diff --git a/awesome.c b/awesome.c
index 952b1939e..08d136ade 100644
--- a/awesome.c
+++ b/awesome.c
@@ -621,9 +621,12 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     g_main_context_set_poll_func(g_main_context_default(), &a_glib_poll);
     gettimeofday(&last_wakeup, NULL);
 
-    /* main event loop */
-    globalconf.loop = g_main_loop_new(NULL, FALSE);
-    g_main_loop_run(globalconf.loop);
+    /* main event loop (if not NULL, awesome.quit() was already called) */
+    if (globalconf.loop == NULL)
+    {
+        globalconf.loop = g_main_loop_new(NULL, FALSE);
+        g_main_loop_run(globalconf.loop);
+    }
     g_main_loop_unref(globalconf.loop);
     globalconf.loop = NULL;
 
diff --git a/luaa.c b/luaa.c
index 577ed98b2..a5a2cf5db 100644
--- a/luaa.c
+++ b/luaa.c
@@ -111,6 +111,8 @@ composite_manager_running(void)
 static int
 luaA_quit(lua_State *L)
 {
+    if (globalconf.loop == NULL)
+        globalconf.loop = g_main_loop_new(NULL, FALSE);
     g_main_loop_quit(globalconf.loop);
     return 0;
 }