diff --git a/jupyter_collaboration/app.py b/jupyter_collaboration/app.py
index 22378b77..4eacdc79 100644
--- a/jupyter_collaboration/app.py
+++ b/jupyter_collaboration/app.py
@@ -85,8 +85,16 @@ def initialize_handlers(self):
         # We are temporarily initializing the store here because the
         # initialization is async
         self.store = self.ystore_class(log=self.log)
-        loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
-        loop.run_until_complete(self.store.initialize())
+
+        try:
+            loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
+        except RuntimeError:
+            loop = asyncio.new_event_loop()
+            asyncio.set_event_loop(loop)
+
+        task = loop.create_task(self.store.initialize())
+        if not loop.is_running():
+            loop.run_until_complete(task)
 
         # self.settings is local to the ExtensionApp but here we need
         # the global app settings in which the file id manager will register
diff --git a/jupyter_collaboration/stores/utils.py b/jupyter_collaboration/stores/utils.py
index 79f6b7f3..6e8d71e4 100644
--- a/jupyter_collaboration/stores/utils.py
+++ b/jupyter_collaboration/stores/utils.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # Copyright (c) Jupyter Development Team.
 # Distributed under the terms of the Modified BSD License.
 
+
 class YDocNotFound(Exception):
     pass