diff --git a/common/pgm_base.cpp b/common/pgm_base.cpp
index 4bfda6435e..ddceb969b3 100644
--- a/common/pgm_base.cpp
+++ b/common/pgm_base.cpp
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ void PGM_BASE::BuildArgvUtf8()
 }
 
 
-bool PGM_BASE::InitPgm( bool aHeadless, bool aSkipPyInit )
+bool PGM_BASE::InitPgm( bool aHeadless, bool aSkipPyInit, bool aIsUnitTest )
 {
     // Just make sure we init precreate any folders early for later code
     // In particular, the user cache path is the most likely to be hit by startup code
@@ -466,6 +466,12 @@ bool PGM_BASE::InitPgm( bool aHeadless, bool aSkipPyInit )
 
     m_settings_manager = std::make_unique<SETTINGS_MANAGER>( aHeadless );
 
+    // Our unit test mocks break if we continue
+    // A bug caused InitPgm to terminate early in unit tests and the mocks are...simplistic
+    // TODO fix the unit tests so this can be removed
+    if( aIsUnitTest )
+        return false;
+
     // Something got in the way of settings load: can't continue
     if( !m_settings_manager->IsOK() )
         return false;
diff --git a/include/pgm_base.h b/include/pgm_base.h
index 6d149c0787..4380cfb450 100644
--- a/include/pgm_base.h
+++ b/include/pgm_base.h
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ public:
      * Useful in application that do not use python, to disable python dependency at run time
      * @return true if success, false if failure and program is to terminate.
      */
-    bool InitPgm( bool aHeadless = false, bool aSkipPyInit = false );
+    bool InitPgm( bool aHeadless = false, bool aSkipPyInit = false, bool aIsUnitTest = false );
 
     // The PGM_* classes can have difficulties at termination if they
     // are not destroyed soon enough.  Relying on a static destructor can be
diff --git a/qa/unittests/eeschema/test_module.cpp b/qa/unittests/eeschema/test_module.cpp
index 4f39b0b0a6..0052337db1 100644
--- a/qa/unittests/eeschema/test_module.cpp
+++ b/qa/unittests/eeschema/test_module.cpp
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ bool init_unit_test()
 
     wxSetAssertHandler( &wxAssertThrower );
 
-    Pgm().InitPgm( true, true );
+    Pgm().InitPgm( true, true, true );
 
     return ok;
 }