diff --git a/Program.fs b/Program.fs
index cea4a80..7e32652 100644
--- a/Program.fs
+++ b/Program.fs
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ type MsgPackResolver() =
         s_resolver.GetFormatter<'a>()
 
 let startMainWindow app serveropts =
+    let app = app()
     Model.Start serveropts
 
     let cfg = config.load()
@@ -81,6 +82,7 @@ let startMainWindow app serveropts =
     0
 
 let startCrashReportWindow app ex = 
+    let app = app()
     FVim.log.trace "main" "displaying crash dialog"
     FVim.log.trace "main" "exception: %O" ex
     let code, msgs = States.get_crash_info()
@@ -115,18 +117,19 @@ let main(args: string[]) =
   )
   System.Console.OutputEncoding <- System.Text.Encoding.Unicode
 
-  // Avalonia initialization
   let builder = lazy buildAvaloniaApp()
   let lifetime = lazy new ClassicDesktopStyleApplicationLifetime()
-  let app = 
+  let app () = 
+    // Avalonia initialization
+    let lifetime = lifetime.Value
+    if not builder.IsValueCreated then
+      let _ = builder.Value.SetupWithLifetime(lifetime)
+      ()
+    // Avalonia is initialized. SynchronizationContext-reliant code should be working by now;
     (fun (win: Avalonia.Controls.Window) ->
-        let lifetime = lifetime.Value
-        let builder = builder.Value
-        let _ = builder.SetupWithLifetime(lifetime)
         lifetime.ShutdownMode <- Controls.ShutdownMode.OnMainWindowClose
         lifetime.MainWindow <- win
         lifetime.Start(args) |> ignore)
-  // Avalonia is initialized. SynchronizationContext-reliant code should be working by now;
 
   try 
     let opts = parseOptions args
diff --git a/states.fs b/states.fs
index 28bd47c..3953948 100644
--- a/states.fs
+++ b/states.fs
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ type Event =
 | Exit
 
 let private _stateChangeEvent = Event<string>()
-let private _appLifetime = Avalonia.Application.Current.ApplicationLifetime :?> Avalonia.Controls.ApplicationLifetimes.IClassicDesktopStyleApplicationLifetime
+let private _appLifetime = lazy(Avalonia.Application.Current.ApplicationLifetime :?> Avalonia.Controls.ApplicationLifetimes.IClassicDesktopStyleApplicationLifetime)
 let mutable private _crashcode = 0
 let private _errormsgs = ResizeArray<string>()
 
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ let backgroundCompositionToString =
     | Acrylic -> "acrylic"
     | Transparent -> "transparent" 
 
-let Shutdown code = _appLifetime.Shutdown code
+let Shutdown code = _appLifetime.Value.Shutdown code
 
 let get_crash_info() =
   _crashcode, _errormsgs
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ let msg_dispatch =
       _errormsgs.Add err
     | Exit -> 
       trace "rpc" "shutting down application lifetime"
-      _appLifetime.Shutdown()
+      _appLifetime.Value.Shutdown()
     | Crash code -> 
       trace "rpc" "neovim crashed with code %d" code
       _crashcode <- code