diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2347895a8..94a85e094 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ This document follows the conventions laid out in [Keep a CHANGELOG][].
 
 ### Fixed
 
-- Fixed error occuring when inheriting a class containing a virtual generic method.
+-   Fixed error occuring when inheriting a class containing a virtual generic method.
+-   Make a second call to `pythonnet.load` a no-op, as it was intended.
 
 ## [3.0.1](https://github.com/pythonnet/pythonnet/releases/tag/v3.0.1) - 2022-11-03
 
diff --git a/pythonnet/__init__.py b/pythonnet/__init__.py
index 9d7b6c20a..5c1ca108a 100644
--- a/pythonnet/__init__.py
+++ b/pythonnet/__init__.py
@@ -120,7 +120,9 @@ def load(runtime: Union[clr_loader.Runtime, str, None] = None, **params: str) ->
 
     The same parameters as for `set_runtime` can be used. By default,
     `set_default_runtime` is called if no environment has been set yet and no
-    parameters are passed."""
+    parameters are passed.
+
+    After a successful call, further invocations will return immediately."""
     global _LOADED, _LOADER_ASSEMBLY
 
     if _LOADED:
@@ -142,6 +144,8 @@ def load(runtime: Union[clr_loader.Runtime, str, None] = None, **params: str) ->
 
     if func(b"") != 0:
         raise RuntimeError("Failed to initialize Python.Runtime.dll")
+    
+    _LOADED = True
 
     import atexit