diff --git a/modules/juce_audio_plugin_client/AAX/juce_AAX_Wrapper.cpp b/modules/juce_audio_plugin_client/AAX/juce_AAX_Wrapper.cpp
index c68df97e5c..624e657624 100644
--- a/modules/juce_audio_plugin_client/AAX/juce_AAX_Wrapper.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_audio_plugin_client/AAX/juce_AAX_Wrapper.cpp
@@ -177,30 +177,6 @@ struct AAXClasses
         return nullptr;
     }
 
-    //==============================================================================
-    struct JUCELibraryRefCount
-    {
-        JUCELibraryRefCount()    { if (getCount()++ == 0) initialise(); }
-        ~JUCELibraryRefCount()   { if (--getCount() == 0) shutdown(); }
-
-    private:
-        static void initialise()
-        {
-            initialiseJuce_GUI();
-        }
-
-        static void shutdown()
-        {
-            shutdownJuce_GUI();
-        }
-
-        int& getCount() noexcept
-        {
-            static int count = 0;
-            return count;
-        }
-    };
-
     //==============================================================================
     class JuceAAX_Processor;
 
@@ -389,7 +365,7 @@ struct AAXClasses
 
         ScopedPointer<ContentWrapperComponent> component;
 
-        JUCELibraryRefCount juceCount;
+        ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI libraryInitialiser;
         JUCE_DECLARE_NON_COPYABLE_WITH_LEAK_DETECTOR (JuceAAX_GUI)
     };
 
@@ -896,7 +872,7 @@ struct AAXClasses
             check (Controller()->SetSignalLatency (audioProcessor.getLatencySamples()));
         }
 
-        JUCELibraryRefCount juceCount;
+        ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI libraryInitialiser;
 
         ScopedPointer<AudioProcessor> pluginInstance;
         MidiBuffer midiBuffer;
@@ -1020,7 +996,7 @@ struct AAXClasses
 AAX_Result JUCE_CDECL GetEffectDescriptions (AAX_ICollection*);
 AAX_Result JUCE_CDECL GetEffectDescriptions (AAX_ICollection* collection)
 {
-    AAXClasses::JUCELibraryRefCount libraryRefCount;
+    ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI libraryInitialiser;
 
     if (AAX_IEffectDescriptor* const descriptor = collection->NewDescriptor())
     {
diff --git a/modules/juce_audio_plugin_client/VST3/juce_VST3_Wrapper.cpp b/modules/juce_audio_plugin_client/VST3/juce_VST3_Wrapper.cpp
index ba8ca4cd60..9136a4df60 100644
--- a/modules/juce_audio_plugin_client/VST3/juce_VST3_Wrapper.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_audio_plugin_client/VST3/juce_VST3_Wrapper.cpp
@@ -60,23 +60,6 @@ namespace juce
 
 using namespace Steinberg;
 
-//==============================================================================
-class JuceLibraryRefCount
-{
-public:
-    JuceLibraryRefCount()   { if ((getCount()++) == 0) initialiseJuce_GUI(); }
-    ~JuceLibraryRefCount()  { if ((--getCount()) == 0) shutdownJuce_GUI(); }
-
-private:
-    int& getCount() noexcept
-    {
-        static int count = 0;
-        return count;
-    }
-
-    JUCE_DECLARE_NON_COPYABLE_WITH_LEAK_DETECTOR (JuceLibraryRefCount)
-};
-
 //==============================================================================
 #if JUCE_MAC
  extern void initialiseMac();
@@ -104,6 +87,7 @@ public:
 private:
     Atomic<int> refCount;
     ScopedPointer<AudioProcessor> audioProcessor;
+    ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI libraryInitialiser;
 
     JuceAudioProcessor() JUCE_DELETED_FUNCTION;
     JUCE_DECLARE_NON_COPYABLE_WITH_LEAK_DETECTOR (JuceAudioProcessor)
@@ -301,7 +285,7 @@ public:
 private:
     //==============================================================================
     ComSmartPtr<JuceAudioProcessor> audioProcessor;
-    const JuceLibraryRefCount juceCount;
+    ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI libraryInitialiser;
 
     //==============================================================================
     void setupParameters()
@@ -539,6 +523,8 @@ private:
         WindowsHooks hooks;
        #endif
 
