diff --git a/src/tests/test_window_desc.cpp b/src/tests/test_window_desc.cpp
index 85d2f6ebd8..39fa391068 100644
--- a/src/tests/test_window_desc.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/test_window_desc.cpp
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
  * List of WindowDescs. Defined in window.cpp but not exposed as this unit-test is the only other place that needs it.
  * WindowDesc is a self-registering class so all WindowDescs will be included in the list.
  */
-extern std::vector<WindowDesc*> *_window_descs;
+extern std::vector<WindowDesc *> &GetWindowDescs();
 
 
 class WindowDescTestsFixture {
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ TEST_CASE("WindowDesc - ini_key uniqueness")
 {
 	std::set<std::string> seen;
 
-	for (const WindowDesc *window_desc : *_window_descs) {
+	for (const WindowDesc *window_desc : GetWindowDescs()) {
 
 		if (window_desc->ini_key == nullptr) continue;
 
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ TEST_CASE("WindowDesc - ini_key uniqueness")
 
 TEST_CASE("WindowDesc - ini_key validity")
 {
-	const WindowDesc *window_desc = GENERATE(from_range(std::begin(*_window_descs), std::end(*_window_descs)));
+	const WindowDesc *window_desc = GENERATE(from_range(std::begin(GetWindowDescs()), std::end(GetWindowDescs())));
 
 	bool has_inikey = window_desc->ini_key != nullptr;
 	bool has_widget = std::any_of(window_desc->nwid_begin, window_desc->nwid_end, [](const NWidgetPart &part) { return part.type == WWT_DEFSIZEBOX || part.type == WWT_STICKYBOX; });
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ static bool IsNWidgetTreeClosed(const NWidgetPart *nwid_begin, const NWidgetPart
 
 TEST_CASE("WindowDesc - NWidgetParts properly closed")
 {
-	const WindowDesc *window_desc = GENERATE(from_range(std::begin(*_window_descs), std::end(*_window_descs)));
+	const WindowDesc *window_desc = GENERATE(from_range(std::begin(GetWindowDescs()), std::end(GetWindowDescs())));
 
 	INFO(fmt::format("{}:{}", window_desc->source_location.file_name(), window_desc->source_location.line()));
 
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ TEST_CASE("WindowDesc - NWidgetParts properly closed")
 
 TEST_CASE_METHOD(WindowDescTestsFixture, "WindowDesc - NWidgetPart validity")
 {
-	const WindowDesc *window_desc = GENERATE(from_range(std::begin(*_window_descs), std::end(*_window_descs)));
+	const WindowDesc *window_desc = GENERATE(from_range(std::begin(GetWindowDescs()), std::end(GetWindowDescs())));
 
 	INFO(fmt::format("{}:{}", window_desc->source_location.file_name(), window_desc->source_location.line()));
 
diff --git a/src/window.cpp b/src/window.cpp
index 012bab7537..03e73afe27 100644
--- a/src/window.cpp
+++ b/src/window.cpp
@@ -93,10 +93,14 @@ bool _mouse_hovering;      ///< The mouse is hovering over the same point.
 SpecialMouseMode _special_mouse_mode; ///< Mode of the mouse.
 
 /**
- * List of all WindowDescs.
- * This is a pointer to ensure initialisation order with the various static WindowDesc instances.
+ * Get list of all WindowDescs.
+ * @return List of all WindowDescs.
  */
-std::vector<WindowDesc*> *_window_descs = nullptr;
+std::vector<WindowDesc *> &GetWindowDescs()
+{
+	static std::vector<WindowDesc *> *s_window_descs = new std::vector<WindowDesc *>();
+	return *s_window_descs;
+}
 
 /** Config file to store WindowDesc */
 std::string _windows_file;
@@ -121,13 +125,14 @@ WindowDesc::WindowDesc(WindowPosition def_pos, const char *ini_key, int16_t def_
 	default_width_trad(def_width_trad),
 	default_height_trad(def_height_trad)
 {
-	if (_window_descs == nullptr) _window_descs = new std::vector<WindowDesc*>();
-	_window_descs->push_back(this);
+	auto &window_descs = GetWindowDescs();
+	window_descs.push_back(this);
 }
 
 WindowDesc::~WindowDesc()
 {
-	_window_descs->erase(std::find(_window_descs->begin(), _window_descs->end(), this));
+	auto &window_descs = GetWindowDescs();
+	window_descs.erase(std::find(window_descs.begin(), window_descs.end(), this));
 }
 
 /**
@@ -157,7 +162,7 @@ void WindowDesc::LoadFromConfig()
 {
 	IniFile ini;
 	ini.LoadFromDisk(_windows_file, NO_DIRECTORY);
-	for (WindowDesc *wd : *_window_descs) {
+	for (WindowDesc *wd : GetWindowDescs()) {
 		if (wd->ini_key == nullptr) continue;
 		IniLoadWindowSettings(ini, wd->ini_key, wd);
 	}
@@ -177,12 +182,14 @@ static bool DescSorter(WindowDesc * const &a, WindowDesc * const &b)
  */
 void WindowDesc::SaveToConfig()
 {
+	auto &window_descs = GetWindowDescs();
+
 	/* Sort the stuff to get a nice ini file on first write */
-	std::sort(_window_descs->begin(), _window_descs->end(), DescSorter);
+	std::sort(window_descs.begin(), window_descs.end(), DescSorter);
 
 	IniFile ini;
 	ini.LoadFromDisk(_windows_file, NO_DIRECTORY);
-	for (WindowDesc *wd : *_window_descs) {
+	for (WindowDesc *wd : window_descs) {
 		if (wd->ini_key == nullptr) continue;
 		IniSaveWindowSettings(ini, wd->ini_key, wd);
 	}
diff --git a/src/window_gui.h b/src/window_gui.h
index 30e1d6fd90..cdc97f3662 100644
--- a/src/window_gui.h
+++ b/src/window_gui.h
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ private:
 
 	/**
 	 * Delete copy constructor to prevent compilers from
-	 * copying the structure, which fails due to _window_descs.
+	 * copying the structure, which fails due to WindowDesc registration.
 	 */
 	WindowDesc(const WindowDesc &) = delete;
 	WindowDesc& operator=(const WindowDesc &) = delete;