diff --git a/wxPython/wx/tools/img2png.py b/wxPython/wx/tools/img2png.py
index 2f5bc8baab..69fa69c12d 100644
--- a/wxPython/wx/tools/img2png.py
+++ b/wxPython/wx/tools/img2png.py
@@ -40,10 +40,11 @@ import  sys
 import  wx
 import  img2img
 
-
+app = None
 def main():
     # some bitmap related things need to have a wxApp initialized...
     if wx.GetApp() is None:
+        global app
         app = wx.PySimpleApp()
     img2img.main(sys.argv[1:], wx.BITMAP_TYPE_PNG, ".png", __doc__)
 
diff --git a/wxPython/wx/tools/img2py.py b/wxPython/wx/tools/img2py.py
index b4f6b4c9e4..71a6099b6d 100644
--- a/wxPython/wx/tools/img2py.py
+++ b/wxPython/wx/tools/img2py.py
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ def crunch_data(data, compressed):
     return fp.getvalue()
 
 
-
+app = None
 def main(args):
     if not args or ("-h" in args):
         print __doc__
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ def main(args):
 
     # some bitmap related things need to have a wxApp initialized...
     if wx.GetApp() is None:
+        global app
         app = wx.PySimpleApp()
 
     append = 0
diff --git a/wxPython/wx/tools/img2xpm.py b/wxPython/wx/tools/img2xpm.py
index 3fa833b0ce..9907d1d617 100644
--- a/wxPython/wx/tools/img2xpm.py
+++ b/wxPython/wx/tools/img2xpm.py
@@ -36,14 +36,14 @@ Options:
 """
 
 import  sys
-
 import  wx
-
 import  img2img
 
+app = None
 def main():
     # some bitmap related things need to have a wxApp initialized...
     if wx.GetApp() is None:
+        global app
         app = wx.PySimpleApp()
     img2img.main(sys.argv[1:], wx.BITMAP_TYPE_XPM, ".xpm", __doc__)