diff --git a/bindings/pyroot/pythonizations/python/ROOT/_facade.py b/bindings/pyroot/pythonizations/python/ROOT/_facade.py
index 8cbe7007b5089..69a936e271808 100644
--- a/bindings/pyroot/pythonizations/python/ROOT/_facade.py
+++ b/bindings/pyroot/pythonizations/python/ROOT/_facade.py
@@ -204,6 +204,9 @@ def _finalSetup(self):
         # Prevent this method from being re-entered through the gROOT wrapper
         self.__dict__["gROOT"] = cppyy.gbl.ROOT.GetROOT()
 
+        # Make sure the interpreter is initialized once gROOT has been initialized
+        cppyy.gbl.TInterpreter.Instance()
+
         # Setup interactive usage from Python
         self.__dict__["app"] = PyROOTApplication(self.PyConfig, self._is_ipython)
         if not self.gROOT.IsBatch() and self.PyConfig.StartGUIThread:
diff --git a/bindings/pyroot/pythonizations/src/PyROOTModule.cxx b/bindings/pyroot/pythonizations/src/PyROOTModule.cxx
index c8d04202af239..664a95e5aa0c1 100644
--- a/bindings/pyroot/pythonizations/src/PyROOTModule.cxx
+++ b/bindings/pyroot/pythonizations/src/PyROOTModule.cxx
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "../../cppyy/CPyCppyy/src/ProxyWrappers.h"
 
 // ROOT
+#include "TInterpreter.h"
 #include "TROOT.h"
 #include "TSystem.h"
 #include "RConfigure.h"
@@ -166,6 +167,9 @@ extern "C" PyObject *PyInit_libROOTPythonizations()
    // Memory management
    gROOT->GetListOfCleanups()->Add(&GetRegulatorCleanup());
 
+   // Make sure the interpreter is initialized once gROOT has been initialized
+   TInterpreter::Instance();
+
    // signal policy: don't abort interpreter in interactive mode
    CallContext::SetGlobalSignalPolicy(!gROOT->IsBatch());