diff --git a/test/dbus-session.sh b/test/dbus-session.sh
index df2c9a47..d4c6a970 100755
--- a/test/dbus-session.sh
+++ b/test/dbus-session.sh
@@ -31,15 +31,24 @@ trap atexit EXIT
 # e-addressbook/calendar-factory.
 #
 # Similar for DBUS_SESSION_SH_AKONADI, except that we rely on akonadictl
-# and don't run it under valgrind.
+# and don't run it under valgrind. We also don't start it for test-dbus.py,
+# because starting it with "normal" XDG env variables and trying to
+# connect to it with XDG env set in test-dbus.py failed:
+# libakonadi Akonadi::SessionPrivate::init: Akonadi Client Session: connection config file ' akonadi/akonadiconnectionrc can not be found in ' "/data/runtests/work/lucid-amd64/build/src/temp-test-dbus/config" ' nor in any of  ("/etc/xdg", "/etc")
+#
 E_CAL_PID=
 E_BOOK_PID=
 case "$@" in *valgrind*) prefix=`echo $@ | perl -p -e 's;.*?(\S*/?valgrind\S*).*;$1;'`;;
              *syncevolution\ *|*client-test\ *|*test-dbus.py\ *|*gdb\ *) prefix=env;;
              *) prefix=;; # don't start EDS
 esac
-if [ "$DBUS_SESSION_SH_AKONADI" ] && [ "$prefix" ]; then
+akonadi=$prefix
+case "$@" in *test-dbus.py\ *) akonadi=;;
+esac
+
+if [ "$DBUS_SESSION_SH_AKONADI" ] && [ "$akonadi" ]; then
     akonadictl start
+    SLEEP=5
 else
     DBUS_SESSION_SH_AKONADI=
 fi
@@ -50,11 +59,13 @@ if [ "$DBUS_SESSION_SH_EDS_BASE" ] && [ "$prefix" ]; then
     E_BOOK_PID=$!
 
     # give daemons some time to start and register with D-Bus
-    sleep 5
+    SLEEP=5
 else
     DBUS_SESSION_SH_EDS_BASE=
 fi
 
+sleep $SLEEP
+
 # run program
 "$@"
 res=$?