diff --git a/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tests/check/nle/nlesource.c b/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tests/check/nle/nlesource.c
index 3782b7cbc4..51b0d44e69 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tests/check/nle/nlesource.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tests/check/nle/nlesource.c
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_simple_videotestsrc)
   gboolean carry_on = TRUE;
   GstPad *sinkpad;
 
+  ges_init ();
+
   pipeline = gst_pipeline_new ("test_pipeline");
 
   /*
@@ -98,6 +100,8 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_simple_videotestsrc)
   gst_object_unref (bus);
 
   g_free (collect);
+
+  ges_deinit ();
 }
 
 GST_END_TEST;
@@ -112,6 +116,8 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_videotestsrc_in_bin)
   gboolean carry_on = TRUE;
   GstPad *sinkpad;
 
+  ges_init ();
+
   pipeline = gst_pipeline_new ("test_pipeline");
 
   /*
@@ -198,6 +204,8 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_videotestsrc_in_bin)
   gst_object_unref (bus);
 
   g_free (collect);
+
+  ges_deinit ();
 }
 
 GST_END_TEST;
@@ -208,7 +216,6 @@ gnonlin_suite (void)
   Suite *s = suite_create ("nlesource");
   TCase *tc_chain = tcase_create ("nlesource");
 
-  ges_init ();
   suite_add_tcase (s, tc_chain);
 
   if (0)
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tests/check/nle/seek.c b/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tests/check/nle/seek.c
index 84c460c853..e221d81b2f 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tests/check/nle/seek.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tests/check/nle/seek.c
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #include "common.h"
 static const gchar *compositor_element = NULL;
 
+static void late_ges_init (void);
+
 typedef struct _SeekInfo
 {
   GstClockTime position;        /* Seek value and segment position */
@@ -476,6 +478,8 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_complex_operations)
   GstElement *comp, *oper, *source1, *source2;
   GList *segments = NULL, *seeks = NULL;
 
+  late_ges_init ();
+
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("nlecomposition", "test_composition");
 
@@ -593,6 +597,8 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_complex_operations_bis)
   GstElement *comp, *oper, *source1, *source2;
   GList *segments = NULL, *seeks = NULL;
 
+  late_ges_init ();
+
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("nlecomposition", "test_composition");
 
@@ -715,6 +721,8 @@ GST_END_TEST;
 
 GST_START_TEST (test_simplest)
 {
+  late_ges_init ();
+
   test_simplest_full ();
 }
 
@@ -723,6 +731,8 @@ GST_END_TEST;
 
 GST_START_TEST (test_one_after_other)
 {
+  late_ges_init ();
+
   test_one_after_other_full ();
 }
 
@@ -731,6 +741,8 @@ GST_END_TEST;
 
 GST_START_TEST (test_one_under_another)
 {
+  late_ges_init ();
+
   test_one_under_another_full ();
 }
 
@@ -739,11 +751,26 @@ GST_END_TEST;
 
 GST_START_TEST (test_one_bin_after_other)
 {
+  late_ges_init ();
+
   test_one_bin_after_other_full ();
 }
 
 GST_END_TEST;
 
+static void
+late_ges_init ()
+{
+  /* We need to do this inside the test cases, not during the initialization
+   * of the suite, as ges_init() will initialize thread pools, which cannot
+   * work properly after a fork. */
+
+  if (atexit (ges_deinit) != 0) {
+    GST_ERROR ("failed to set ges_deinit as exit function");
+  }
+
+  ges_init ();
+}
 
 static Suite *
 gnonlin_suite (void)
@@ -751,7 +778,6 @@ gnonlin_suite (void)
   Suite *s = suite_create ("gnonlin-seek");
   TCase *tc_chain = tcase_create ("general");
 
-  ges_init ();
   suite_add_tcase (s, tc_chain);
 
   if (gst_registry_check_feature_version (gst_registry_get (), "compositor", 1,
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tests/check/nle/tempochange.c b/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tests/check/nle/tempochange.c
index 0454f5cc26..d9226fc10b 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tests/check/nle/tempochange.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tests/check/nle/tempochange.c
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include "common.h"
 #include "plugins/nle/nleobject.h"
 
+static void late_ges_init (void);
+
 typedef struct _PadEventData
 {
   gchar *name;
@@ -386,6 +388,8 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_tempochange_play)
   gdouble rates[3] = { 0.5, 4.0, 1.0 };
   guint i, j;
 
+  late_ges_init ();
+
   for (i = 0; i < G_N_ELEMENTS (rates); i++) {
     gdouble rate = rates[i];
     GST_DEBUG ("rate = %g", rate);
@@ -517,6 +521,8 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_tempochange_seek)
   guint i, j;
   GstClockTime offset = 0.1 * GST_SECOND;
 
+  late_ges_init ();
+
   for (i = 0; i < G_N_ELEMENTS (rates); i++) {
     gdouble rate = rates[i];
     GST_DEBUG ("rate = %g", rate);
@@ -629,17 +635,26 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_tempochange_seek)
 
 GST_END_TEST;
 
-static Suite *
-gnonlin_suite (void)
+static void
+late_ges_init ()
 {
-  Suite *s = suite_create ("nle");
-  TCase *tc_chain = tcase_create ("tempochange");
+  /* We need to do this inside the test cases, not during the initialization
+   * of the suite, as ges_init() will initialize thread pools, which cannot
+   * work properly after a fork. */
 
   if (atexit (ges_deinit) != 0) {
     GST_ERROR ("failed to set ges_deinit as exit function");
   }
 
   ges_init ();
+}
+
+static Suite *
+gnonlin_suite (void)
+{
+  Suite *s = suite_create ("nle");
+  TCase *tc_chain = tcase_create ("tempochange");
+
   suite_add_tcase (s, tc_chain);
 
   /* give the tests a little more time than the default