diff --git a/debuggers/gdb/debuggerplugin.cpp b/debuggers/gdb/debuggerplugin.cpp
index 3de93f400d..9532e967c2 100644
--- a/debuggers/gdb/debuggerplugin.cpp
+++ b/debuggers/gdb/debuggerplugin.cpp
@@ -1,125 +1,132 @@
 // /*
 //  * GDB Debugger Support
 //  *
 //  * Copyright 1999-2001 John Birch <jbb@kdevelop.org>
 //  * Copyright 2001 by Bernd Gehrmann <bernd@kdevelop.org>
 //  * Copyright 2006 Vladimir Prus <ghost@cs.msu.su>
 //  * Copyright 2007 Hamish Rodda <rodda@kde.org>
 //  *
 //  * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
 //  * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
 //  * published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the
 //  * License, or (at your option) any later version.
 //  *
 //  * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
 //  * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
 //  * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
 //  * GNU General Public License for more details.
 //  *
 //  * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public
 //  * License along with this program; if not, write to the
 //  * Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 //  * 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
 //  */
 
 #include "debuggerplugin.h"
 
 
 #include "widgets/disassemblewidget.h"
 #include "memviewdlg.h"
 #include "gdboutputwidget.h"
 
 #include "gdbconfigpage.h"
 #include "debugsession.h"
 
 #include <execute/iexecuteplugin.h>
 #include <interfaces/icore.h>
 #include <interfaces/idebugcontroller.h>
 #include <interfaces/iplugincontroller.h>
 #include <interfaces/iuicontroller.h>
 #include <interfaces/launchconfigurationtype.h>
 
 #include <KPluginFactory>
 
+// explicit init of resources needed, because all files
+// are first compiled into a static library which is also used for unit testing
+// for some reason the respective resource init methods are not triggered or registered then
+inline void initMyResource() { Q_INIT_RESOURCE(kdevgdb); }
+
 using namespace KDevMI::GDB;
 
 
 K_PLUGIN_FACTORY_WITH_JSON(CppDebuggerFactory, "kdevgdb.json", registerPlugin<CppDebuggerPlugin>(); )
 
 CppDebuggerPlugin::CppDebuggerPlugin(QObject *parent, const QVariantList &)
     : MIDebuggerPlugin("kdevgdb", i18n("GDB"), parent)
     , disassemblefactory(nullptr)
     , gdbfactory(nullptr)
     , memoryviewerfactory(nullptr)
 {
+    initMyResource();
+
     setXMLFile("kdevgdbui.rc");
 
     QList<IPlugin*> plugins = KDevelop::ICore::self()->pluginController()->allPluginsForExtension("org.kdevelop.IExecutePlugin");
     foreach(IPlugin* plugin, plugins) {
         IExecutePlugin* iface = plugin->extension<IExecutePlugin>();
         Q_ASSERT(iface);
         KDevelop::LaunchConfigurationType* type = core()->runController()->launchConfigurationTypeForId( iface->nativeAppConfigTypeId() );
         Q_ASSERT(type);
         type->addLauncher( new GdbLauncher( this, iface ) );
     }
 }
 
 void CppDebuggerPlugin::setupToolviews()
 {
     disassemblefactory = new DebuggerToolFactory<DisassembleWidget>(
     this, "org.kdevelop.debugger.DisassemblerView", Qt::BottomDockWidgetArea);
 
     gdbfactory = new DebuggerToolFactory<GDBOutputWidget, CppDebuggerPlugin>(
     this, "org.kdevelop.debugger.ConsoleView",Qt::BottomDockWidgetArea);
 
     core()->uiController()->addToolView(
         i18n("Disassemble/Registers"),
         disassemblefactory);
 
     core()->uiController()->addToolView(
         i18n("GDB"),
         gdbfactory);
 
 #ifndef WITH_OKTETA
     memoryviewerfactory = nullptr;
 #else
     memoryviewerfactory = new DebuggerToolFactory<MemoryViewerWidget, CppDebuggerPlugin>(
     this, "org.kdevelop.debugger.MemoryView", Qt::BottomDockWidgetArea);
     core()->uiController()->addToolView(
         i18n("Memory"),
         memoryviewerfactory);
 #endif
 }
 
 void CppDebuggerPlugin::unloadToolviews()
 {
     if (disassemblefactory) {
         core()->uiController()->removeToolView(disassemblefactory);
         disassemblefactory = nullptr;
     }
     if (gdbfactory) {
         core()->uiController()->removeToolView(gdbfactory);
         gdbfactory = nullptr;
     }
     if (memoryviewerfactory) {
         core()->uiController()->removeToolView(memoryviewerfactory);
         memoryviewerfactory = nullptr;
     }
 }
 
 CppDebuggerPlugin::~CppDebuggerPlugin()
 {
 }
 
 DebugSession* CppDebuggerPlugin::createSession()
 {
     DebugSession *session = new DebugSession(this);
     KDevelop::ICore::self()->debugController()->addSession(session);
     connect(session, &DebugSession::showMessage, this, &CppDebuggerPlugin::showStatusMessage);
     connect(session, &DebugSession::reset, this, &CppDebuggerPlugin::reset);
     connect(session, &DebugSession::raiseDebuggerConsoleViews,
             this, &CppDebuggerPlugin::raiseDebuggerConsoleViews);
     return session;
 }
 
 #include "debuggerplugin.moc"