diff --git a/src/gnome-shell-jhbuild.in b/src/gnome-shell-jhbuild.in
index f10a576ff..54dfed862 100755
--- a/src/gnome-shell-jhbuild.in
+++ b/src/gnome-shell-jhbuild.in
@@ -79,11 +79,56 @@ def get_running_session_environs():
                 result[key] = environs[key]
         return result
 
+_bus = None
+_bus_iface = None
+_name_owner_changed_hook = None
+
+def on_name_owner_changed(name, prev_owner, new_owner):
+    if _name_owner_changed_hook:
+        _name_owner_changed_hook(name, prev_owner, new_owner)
+
+def get_bus():
+    global _bus
+    if _bus is None:
+        dbus_loop = DBusGMainLoop()
+        _bus = dbus.SessionBus(mainloop=dbus_loop)
+    return _bus
+
+def get_bus_iface():
+    global _bus_iface
+    if _bus_iface is None:
+        bus = get_bus()
+        bus_proxy = bus.get_object('org.freedesktop.DBus', '/org/freedesktop/DBus')
+        _bus_iface = dbus.Interface(bus_proxy, 'org.freedesktop.DBus')
+        _bus_iface.connect_to_signal('NameOwnerChanged', on_name_owner_changed)
+    return _bus_iface
+
+def wait_for_dbus_name(wait_name):
+    global _name_owner_changed_hook
+
+    bus_iface = get_bus_iface()
+    loop = gobject.MainLoop()
+
+    def on_name_owner_changed(name, prev_owner, new_owner):
+        if not (name == wait_name and new_owner != ''):
+            return
+        loop.quit()
+        return
+    _name_owner_changed_hook = on_name_owner_changed
+
+    def on_timeout():
+        print "\nFailed to start %s: timed out" % (wait_name,)
+        sys.exit(1)
+    gobject.timeout_add_seconds(7, on_timeout)
+
+    loop.run()
+    _name_owner_changed_hook = None
+
 def start_dconf_await_service():
     DCONF_NAME = 'ca.desrt.dconf'
 
-    dbus_loop = DBusGMainLoop()
-    bus = dbus.SessionBus(mainloop=dbus_loop)
+    bus = get_bus()
+    get_bus_iface() # connect to NameOwnerChanged signal
 
     # See if the service is already running or normal D-Bus activation works
     need_manual_activate = False
@@ -122,25 +167,7 @@ def start_dconf_await_service():
         print "\nFailed to start %s: %s" % (dconf_path, e)
         sys.exit(1)
 
-    bus_proxy = bus.get_object('org.freedesktop.DBus', '/org/freedesktop/DBus')
-    bus_iface = dbus.Interface(bus_proxy, 'org.freedesktop.DBus')
-
-    loop = gobject.MainLoop()
-
-    def on_name_owner_changed(name, prev_owner, new_owner):
-        if not (name == DCONF_NAME and new_owner != ''):
-            return
-        print "started"
-        loop.quit()
-        return
-    bus_iface.connect_to_signal('NameOwnerChanged', on_name_owner_changed)
-
-    def on_timeout():
-        print "\nFailed to start %s: timed out" % (dconf_path,)
-        sys.exit(1)
-    gobject.timeout_add_seconds(7, on_timeout)
-
-    loop.run()
+    wait_for_dbus_name (DCONF_NAME)
 
 def start_shell(perf_output=None):
     self_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(sys.argv[0]))