diff --git a/python/dumux/common/_common.cc b/python/dumux/common/_common.cc
index b1a27adffabdbdc77f070a3fd367b565f7d32b0b..921a20b442b469f5565548ab0c1b69c63f4f0ae6 100644
--- a/python/dumux/common/_common.cc
+++ b/python/dumux/common/_common.cc
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include <dune/python/pybind11/pybind11.h>
 #include <dune/python/pybind11/stl.h>
 
+#include <dumux/common/initialize.hh>
 #include <dumux/common/parameters.hh>
 #include <dumux/python/common/timeloop.hh>
 
@@ -28,6 +29,11 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(_common, module)
     using namespace Dumux;
     using pybind11::operator""_a;
 
+    // maybe initialize MPI and/or multithreading backend
+    int argc = 0;
+    char **argv = NULL;
+    Dumux::initialize(argc, argv);
+
     // export time loop
     Python::registerTimeLoop<double>(module);