diff --git a/include/pybind11/internal/kernel.h b/include/pybind11/internal/kernel.h
index 3b240f93..ddabe830 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/internal/kernel.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/internal/kernel.h
@@ -18,6 +18,20 @@ namespace pkbind {
 
 class handle;
 
+struct action {
+    using function = void (*)();
+    inline static std::vector<function> starts;
+
+    static void initialize() noexcept {
+        for(auto func: starts) {
+            func();
+        }
+    }
+
+    // register a function to be called at the start of the vm.
+    static void register_start(function func) { starts.push_back(func); }
+};
+
 /// hold the object long time.
 struct object_pool {
     inline static int cache = -1;
@@ -43,6 +57,7 @@ struct object_pool {
 
     /// alloc an object from pool, note that the object is uninitialized.
     static object_ref alloc() {
+        if(!indices_) { initialize(1024); }
         auto& indices = *indices_;
         if(cache != -1) {
             auto index = cache;
@@ -91,20 +106,6 @@ struct object_pool {
     }
 };
 
-struct action {
-    using function = void (*)();
-    inline static std::vector<function> starts;
-
-    static void initialize() noexcept {
-        for(auto func: starts) {
-            func();
-        }
-    }
-
-    // register a function to be called at the start of the vm.
-    static void register_start(function func) { starts.push_back(func); }
-};
-
 template <typename T>
 class lazy {
 public:
diff --git a/include/pybind11/pybind11.h b/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
index 5bb56ef4..ae3ead89 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
@@ -15,10 +15,6 @@ inline bool initialized = false;
 /// initialize the vm.
 inline void initialize(int object_pool_size = 1024) {
     if(!initialized) { py_initialize(); }
-
-    // initialize object pool.
-    object_pool::initialize(object_pool_size);
-
     action::initialize();
     initialized = true;
 }
@@ -27,10 +23,10 @@ inline void initialize(int object_pool_size = 1024) {
 inline void finalize(bool test = false) {
     if(!initialized) { return; }
     object_pool::finalize();
+    type::m_type_map.clear();
+    capsule::tp_capsule.reset();
+    cpp_function::tp_function_record.reset();
     if(test) {
-        type::m_type_map.clear();
-        capsule::tp_capsule.reset();
-        cpp_function::tp_function_record.reset();
         py_resetvm();
     } else {
         py_finalize();