diff --git a/src/PythonQtThreadSupport.cpp b/src/PythonQtThreadSupport.cpp
index e5fef9d83..66355ba6a 100644
--- a/src/PythonQtThreadSupport.cpp
+++ b/src/PythonQtThreadSupport.cpp
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ bool PythonQtGILScope::_enableGILScope = false;
 PythonQtGILScope::PythonQtGILScope()
   : _ensured(false)
 {
-  if (_enableGILScope) {
+  if (_enableGILScope && Py_IsInitialized()) {
     _state = PyGILState_Ensure();
     _ensured = true;
   }
diff --git a/tests/PythonQtTestCleanup.cpp b/tests/PythonQtTestCleanup.cpp
index 862931215..c8a2d738e 100644
--- a/tests/PythonQtTestCleanup.cpp
+++ b/tests/PythonQtTestCleanup.cpp
@@ -79,6 +79,11 @@ void PythonQtTestCleanup::testSignalReceiverCleanup()
 
 void PythonQtTestCleanup::testPyFinalizeThenPythonQtCleanup()
 {
+  QVERIFY(_helper->runScript("import PythonQt.QtCore\n"
+                             "timer = PythonQt.QtCore.QTimer(obj)\n"
+                             "timer.connect('destroyed()', obj.onDestroyed)\n"
+                             "obj.setPassed()\n"));
+
   if (Py_IsInitialized()) {
     Py_Finalize();
   }
diff --git a/tests/PythonQtTestMain.cpp b/tests/PythonQtTestMain.cpp
index 1ae76e2a6..a1bcc4b41 100644
--- a/tests/PythonQtTestMain.cpp
+++ b/tests/PythonQtTestMain.cpp
@@ -49,16 +49,16 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
   QApplication qapp(argc, argv);
 
+  PythonQt::setEnableThreadSupport(QProcessEnvironment::systemEnvironment().contains("PYTHONQT_ENABLE_THREAD_SUPPORT"));
+
   if (QProcessEnvironment::systemEnvironment().contains("PYTHONQT_RUN_ONLY_MEMORY_TESTS")) {
     PythonQtMemoryTests test;
-    QTest::qExec(&test, argc, argv);
-    return 0;
+    return QTest::qExec(&test, argc, argv);
   }
 
   if (QProcessEnvironment::systemEnvironment().contains("PYTHONQT_RUN_ONLY_CLEANUP_TESTS")) {
     PythonQtTestCleanup cleanup;
-    QTest::qExec(&cleanup, argc, argv);
-    return 0;
+    return QTest::qExec(&cleanup, argc, argv);
   }
 
   PythonQt::init(PythonQt::IgnoreSiteModule | PythonQt::RedirectStdOut);