Various embodiments are provided for implementing instruction initialization in a dataflow architecture in a computing environment. A data packet may be transmitted from a selected node to one or more of a plurality of nodes using one or more existing data paths in an initialization network. A determination operation is performed to determine whether one or more of a plurality of nodes is a target node intended for the data packet. Those of the plurality of nodes determined to be a target node initialize one or more components of the target node using the data packet. The data packet may be forwarded by each of the one or more of a plurality of nodes to a subsequent node in the initialization network.