diff --git a/mscore/help.cpp b/mscore/help.cpp
index 54797d64c4..7f3c1e89a4 100644
--- a/mscore/help.cpp
+++ b/mscore/help.cpp
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@
 
 namespace Ms {
 
-QHelpEngine* helpEngine;
-
 //---------------------------------------------------------
 //   HelpQuery
 //---------------------------------------------------------
@@ -24,21 +22,6 @@ QHelpEngine* helpEngine;
 HelpQuery::HelpQuery(QWidget* parent)
    : QWidgetAction(parent)
       {
-      if (!helpEngine) {
-            QString lang = mscore->getLocaleISOCode();
-            if (lang == "en_US")    // HACK
-                  lang = "en";
-
-            QString s = getSharePath() + "manual/doc_" + lang + ".qhc";
-            qDebug("init Help from: <%s>", qPrintable(s));
-            helpEngine = new QHelpEngine(s, this);
-            if (!helpEngine->setupData()) {
-                  qDebug("cannot setup data for help engine: %s", qPrintable(helpEngine->error()));
-                  delete helpEngine;
-                  helpEngine = 0;
-                  }
-            }
-
       mapper = new QSignalMapper(this);
 
       w = new QWidget(parent);
@@ -106,8 +89,10 @@ void HelpQuery::textChanged(const QString& ss)
                   menu->removeAction(a);
             }
       emptyState = false;
-      QMap<QString,QUrl>list = helpEngine->linksForIdentifier(s);
-//      QMap<QString,QUrl>list = helpEngine->indexModel()->linksForKeyword(s);
+      if (!mscore->helpEngine())
+            return;
+      QMap<QString,QUrl>list = mscore->helpEngine()->linksForIdentifier(s);
+//      QMap<QString,QUrl>list = mscore->helpEngine()->indexModel()->linksForKeyword(s);
       int k = 0;
       for (auto i = list.begin(); i != list.end(); ++i) {
             QAction* action = new QAction(i.key(), this);
@@ -144,7 +129,7 @@ void HelpQuery::actionTriggered(QObject* obj)
 
 void HelpQuery::returnPressed()
       {
-      QMap<QString,QUrl>list = helpEngine->linksForIdentifier(entry->text().toLower());
+      QMap<QString,QUrl>list = mscore->helpEngine()->linksForIdentifier(entry->text().toLower());
       if (!list.isEmpty()) {
             mscore->showHelp(list.begin().value());
             }
diff --git a/mscore/help.h b/mscore/help.h
index 1960e81117..ecce4e156d 100644
--- a/mscore/help.h
+++ b/mscore/help.h
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ class HelpQuery : public QWidgetAction {
       HelpQuery(QWidget* parent);
       };
 
-extern QHelpEngine* helpEngine;
 
 }     // end namespace Ms
 
diff --git a/mscore/helpBrowser.cpp b/mscore/helpBrowser.cpp
index 025ebf23cd..543ffdd054 100644
--- a/mscore/helpBrowser.cpp
+++ b/mscore/helpBrowser.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include "helpBrowser.h"
 #include "icons.h"
 #include "help.h"
+#include "musescore.h"
 
 namespace Ms {
 
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ namespace Ms {
 HelpBrowser::HelpBrowser(QWidget* parent)
    : QWidget(parent)
       {
-      view    = new HelpView(helpEngine);
+      view    = new HelpView(mscore->helpEngine());
       toolbar = new QWidget;
       toolbar->setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy::Expanding,
       QSizePolicy::Fixed);
diff --git a/mscore/musescore.cpp b/mscore/musescore.cpp
index 434d9ea022..ed877c7768 100644
--- a/mscore/musescore.cpp
+++ b/mscore/musescore.cpp
@@ -961,13 +961,30 @@ MuseScore::MuseScore()
       connect(autoSaveTimer, SIGNAL(timeout()), this, SLOT(autoSaveTimerTimeout()));
       initOsc();
       startAutoSave();
+
       if (enableExperimental) {
             cornerLabel = new QLabel(this);
             cornerLabel->setScaledContents(true);
             cornerLabel->setPixmap(QPixmap(":/data/mscore.png"));
             cornerLabel->setGeometry(width() - 48, 0, 48, 48);
             }
-      _loginManager = new LoginManager(this);
+      if (!converterMode) {
+            _loginManager = new LoginManager(this);
+
+            // initialize help engine
+            QString lang = mscore->getLocaleISOCode();
+            if (lang == "en_US")    // HACK
+                  lang = "en";
+
+            QString s = getSharePath() + "manual/doc_" + lang + ".qhc";
+            qDebug("init Help from: <%s>", qPrintable(s));
+            _helpEngine = new QHelpEngine(s, this);
+            if (!_helpEngine->setupData()) {
+                  qDebug("cannot setup data for help engine: %s", qPrintable(_helpEngine->error()));
+                  delete _helpEngine;
+                  _helpEngine = 0;
+                  }
+            }
       }
 
 MuseScore::~MuseScore()
@@ -1023,7 +1040,7 @@ void MuseScore::showHelp(const QUrl& url)
       {
       qDebug("showHelp <%s>", qPrintable(url.toString()));
 
-      if (!helpEngine)
+      if (!_helpEngine)
             return;
 
       QAction* a = getAction("local-help");
@@ -1048,12 +1065,12 @@ void MuseScore::showHelp(QString s)
       {
       s = s.toLower();
       qDebug("showHelp <%s>", qPrintable(s));
-      QMap<QString,QUrl>list = helpEngine->linksForIdentifier(s);
+      QMap<QString,QUrl>list = _helpEngine->linksForIdentifier(s);
       if (!list.isEmpty())
             showHelp(*list.begin());
       else {
             qDebug("help for <%s> not found", qPrintable(s));
-            QMap<QString,QUrl>list = helpEngine->linksForIdentifier("manual");
+            QMap<QString,QUrl>list = _helpEngine->linksForIdentifier("manual");
             if (!list.isEmpty())
                   showHelp(*list.begin());
             }
diff --git a/mscore/musescore.h b/mscore/musescore.h
index a3ab7135ca..932f539008 100644
--- a/mscore/musescore.h
+++ b/mscore/musescore.h
@@ -357,7 +357,8 @@ class MuseScore : public QMainWindow, public MuseScoreCore {
       QComboBox* playMode;
       QNetworkAccessManager* networkManager { 0 };
       QAction* lastCmd                      { 0 };
-      const Shortcut* lastShortcut                { 0 };
+      const Shortcut* lastShortcut          { 0 };
+      QHelpEngine* _helpEngine              { 0 };
 
       QAction* countInAction;
       QAction* metronomeAction;
@@ -683,7 +684,8 @@ class MuseScore : public QMainWindow, public MuseScoreCore {
 
       void showLoginDialog();
       void showUploadScoreDialog();
-      LoginManager* loginManager() { return _loginManager; }
+      LoginManager* loginManager()     { return _loginManager; }
+      QHelpEngine*  helpEngine() const { return _helpEngine;   }
 
       void updateInspector();
       };