diff --git a/libs/ardour/test/profiling/load_session.cc b/libs/ardour/test/profiling/load_session.cc
index 41dc48ef2f..1a673762c0 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/test/profiling/load_session.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/test/profiling/load_session.cc
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include "test_ui.h"
 #include "test_util.h"
 #include "pbd/failed_constructor.h"
 #include "ardour/ardour.h"
@@ -19,6 +20,8 @@ int main (int argc, char* argv[])
 	}
 
 	ARDOUR::init (false, true, localedir);
+	TestUI* test_ui = new TestUI();
+	create_and_start_dummy_backend ();
 
 	Session* s = 0;
 
@@ -41,8 +44,8 @@ int main (int argc, char* argv[])
 	AudioEngine::instance()->remove_session ();
 	delete s;
 	AudioEngine::instance()->stop ();
-
 	AudioEngine::destroy ();
-
+	delete test_ui;
+	ARDOUR::cleanup ();
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/libs/ardour/test/profiling/lots_of_regions.cc b/libs/ardour/test/profiling/lots_of_regions.cc
index afad346232..47c8376b79 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/test/profiling/lots_of_regions.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/test/profiling/lots_of_regions.cc
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include "test_ui.h"
 #include "test_util.h"
 #include "ardour/ardour.h"
 #include "ardour/midi_track.h"
@@ -16,10 +17,14 @@ int
 main (int argc, char* argv[])
 {
 	ARDOUR::init (false, true, localedir);
+	TestUI* test_ui = new TestUI();
+	create_and_start_dummy_backend ();
 	Session* session = load_session ("../libs/ardour/test/profiling/sessions/1region", "1region");
 
 	assert (session->get_routes()->size() == 2);
 
+	{
+
 	/* Find the track */
 	boost::shared_ptr<MidiTrack> track = boost::dynamic_pointer_cast<MidiTrack> (session->get_routes()->back());
 	assert (track);
@@ -48,4 +53,12 @@ main (int argc, char* argv[])
 	playlist->duplicate (region, region->last_sample() + 1, 1000);
 	session->add_command (new StatefulDiffCommand (playlist));
 	session->commit_reversible_command ();
+
+	}
+
+	delete session;
+	stop_and_destroy_backend ();
+	delete test_ui;
+	ARDOUR::cleanup ();
+	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/libs/ardour/test/profiling/runpc.cc b/libs/ardour/test/profiling/runpc.cc
index 6538fcf88a..8bf054653e 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/test/profiling/runpc.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/test/profiling/runpc.cc
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "pbd/enumwriter.h"
 #include "ardour/session.h"
 #include "ardour/audioengine.h"
+#include "test_ui.h"
 #include "test_util.h"
 
 using namespace std;
@@ -21,6 +22,8 @@ main (int argc, char* argv[])
 	}
 
 	ARDOUR::init (false, true, localedir);
+	TestUI* test_ui = new TestUI();
+	create_and_start_dummy_backend ();
 
 	Session* session = load_session (
 		string_compose ("../libs/ardour/test/profiling/sessions/%1", argv[1]),
@@ -29,9 +32,16 @@ main (int argc, char* argv[])
 
 	cout << "INFO: " << session->get_routes()->size() << " routes.\n";
 
-	for (int i = 0; i < 32768; ++i) {
-		session->process (session->engine().samples_per_cycle ());
+	{
+		Glib::Threads::Mutex::Lock lm (AudioEngine::instance ()->process_lock ());
+		for (int i = 0; i < 32768; ++i) {
+			session->process (session->engine().samples_per_cycle ());
+		}
 	}
 
+	delete session;
+	stop_and_destroy_backend ();
+	delete test_ui;
+	ARDOUR::cleanup ();
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/libs/ardour/test/profiling/sessions/1region/instant.xml b/libs/ardour/test/profiling/sessions/1region/instant.xml
index 5f0c8e83dd..735d83f0db 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/test/profiling/sessions/1region/instant.xml
+++ b/libs/ardour/test/profiling/sessions/1region/instant.xml
@@ -10,4 +10,5 @@
     <RegionList sort-type="ByEndInFile" sort-ascending="yes" show-all="no" show-automatic-regions="yes"/>
   </Editor>
   <Mixer narrow-strips="no" show-mixer="no"/>
+  <LastUsedSnapshot name="1region.ardour"/>
 </instant>
diff --git a/libs/ardour/wscript b/libs/ardour/wscript
index 9c63a57995..f9717f072c 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/wscript
+++ b/libs/ardour/wscript
@@ -660,6 +660,7 @@ def build(bld):
             profilingobj.source = '''
                     test/dummy_lxvst.cc
                     test/test_util.cc
+                    test/test_ui.cc
             '''.split()
 
             profilingobj.source.append('test/profiling/%s.cc' % p)