+        ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI libraryInitialiser;
+
         //==============================================================================
         JUCE_DECLARE_NON_COPYABLE_WITH_LEAK_DETECTOR (JuceVST3Editor)
     };
@@ -1338,7 +1324,7 @@ private:
     MidiBuffer midiBuffer;
     Array<float*> channelList;
 
-    const JuceLibraryRefCount juceCount;
+    ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI libraryInitialiser;
 
     //==============================================================================
     void addBusTo (Vst::BusList& busList, Vst::Bus* newBus)
@@ -1696,7 +1682,7 @@ public:
 
 private:
     //==============================================================================
-    const JuceLibraryRefCount juceCount;
+    ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI libraryInitialiser;
     Atomic<int> refCount;
     const PFactoryInfo factoryInfo;
     ComSmartPtr<Vst::IHostApplication> host;
diff --git a/modules/juce_events/messages/juce_Initialisation.h b/modules/juce_events/messages/juce_Initialisation.h
index 4a93b0f040..84f5e82b2d 100644
--- a/modules/juce_events/messages/juce_Initialisation.h
+++ b/modules/juce_events/messages/juce_Initialisation.h
@@ -55,13 +55,17 @@ JUCE_API void JUCE_CALLTYPE  shutdownJuce_GUI();
 /** A utility object that helps you initialise and shutdown Juce correctly
     using an RAII pattern.
 
-    When an instance of this class is created, it calls initialiseJuce_GUI(),
-    and when it's deleted, it calls shutdownJuce_GUI(), which lets you easily
-    make sure that these functions are matched correctly.
+    When the first instance of this class is created, it calls initialiseJuce_GUI(),
+    and when the last instance is deleted, it calls shutdownJuce_GUI(), so that you
+    can easily be sure that as long as at least one instance of the class exists, the
+    library will be initialised.
 
     This class is particularly handy to use at the beginning of a console app's
     main() function, because it'll take care of shutting down whenever you return
     from the main() call.
+
+    Be careful with your threading though - to be safe, you should always make sure
+    that these objects are created and deleted on the message thread.
 */
 class JUCE_API  ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI
 {
diff --git a/modules/juce_events/messages/juce_MessageManager.cpp b/modules/juce_events/messages/juce_MessageManager.cpp
index 2f38a1c4cf..9383d50b49 100644
--- a/modules/juce_events/messages/juce_MessageManager.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_events/messages/juce_MessageManager.cpp
@@ -334,5 +334,7 @@ JUCE_API void JUCE_CALLTYPE shutdownJuce_GUI()
     }
 }
 
-ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI::ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI()  { initialiseJuce_GUI(); }
-ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI::~ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI() { shutdownJuce_GUI(); }
+static int numScopedInitInstances = 0;
+
+ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI::ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI()  { if (numScopedInitInstances++ == 0) initialiseJuce_GUI(); }
+ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI::~ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI() { if (--numScopedInitInstances == 0) shutdownJuce_GUI(); }
diff --git a/modules/juce_gui_basics/native/juce_android_Windowing.cpp b/modules/juce_gui_basics/native/juce_android_Windowing.cpp
index 02353be730..2b73eedbaf 100644
--- a/modules/juce_gui_basics/native/juce_android_Windowing.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_gui_basics/native/juce_android_Windowing.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ JUCE_JNI_CALLBACK (JUCE_ANDROID_ACTIVITY_CLASSNAME, launchApp, void, (JNIEnv* en
 
     JUCEApplicationBase::createInstance = &juce_CreateApplication;
 
-    initialiseJuce_GUI();
+    ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI libraryInitialiser;
 
     JUCEApplicationBase* app = JUCEApplicationBase::createInstance();
     if (! app->initialiseApp())
diff --git a/modules/juce_gui_basics/native/juce_ios_Windowing.mm b/modules/juce_gui_basics/native/juce_ios_Windowing.mm
index 6b9031fb74..abf218d863 100644
--- a/modules/juce_gui_basics/native/juce_ios_Windowing.mm
+++ b/modules/juce_gui_basics/native/juce_ios_Windowing.mm
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ extern bool isIOSAppActive;
 - (void) applicationDidFinishLaunching: (UIApplication*) application
 {
     (void) application;
-    initialiseJuce_GUI();
+
+    ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI libraryInitialiser;
 
     JUCEApplicationBase* app = JUCEApplicationBase::createInstance();