diff --git a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/tests/test_console_widget.py b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/tests/test_console_widget.py
index c3fc9b2..6cc5b04 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/tests/test_console_widget.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/tests/test_console_widget.py
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@ class TestConsoleWidget(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUpClass(cls):
         """ Create the application for the test case.
         """
-        cls._app = QtGui.QApplication([])
+        cls._app = QtGui.QApplication.instance()
+        if cls._app is None:
+            cls._app = QtGui.QApplication([])
         cls._app.setQuitOnLastWindowClosed(False)
 
     @classmethod
diff --git a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/tests/test_kill_ring.py b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/tests/test_kill_ring.py
index 8b05405..e75a86b 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/tests/test_kill_ring.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/tests/test_kill_ring.py
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@ class TestKillRing(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUpClass(cls):
         """ Create the application for the test case.
         """
-        cls._app = QtGui.QApplication([])
+        cls._app = QtGui.QApplication.instance()
+        if cls._app is None:
+            cls._app = QtGui.QApplication([])
         cls._app.setQuitOnLastWindowClosed(False)
 
     @classmethod