diff --git a/gtk/gtkmain.c b/gtk/gtkmain.c
index 18f2171898..36a5604584 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkmain.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkmain.c
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@
 #include "gtkmodulesprivate.h"
 #include "gtkprivate.h"
 #include "gtkrecentmanager.h"
-#include "gtkresources.h"
 #include "gtkselectionprivate.h"
 #include "gtksettingsprivate.h"
 #include "gtktooltip.h"
@@ -707,7 +706,7 @@ do_post_parse_initialization (int    *argc,
       g_warning ("Whoever translated default:LTR did so wrongly.\n");
   }
 
-  _gtk_register_resource ();
+  _gtk_ensure_resources ();
 
   _gtk_accel_map_init ();
 
diff --git a/gtk/gtkprivate.c b/gtk/gtkprivate.c
index 70151f9bfe..3177d4761d 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkprivate.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkprivate.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "gdk/gdk.h"
 
 #include "gtkprivate.h"
+#include "gtkresources.h"
 
 
 #if !defined G_OS_WIN32 && !(defined GDK_WINDOWING_QUARTZ && defined QUARTZ_RELOCATION)
@@ -251,3 +252,18 @@ _gtk_translate_keyboard_accel_state (GdkKeymap       *keymap,
 
   return retval;
 }
+
+static gpointer
+register_resources (gpointer data)
+{
+  _gtk_register_resource ();
+  return NULL;
+}
+
+void
+_gtk_ensure_resources (void)
+{
+  static GOnce register_resources_once = G_ONCE_INIT;
+
+  g_once (&register_resources_once, register_resources, NULL);
+}
diff --git a/gtk/gtkprivate.h b/gtk/gtkprivate.h
index 5b05f5bb47..093334f84c 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkprivate.h
+++ b/gtk/gtkprivate.h
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ gboolean      _gtk_fnmatch                (const char *pattern,
 
 gchar       * _gtk_get_lc_ctype           (void);
 
+void          _gtk_ensure_resources       (void);
+
 gboolean _gtk_boolean_handled_accumulator (GSignalInvocationHint *ihint,
                                            GValue                *return_accu,
                                            const GValue          *handler_return,
diff --git a/gtk/tests/Makefile.am b/gtk/tests/Makefile.am
index ba24328fa5..0f2dd781e8 100644
--- a/gtk/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/gtk/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ regression_tests_LDADD		 = $(progs_ldadd)
 TEST_PROGS			+= keyhash
 keyhash_SOURCES			 = keyhash.c \
 				   ../gtkkeyhash.c ../gtkkeyhash.h \
+				   ../gtkresources.c ../gtkresources.h \
 				   ../gtkprivate.c ../gtkprivate.h
 keyhash_LDADD			 = $(progs_ldadd)
 keyhash_CFLAGS			 = -DGTK_COMPILATION \