diff --git a/app/tests.c b/app/tests.c
index ef5b7712f7..5014ee2d25 100644
--- a/app/tests.c
+++ b/app/tests.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
+#include <gegl.h>
 #include <gtk/gtk.h>
 
 #include "gui/gui-types.h"
@@ -38,6 +39,8 @@
 #include "core/gimp.h"
 #include "core/gimp-contexts.h"
 
+#include "gegl/gimp-gegl.h"
+
 #include "gimp-log.h"
 #include "tests.h"
 #include "units.h"
@@ -70,6 +73,8 @@ gimp_init_for_testing (void)
 
   gimp_load_config (gimp, NULL, NULL);
 
+  gegl_init(NULL, NULL);
+  gimp_gegl_init (gimp);
   base_init (GIMP_BASE_CONFIG (gimp->config),
              FALSE /*be_verbose*/,
              FALSE /*use_cpu_accel*/);
@@ -107,6 +112,8 @@ gimp_init_for_gui_testing_internal (gboolean     show_gui,
   base_init (GIMP_BASE_CONFIG (gimp->config),
              FALSE /*be_verbose*/,
              FALSE /*use_cpu_accel*/);
+  gegl_init(NULL, NULL);
+  gimp_gegl_init (gimp);
   gui_init (gimp, TRUE);
   gimp_initialize (gimp, gimp_status_func_dummy);
   gimp_restore (gimp, gimp_status_func_dummy);
diff --git a/app/tests/Makefile.am b/app/tests/Makefile.am
index f35fb8d383..5ec597a554 100644
--- a/app/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/app/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -104,11 +104,11 @@ LDADD = \
 	$(top_builddir)/app/text/libapptext.a			\
 	$(top_builddir)/app/paint/libapppaint.a			\
 	$(top_builddir)/app/composite/libappcomposite.a		\
-	$(top_builddir)/app/gegl/libappgegl.a			\
 	$(top_builddir)/app/config/libappconfig.a		\
 	$(top_builddir)/app/paint-funcs/libapppaint-funcs.a	\
 	$(top_builddir)/app/base/libappbase.a			\
 	$(top_builddir)/app/libapp.a				\
+	$(top_builddir)/app/gegl/libappgegl.a			\
 	libgimpapptestutils.a					\
 	$(libgimpwidgets)					\
 	$(libgimpconfig)					\