diff --git a/api/mraa/common.h b/api/mraa/common.h
index 0b641cc..b4c0839 100644
--- a/api/mraa/common.h
+++ b/api/mraa/common.h
@@ -46,7 +46,9 @@ typedef unsigned int mraa_boolean_t;
 /**
  * Initialise MRAA
  *
- * Detects running platform and attempts to use included pinmap
+ * Detects running platform and attempts to use included pinmap, this is run on
+ * module/library init/load but is handy to rerun to check board initialised
+ * correctly. Anything but MRAA_SUCCESS should be considered a critical failure
  *
  * @return Result of operation
  */
diff --git a/api/mraa/common.hpp b/api/mraa/common.hpp
index a144b13..7c9fe12 100644
--- a/api/mraa/common.hpp
+++ b/api/mraa/common.hpp
@@ -39,6 +39,20 @@ namespace mraa {
  * This file defines the interface for libmraa common functions
  */
 
+/**
+ * Initialise MRAA
+ *
+ * Detects running platform and attempts to use included pinmap, this is run on
+ * module/library init/load but is handy to rerun to check board initialised
+ * correctly. Anything but MRAA_SUCCESS should be considered a critical failure
+ *
+ * @return Result of operation
+ */
+inline mraa_result_t init()
+{
+    return mraa_init();
+}
+
 /**
  * Get libmraa version.
  *