diff -dur a/spam.module b/spam.module
--- a/spam.module	2011-07-21 18:14:25.036890445 -0700
+++ b/spam.module	2011-07-21 19:33:09.406843018 -0700
@@ -577,7 +584,6 @@
 function spam_mark_load($type, $id, $action) {
   if (is_numeric($id) && ($action == 'spam' || $action == 'not_spam')) {
     // We load these files here in case the menu function is called before _init. See https://drupal.org/node/1194730
-    spam_load_inc_files();
     if (spam_invoke_module($type, 'content_module') == $type) {
       if ($action == 'spam') {
         _spam_update_statistics(t('@type manually marked as spam', array('@type' => $type)));
@@ -922,19 +928,33 @@
 }
 
 /**
- * As the spam module isn't a core Drupal module, those modules won't
- * utilize its API.  We define the appropriate hooks for these modules in the
- * content/ subdirectory.  For example, we define the spam api hooks for the
- * node module in content/spam_content_node.inc.
+ * Since the spam module is not a core Drupal module, the core modules won't
+ * know of the spam module API.
  *
- * Any other 3rd party module must define its own spam hooks if it wants to
- * implement its own filters.
+ * Instead, we define the appropriate hooks for these modules in the
+ * spam/content/ sub-directory.  For example, we define the spam api hooks for the
+ * node module in spam/content/spam_content_node.inc.
+ *
+ * Any other 3rd party module is expected to define its own spam hooks if it
+ * wants to implement its own filters.
+ *
+ * The include files MUST be loaded at the same time this .module file is loaded.
+ * This is important because they include hook functions that should be defined
+ * in the corresponding .module file (i.e. node.module.)
+ *
+ * Loading in the hook_boot() is too early (i.e. before common.inc is loaded?!)
+ *
+ * Loading in the hook_init() is too late since all the modules having a hook_init()
+ * function implemented and that run before the spam_init() hook is called would
+ * not see the special spam hooks. Especially, the hook_nodeapi(), hook_user(), and
+ * other similar hooks would be missing and not be run as expected.
+ *
+ * The only way to go like the system does is to load those .inc files at the same
+ * time we get loaded.
  *
  * @see spam_load_inc_files()
  */
-function spam_init() {
-  spam_load_inc_files();
-}
+spam_load_inc_files();
 
 /**
  * Load the inc files for the various content types.