diff --git a/test/porousmediumflow/tracer/2ptracer/main.cc b/test/porousmediumflow/tracer/2ptracer/main.cc
index 75374081c0a04a5cdee2fef6e9bb2e1a203cc409..e539e0afac63aea2038ded9fdca8a1cf66a7ef4c 100644
--- a/test/porousmediumflow/tracer/2ptracer/main.cc
+++ b/test/porousmediumflow/tracer/2ptracer/main.cc
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@
 
 #include <dune/common/parallel/mpihelper.hh>
 #include <dune/common/timer.hh>
-#include <dune/grid/io/file/vtk.hh>
 
+#include <dumux/common/initialize.hh>
 #include <dumux/common/properties.hh>
 #include <dumux/common/parameters.hh>
 #include <dumux/common/dumuxmessage.hh>
@@ -56,8 +56,10 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     //! define the type tags for this problem
     using TwoPTypeTag = Properties::TTag::TwoPIncompressibleTpfa;
     using TracerTypeTag = Properties::TTag::TwoPTracerTestTpfa;
-    //! initialize MPI, finalize is done automatically on exit
-    const auto& mpiHelper = Dune::MPIHelper::instance(argc, argv);
+
+    // maybe initialize MPI and/or multithreading backend
+    Dumux::initialize(argc, argv);
+    const auto& mpiHelper = Dune::MPIHelper::instance();
 
     //! print dumux start message
     if (mpiHelper.rank() == 0)
diff --git a/test/porousmediumflow/tracer/constvel/main.cc b/test/porousmediumflow/tracer/constvel/main.cc
index c0f214a1aa985b34e422f06788beed58af782162..037e080c0fb4eee564b896845d6d986c5926b15c 100644
--- a/test/porousmediumflow/tracer/constvel/main.cc
+++ b/test/porousmediumflow/tracer/constvel/main.cc
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <dune/common/timer.hh>
 #include <dune/grid/io/file/vtk/vtksequencewriter.hh>
 
+#include <dumux/common/initialize.hh>
 #include <dumux/common/properties.hh>
 #include <dumux/common/parameters.hh>
 #include <dumux/common/dumuxmessage.hh>
@@ -50,8 +51,9 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     //! define the type tag for this problem
     using TypeTag = Properties::TTag::TYPETAG;
 
-    //! initialize MPI, finalize is done automatically on exit
-    const auto& mpiHelper = Dune::MPIHelper::instance(argc, argv);
+    // maybe initialize MPI and/or multithreading backend
+    Dumux::initialize(argc, argv);
+    const auto& mpiHelper = Dune::MPIHelper::instance();
 
     //! print dumux start message
     if (mpiHelper.rank() == 0)
diff --git a/test/porousmediumflow/tracer/multiphase/main.cc b/test/porousmediumflow/tracer/multiphase/main.cc
index 85ad2836fb349bab581e92fa298d2b5fe4eb0b2d..a1989b15d952fe646c18845d02cc75b778a784fd 100644
--- a/test/porousmediumflow/tracer/multiphase/main.cc
+++ b/test/porousmediumflow/tracer/multiphase/main.cc
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <dune/common/timer.hh>
 #include <dune/grid/io/file/vtk/vtksequencewriter.hh>
 
+#include <dumux/common/initialize.hh>
 #include <dumux/common/properties.hh>
 #include <dumux/common/parameters.hh>
 #include <dumux/common/dumuxmessage.hh>
@@ -51,8 +52,9 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     //! define the type tag for this problem
     using TypeTag = Properties::TTag::TYPETAG;
 
-    //! initialize MPI, finalize is done automatically on exit
-    const auto& mpiHelper = Dune::MPIHelper::instance(argc, argv);
+    // maybe initialize MPI and/or multithreading backend
+    Dumux::initialize(argc, argv);
+    const auto& mpiHelper = Dune::MPIHelper::instance();
 
     //! print dumux start message
     if (mpiHelper.rank() == 0)