diff --git a/filter/glossary/filter.php b/filter/glossary/filter.php
index 20879d9f363..259c668cc12 100644
--- a/filter/glossary/filter.php
+++ b/filter/glossary/filter.php
@@ -35,14 +35,25 @@ defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
  */
 class filter_glossary extends moodle_text_filter {
 
+    public function setup($page, $context) {
+        // This only requires execution once per request.
+        static $jsinitialised = false;
+        if (empty($jsinitialised)) {
+            $page->requires->yui_module(
+                    'moodle-filter_glossary-autolinker',
+                    'M.filter_glossary.init_filter_autolinking',
+                    array(array('courseid' => 0)));
+            $jsinitialised = true;
+        }
+    }
+
     public function filter($text, array $options = array()) {
-        global $CFG, $DB, $GLOSSARY_EXCLUDECONCEPTS, $PAGE;
+        global $CFG, $DB, $GLOSSARY_EXCLUDECONCEPTS;
 
         // Trivial-cache - keyed on $cachedcontextid
         static $cachedcontextid;
         static $conceptlist;
 
-        static $jsinitialised;       // To control unique js init
         static $nothingtodo;         // To avoid processing if no glossaries / concepts are found
 
         // Try to get current course
@@ -185,16 +196,6 @@ class filter_glossary extends moodle_text_filter {
             }
 
             $conceptlist = filter_remove_duplicates($conceptlist);
-
-            if (empty($jsinitialised)) {
-                // Add a JavaScript event to open popup's here. This only ever need to be
-                // added once!
-                $PAGE->requires->yui_module(
-                        'moodle-filter_glossary-autolinker',
-                        'M.filter_glossary.init_filter_autolinking',
-                        array(array('courseid' => $courseid)));
-                $jsinitialised = true;
-            }
         }
 
         if (!empty($GLOSSARY_EXCLUDECONCEPTS)) {
diff --git a/filter/glossary/yui/autolinker/autolinker.js b/filter/glossary/yui/autolinker/autolinker.js
index e9af017e0ad..18677afe85f 100644
--- a/filter/glossary/yui/autolinker/autolinker.js
+++ b/filter/glossary/yui/autolinker/autolinker.js
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ YUI.add('moodle-filter_glossary-autolinker', function(Y) {
         POPUPNAME = 'name',
         POPUPOPTIONS = 'options',
         TITLE = 'title',
-        COURSEID = 'courseid',
         WIDTH = 'width',
         HEIGHT = 'height',
         MENUBAR = 'menubar',
@@ -122,8 +121,7 @@ YUI.add('moodle-filter_glossary-autolinker', function(Y) {
             status : {value : true},
             directories : {value : false},
             fullscreen : {value : false},
-            dependent : {value : true},
-            courseid : {value : 1}
+            dependent : {value : true}
         }
     });
 
diff --git a/filter/upgrade.txt b/filter/upgrade.txt
index bb0522ecc4b..cf94aced19e 100644
--- a/filter/upgrade.txt
+++ b/filter/upgrade.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 This file describes API changes in core filter API and plugins,
 information provided here is intended especially for developers.
 
+=== 2.3 ===
+
+* new setup() method added to moodle_text_filter, invoked before
+  filtering happens, used to add all the requirements to the page
+  (js, css...) and/or other init tasks. See filter/glossary for
+  an example using the API (and MDL-32279 for its justification).
+
 === 2.2 ===
 
 * legacy filters and legacy locations have been deprecated, so any
diff --git a/lib/filterlib.php b/lib/filterlib.php
index 62e68c12f43..ca75b0d1cb6 100644
--- a/lib/filterlib.php
+++ b/lib/filterlib.php
@@ -222,6 +222,29 @@ class filter_manager {
         }
         return implode('-', $hashes);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Setup page with filters requirements and other prepare stuff.
+     *
+     * This method is used by {@see format_text()} and {@see format_string()}
+     * in order to allow filters to setup any page requirement (js, css...)
+     * or perform any action needed to get them prepared before filtering itself
+     * happens by calling to each every active setup() method.
+     *
+     * Note it's executed for each piece of text filtered, so filter implementations
+     * are responsible of controlling the cardinality of the executions that may
+     * be different depending of the stuff to prepare.
+     *
+     * @param moodle_page $page the page we are going to add requirements to.
+     * @param context $context the context which contents are going to be filtered.
+     * @since 2.3
+     */
+    public function setup_page_for_filters($page, $context) {
+        $filters = $this->get_text_filters($context);
+        foreach ($filters as $filter) {
+            $filter->setup($page, $context);
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -357,6 +380,24 @@ abstract class moodle_text_filter {
         return __CLASS__;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Setup page with filter requirements and other prepare stuff.
+     *
+     * Override this method if the filter needs to setup page
+     * requirements or needs other stuff to be executed.
+     *
+     * Note this method is invoked from {@see setup_page_for_filters()}
+     * for each piece of text being filtered, so it is responsible
+     * for controlling its own execution cardinality.
+     *
+     * @param moodle_page $page the page we are going to add requirements to.
+     * @param context $context the context which contents are going to be filtered.
+     * @since 2.3
+     */
+    public function setup($page, $context) {
+        // Override me, if needed.
+    }
+
     /**
      * Override this function to actually implement the filtering.
      *
diff --git a/lib/weblib.php b/lib/weblib.php
index f68f3d59406..d84d16d2018 100644
--- a/lib/weblib.php
+++ b/lib/weblib.php
@@ -1090,6 +1090,7 @@ function format_text($text, $format = FORMAT_MOODLE, $options = NULL, $courseid_
 
     if ($options['filter']) {
         $filtermanager = filter_manager::instance();
+        $filtermanager->setup_page_for_filters($PAGE, $context); // Setup global stuff filters may have.
     } else {
         $filtermanager = new null_filter_manager();
     }
@@ -1302,6 +1303,7 @@ function format_string($string, $striplinks = true, $options = NULL) {
 
     if (!empty($CFG->filterall)) {
         $string = filter_manager::instance()->filter_string($string, $options['context']);
+        $filtermanager->setup_page_for_filters($PAGE, $options['context']); // Setup global stuff filters may have.
     }
 
     // If the site requires it, strip ALL tags from this string