diff --git a/org.eclipse.tm4e.ui/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tm4e/ui/TMUIPlugin.java b/org.eclipse.tm4e.ui/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tm4e/ui/TMUIPlugin.java
index 18837c9d0..98a231b70 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.tm4e.ui/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tm4e/ui/TMUIPlugin.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.tm4e.ui/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tm4e/ui/TMUIPlugin.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import java.util.logging.LogRecord;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IProgressMonitor;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IStatus;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Platform;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Status;
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@
 import org.eclipse.tm4e.ui.internal.samples.SampleManager;
 import org.eclipse.tm4e.ui.internal.themes.ThemeManager;
 import org.eclipse.tm4e.ui.internal.utils.CodeTemplateContextTypeUtils;
+import org.eclipse.tm4e.ui.internal.utils.UI;
 import org.eclipse.tm4e.ui.model.ITMModelManager;
 import org.eclipse.tm4e.ui.samples.ISampleManager;
 import org.eclipse.tm4e.ui.templates.CommentTemplateContextType;
@@ -41,9 +43,11 @@
 import org.eclipse.tm4e.ui.templates.TMLanguageTemplateContextType;
 import org.eclipse.tm4e.ui.themes.ColorManager;
 import org.eclipse.tm4e.ui.themes.IThemeManager;
+import org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI;
 import org.eclipse.ui.editors.text.templates.ContributionContextTypeRegistry;
 import org.eclipse.ui.editors.text.templates.ContributionTemplateStore;
 import org.eclipse.ui.plugin.AbstractUIPlugin;
+import org.eclipse.ui.progress.UIJob;
 import org.osgi.framework.BundleContext;
 
 /**
@@ -171,7 +175,7 @@ public void close() throws SecurityException {
 			});
 		}
 
-		TMImages.initalize(getImageRegistry());
+		initializeImages();
 	}
 
 	@Override
@@ -266,4 +270,27 @@ public TemplateStore getTemplateStore() {
 		return newTemplateStore;
 	}
 
+	private void initializeImages() {
+		// if we are already in the UI thread, don't schedule an extra job
+		if (UI.isUIThread()) {
+			TMImages.initalize(getImageRegistry());
+			return;
+		}
+		if (PlatformUI.isWorkbenchRunning()) {
+			UIJob initJob = new UIJob("Initialize images") {
+
+				@Override
+				public IStatus runInUIThread(IProgressMonitor monitor) {
+					if (monitor.isCanceled()) {
+						return Status.CANCEL_STATUS;
+					}
+					TMImages.initalize(getImageRegistry());
+					return Status.OK_STATUS;
+				}
+
+			};
+			initJob.setSystem(true);
+			initJob.schedule();
+		}
+	}
 }