diff --git a/PlotsBase/ext/PythonPlotExt.jl b/PlotsBase/ext/PythonPlotExt.jl
index 8b69b054b..1a3ec1279 100644
--- a/PlotsBase/ext/PythonPlotExt.jl
+++ b/PlotsBase/ext/PythonPlotExt.jl
@@ -15,9 +15,6 @@ end
 const mpl_toolkits = PythonCall.pynew()
 const numpy = PythonCall.pynew()
 const mpl = PythonCall.pynew()
-const Gcf = PythonCall.pynew()
-const orig_gcf = PythonCall.pynew()
-const orig_figure = PythonCall.pynew()
 
 using PlotsBase.Annotations
 using PlotsBase.DataSeries
@@ -48,7 +45,7 @@ function PlotsBase.extension_init(::PythonPlotBackend)
     backend_gui = PythonPlot.find_backend(mpl)
     PythonPlot.backend = backend_gui[1]
     PythonPlot.gui = backend_gui[2]
-    PythonCall.pycopy!(PythonPlot.pyplot, PythonCall.pyimport("matplotlib.pyplot")) # raw Python module
+    PythonCall.pycopy!(PythonPlot.pyplot, PythonCall.pyimport("matplotlib.pyplot"))  # raw Python module
     PythonCall.pycopy!(PythonPlot.Gcf, PythonCall.pyimport("matplotlib._pylab_helpers").Gcf)
     PythonCall.pycopy!(PythonPlot.orig_gcf, PythonPlot.pyplot.gcf)
     PythonCall.pycopy!(PythonPlot.orig_figure, PythonPlot.pyplot.figure)
@@ -79,6 +76,21 @@ function PlotsBase.extension_init(::PythonPlotBackend)
     end
 end
 
+function PlotsBase.extension_cleanup(::PythonPlotBackend)
+    mpl_toolkits = PythonCall.pynew()
+    numpy = PythonCall.pynew()
+    mpl = PythonCall.pynew()
+    PythonPlot.pyplot.gcf = PythonCall.pynew()
+    PythonPlot.pyplot.figure = PythonCall.pynew()
+    PythonPlot.pyplot = PythonCall.pynew()
+    PythonPlot.Gcf = PythonCall.pynew()
+    PythonPlot.orig_gcf = PythonCall.pynew()
+    PythonPlot.orig_figure = PythonCall.pynew()
+    PythonPlot.backend = PythonCall.pynew()
+    PythonPlot.gui = PythonCall.pynew()
+    nothing
+end
+
 PlotsBase.@extension_static PythonPlotBackend pythonplot
 
 const _pythonplot_attrs = PlotsBase.merge_with_base_supported([
diff --git a/PlotsBase/src/backends.jl b/PlotsBase/src/backends.jl
index d64c2915c..db3553b80 100644
--- a/PlotsBase/src/backends.jl
+++ b/PlotsBase/src/backends.jl
@@ -183,6 +183,8 @@ end
 "extra init step for an extension"
 extension_init(::AbstractBackend) = nothing
 
+extension_cleanup(::AbstractBackend) = nothing
+
 "generate extension `__init__` function, and common defines"
 macro extension_static(be_type, be)
     be_sym = QuoteNode(be)
diff --git a/PlotsBase/src/init.jl b/PlotsBase/src/init.jl
index cf908dd55..c40c0bb2d 100644
--- a/PlotsBase/src/init.jl
+++ b/PlotsBase/src/init.jl
@@ -111,12 +111,12 @@ function diagnostics(io::IO = stdout)
 end
 
 macro precompile_backend(backend_package)
+    abstract_backend = Symbol(backend_package, :Backend)
     quote
         PrecompileTools.@setup_workload begin
             using PlotsBase  # for extensions
-            backend($(Symbol(backend_package, :Backend)))
-            __init__()  # must call init !!
-            # PlotsBase.extension_init($be_type())  # because `__init__` has `ccall(:jl_generating_output, Cint, ()) == 1 && return`
+            backend($abstract_backend())
+            __init__()  # call extension module init !!
             @debug PlotsBase.backend_package_name()
             n = length(PlotsBase._examples)
             imports = sizehint!(Expr[], n)
@@ -164,9 +164,10 @@ macro precompile_backend(backend_package)
                 PrecompileTools.@compile_workload begin
                     eval.(imports)
                     eval.(examples)
+                    PlotsBase.CURRENT_PLOT.nullableplot = nothing
+                    PlotsBase.extension_cleanup($abstract_backend())
                 end
             end
-            PlotsBase.CURRENT_PLOT.nullableplot = nothing
         end
     end |> esc
 end