diff --git a/src/client/extension.ts b/src/client/extension.ts
index 867d2ab113b6..615f63d13b41 100644
--- a/src/client/extension.ts
+++ b/src/client/extension.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
 import * as vscode from 'vscode';
+import { createDeferred } from './common/helpers';
 import { PythonCompletionItemProvider } from './providers/completionProvider';
 import { PythonHoverProvider } from './providers/hoverProvider';
 import { PythonDefinitionProvider } from './providers/definitionProvider';
@@ -39,6 +40,8 @@ let unitTestOutChannel: vscode.OutputChannel;
 let formatOutChannel: vscode.OutputChannel;
 let lintingOutChannel: vscode.OutputChannel;
 let jupMain: jup.Jupyter;
+const activationDeferred = createDeferred<void>();
+export const activated = activationDeferred.promise;
 export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
     const pythonSettings = settings.PythonSettings.getInstance();
     const pythonExt = new PythonExt();
@@ -153,6 +156,7 @@ export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
     context.subscriptions.push(hepProvider);
 
     context.subscriptions.push(vscode.debug.registerDebugConfigurationProvider('python', new SimpleConfigurationProvider()));
+    activationDeferred.resolve();
 }
 
 class PythonExt implements vscode.Disposable {
diff --git a/src/test/initialize.ts b/src/test/initialize.ts
index a298c234c4a9..9ed43c77eb96 100644
--- a/src/test/initialize.ts
+++ b/src/test/initialize.ts
@@ -7,20 +7,24 @@
 process.env['PYTHON_DONJAYAMANNE_TEST'] = "1";
 
 // The module 'assert' provides assertion methods from node
-import * as assert from "assert";
+import * as assert from 'assert';
 import * as fs from 'fs';
 
 // You can import and use all API from the 'vscode' module
 // as well as import your extension to test it
-import * as vscode from "vscode";
-import * as path from "path";
+import * as vscode from 'vscode';
+import * as path from 'path';
 let dummyPythonFile = path.join(__dirname, "..", "..", "src", "test", "pythonFiles", "dummy.py");
 
-export function initialize(): Promise<any> {
+let extensionActivated: boolean = false;
+export async function initialize(): Promise<any> {
     // Opening a python file activates the extension
-    return new Promise<any>((resolve, reject) => {
-        vscode.workspace.openTextDocument(dummyPythonFile).then(() => resolve(), reject);
-    });
+    await vscode.workspace.openTextDocument(dummyPythonFile);
+    if (!extensionActivated) {
+        const ext = require('../client/extension');
+        await ext.activated;
+        extensionActivated = true;
+    }
 }
 
 export async function wait(timeoutMilliseconds: number) {