We investigated deep water changes in the Southern Ocean during the last glacial inception, in relationship to surface hydrology and global climatology, to better understand the mechanisms of the establishment of a glacial ocean circulation. Changes in benthic foraminiferal delta(13)C from three high-resolution cores are compared and indicate decoupled intermediate and deep water changes in the Southern Ocean. From the comparison with records from the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, and the Southern Ocean, we show that the early southern deep water delta(13)C drop observed at the MIS 5.5-5.4 transition occurred before any significant reduction of North Atlantic Deep Water ventilation. We propose that this drop is linked to the northward expansion of poorly ventilated Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) mass in the Southern Ocean. Associated with an early cooling in the high southern latitudes, the westerly winds and surface oceanic fronts would migrate equatorward, thus weakening the upwelling of Circumpolar Deep Waters. Reduced heat brought to Antarctic surface waters would enhance sea ice formation during winters and the deep convection of cold and poorly ventilated AABW.