diff --git a/bin/sugar-activity b/bin/sugar-activity
index 9a970904..3e9c1c5a 100755
--- a/bin/sugar-activity
+++ b/bin/sugar-activity
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import sys
 import os
 from ConfigParser import ConfigParser
 
-from sugar.activity import ActivityRegistry
+from sugar import activity
 from sugar import env
 
 # Setup the environment so that we run inside the Sugar shell
@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ def print_help(self):
 activity_info = None
 
 if len(sys.argv) > 1:
-    registry = ActivityRegistry()
-    activities = registry.find_activity(sys.argv[1])
+    activities = activity.get_registry().find_activity(sys.argv[1])
     if len(activities) > 0:
         activity_info = activities[0]
 
diff --git a/sugar/activity/__init__.py b/sugar/activity/__init__.py
index 89bd1c3f..261b3881 100644
--- a/sugar/activity/__init__.py
+++ b/sugar/activity/__init__.py
@@ -36,4 +36,6 @@ class.  This class allows for querying the ID of the root
 window, requesting sharing across the network, and basic
 "what type of application are you" queries.
 """
-
+from sugar.activity.registry import ActivityRegistry
+from sugar.activity.registry import get_registry
+from sugar.activity.registry import ActivityInfo
diff --git a/sugar/activity/registry.py b/sugar/activity/registry.py
index 7e307b80..79d64031 100644
--- a/sugar/activity/registry.py
+++ b/sugar/activity/registry.py
@@ -58,7 +58,10 @@ class ActivityRegistry(object):
         info_list = self._registry.GetActivitiesForType(mime_type)
         return self._convert_info_list(info_list)
 
-_registry = ActivityRegistry()
+_registry = None
 
 def get_registry():
+    global _registry
+    if not _registry:
+        _registry = ActivityRegistry()
     return _registry
diff --git a/sugar/objects/objecttype.py b/sugar/objects/objecttype.py
index b515bd13..20e6e114 100644
--- a/sugar/objects/objecttype.py
+++ b/sugar/objects/objecttype.py
@@ -49,7 +49,10 @@ class ObjectTypeRegistry(object):
         type_dict = self._registry.GetTypeForMIME(mime_type)
         return _object_type_from_dict(type_dict)
 
-_registry = ObjectTypeRegistry()
+_registry = None
 
 def get_registry():
+    global _registry
+    if not _registry:
+        _registry = ObjectTypeRegistry()
     return _registry