -Wl,$(Base.Linking.WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $img_path  -Wl,$(Base.Linking.NO_WHOLE_ARCHIVE)             $(julia_libs)`)
-    else
-        run(`cc $(allflags) -o $outname -Wl,$(Base.Linking.WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $img_path -Wl,$(Base.Linking.NO_WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $init_path $(julia_libs)`)
+function link_products()
+    global outname
+    if output_type == "--output-lib" || output_type == "--output-sysimage"
+        of, ext = splitext(outname)
+        soext = "." * Base.BinaryPlatforms.platform_dlext()
+        if ext == ""
+            outname = of * soext
+        end
+    end
+
+    julia_libs = Base.shell_split(Base.isdebugbuild() ? "-ljulia-debug -ljulia-internal-debug" : "-ljulia -ljulia-internal")
+    try
+        if output_type == "--output-lib"
+            run(`cc $(allflags) -o $outname -shared -Wl,$(Base.Linking.WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $img_path  -Wl,$(Base.Linking.NO_WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $init_path  $(julia_libs)`)
+        elseif output_type == "--output-sysimage"
+            run(`cc $(allflags) -o $outname -shared -Wl,$(Base.Linking.WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $img_path  -Wl,$(Base.Linking.NO_WHOLE_ARCHIVE)             $(julia_libs)`)
+        else
+            run(`cc $(allflags) -o $outname -Wl,$(Base.Linking.WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $img_path -Wl,$(Base.Linking.NO_WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $init_path $(julia_libs)`)
+        end
+    catch e
+        println("\nCompilation failed: ", e)
+        exit(1)
     end
-catch
-    println("\nCompilation failed.")
-    exit(1)
 end
+
+precompile_env()
+compile_products()
+link_products()