If I'm understanding the problem right, you could put the initialization code into a @Create annotated method which would be called when when the backing bean is created as long as the backing bean is used only with this page. I think you would have to make the bean conversational scope, and run the page within the conversational scope. I must admit I don't fully understand the page scope. I think in page scope it creates and destroys the bean each time. (I still don't get the differences between page and even scopes). Another option might be simply to outject a flag into the conversational scope using something like : | | @In @Out(Scope=CONVERSATION) | private Boolean isPrepared; | Set this flag in your initialization scope and it will be passed in and out of the bean on each action. I think this could work, but I'm not sure. Of course then you can access the #{isPrepared} value from your page navigation logic if you still need it. View the original post : http://www.jboss.com/index.html?module=bb&op=viewtopic&p=4057552#... Reply to the post : http://www.jboss.com/index.html?module=bb&op=posting&mode=reply&a...