diff --git a/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpfu.py b/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpfu.py
index 3116a9c2b8..97d9bf2472 100644
--- a/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpfu.py
+++ b/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpfu.py
@@ -372,6 +372,7 @@ def _interact(proc_name, start_params):
     import gimpui
     import gtk
 #    import pango
+    gimpui.gimp_ui_init ()
 
     defaults = _get_defaults(proc_name)
     defaults = defaults[len(start_params):]
diff --git a/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpplugin.py b/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpplugin.py
index a088584298..e7b0aaeec3 100644
--- a/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpplugin.py
+++ b/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpplugin.py
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@ class plugin:
         pass
 
     def _run(self, name, params):
+        import sys
+        if "gimpui" in sys.modules.keys():
+            sys.modules["gimpui"].gimp_ui_init ()
+
         if hasattr(self, name):
             return apply(getattr(self, name), params)
         else:
diff --git a/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpui.defs b/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpui.defs
index a74e3cc185..0dbbe51f3e 100644
--- a/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpui.defs
+++ b/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpui.defs
@@ -1443,6 +1443,11 @@
   )
 )
 
+(define-function gimp_ui_init
+  (c-name "gimp_ui_init")
+  (return-type "none")
+)
+
 (define-function gimp_enum_combo_box_new_with_model
   (c-name "gimp_enum_combo_box_new_with_model")
   (return-type "GtkWidget*")
diff --git a/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpui.override b/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpui.override
index 53576d3e0a..84e559db6a 100644
--- a/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpui.override
+++ b/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpui.override
@@ -2061,3 +2061,15 @@ _wrap_gimp_zoom_preview_get_source(PyGObject *self)
 
   return Py_BuildValue("(Niii)", pyimage, width, height, bpp);
 }
+%%
+override gimp_ui_init noargs
+static PyObject *
+_wrap_gimp_ui_init(PyObject *self)
+{
+  extern const char *prog_name;
+
+  gimp_ui_init (prog_name, FALSE);
+
+  Py_INCREF(Py_None);
+  return Py_None;
+}
diff --git a/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpuimodule.c b/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpuimodule.c
index a7b63859db..68f7cfd5c6 100644
--- a/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpuimodule.c
+++ b/plug-ins/pygimp/gimpuimodule.c
@@ -57,12 +57,15 @@ init_pycairo(void)
   return TRUE;
 }
 
+extern const char *prog_name;
+
+const char *prog_name = "pygimp";
+
 PyMODINIT_FUNC
 init_gimpui(void)
 {
     PyObject *m, *d;
     PyObject *av;
-    char *prog_name = "pygimp";
 
     av = PySys_GetObject("argv");
     if (av != NULL) {
@@ -74,7 +77,6 @@ init_gimpui(void)
 		       "ignoring sys.argv: it must be a list of strings");
     }
 
-    gimp_ui_init(prog_name, FALSE);
 
     pygimp_init_pygobject();