diff --git a/powerline/__init__.py b/powerline/__init__.py
index 1689f1da..4e148f05 100644
--- a/powerline/__init__.py
+++ b/powerline/__init__.py
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ class Powerline(object):
 			'load_theme': True,
 		}
 		self.shutdown_event = shutdown_event or Event()
-		self.config_loader = config_loader or ConfigLoader(shutdown_event=self.shutdown_event)
+		self.config_loader = config_loader or ConfigLoader(shutdown_event=self.shutdown_event, run_once=run_once)
 		self.run_loader_update = False
 
 		self.renderer_options = {}
diff --git a/powerline/lib/config.py b/powerline/lib/config.py
index 9cf6ee4a..e826e3bf 100644
--- a/powerline/lib/config.py
+++ b/powerline/lib/config.py
@@ -20,11 +20,22 @@ def load_json_config(config_file_path, load=json.load, open_file=open_file):
 		return load(config_file_fp)
 
 
+class DummyWatcher(object):
+	def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+		return False
+
+	def watch(self, *args, **kwargs):
+		pass
+
+
 class ConfigLoader(MultiRunnedThread):
-	def __init__(self, shutdown_event=None, watcher=None, load=load_json_config):
+	def __init__(self, shutdown_event=None, watcher=None, load=load_json_config, run_once=False):
 		super(ConfigLoader, self).__init__()
 		self.shutdown_event = shutdown_event or Event()
-		self.watcher = watcher or create_file_watcher()
+		if run_once:
+			self.watcher = DummyWatcher()
+		else:
+			self.watcher = watcher or create_file_watcher()
 		self._load = load
 
 		self.pl = None
diff --git a/tests/lib/config_mock.py b/tests/lib/config_mock.py
index 7243fcb3..a0c083df 100644
--- a/tests/lib/config_mock.py
+++ b/tests/lib/config_mock.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ from powerline.renderer import Renderer
 from powerline.lib.config import ConfigLoader
 from powerline import Powerline
 from copy import deepcopy
+from functools import wraps
 
 
 access_log = []
@@ -34,13 +35,26 @@ def pop_events():
 	return r
 
 
+def log_call(func):
+	@wraps(func)
+	def ret(self, *args, **kwargs):
+		self._calls.append((func.__name__, args, kwargs))
+		return func(self, *args, **kwargs)
+	return ret
+
+
 class Watcher(object):
 	events = set()
 	lock = Lock()
 
+	def __init__(self):
+		self._calls = []
+
+	@log_call
 	def watch(self, file):
 		pass
 
+	@log_call
 	def __call__(self, file):
 		with self.lock:
 			if file in self.events:
@@ -53,6 +67,7 @@ class Watcher(object):
 			self.events.clear()
 			self.events.update(files)
 
+	@log_call
 	def unsubscribe(self):
 		pass
 
@@ -96,13 +111,16 @@ renderer = SimpleRenderer
 
 
 def get_powerline(**kwargs):
-	return TestPowerline(
+	watcher = Watcher()
+	pl = TestPowerline(
 		ext='test',
 		renderer_module='tests.lib.config_mock',
 		logger=Logger(),
-		config_loader=ConfigLoader(load=load_json_config, watcher=Watcher()),
+		config_loader=ConfigLoader(load=load_json_config, watcher=watcher, run_once=kwargs.get('run_once')),
 		**kwargs
 	)
+	pl._watcher = watcher
+	return pl
 
 
 config_container = None
diff --git a/tests/test_config_reload.py b/tests/test_config_reload.py
index b58eaff8..f74aa411 100644
--- a/tests/test_config_reload.py
+++ b/tests/test_config_reload.py
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ def sleep(interval):
 
 
 def add_watcher_events(p, *args, **kwargs):
-	p.config_loader.watcher._reset(args)
+	p._watcher._reset(args)
 	while not p._will_create_renderer():
 		sleep(kwargs.get('interval', 0.000001))
 		if not kwargs.get('wait', True):
@@ -253,6 +253,22 @@ class TestConfigReload(TestCase):
 				self.assertEqual(p.render(), '<1 2 1> col3<2 4 False>>><3 4 4>g<4 False False>>><None None None>')
 				self.assertAccessEvents('themes/test/default')
 				self.assertEqual(p.logger._pop_msgs(), [])
+				self.assertTrue(p._watcher._calls)
+		pop_events()
+
+	def test_run_once_no_theme_reload(self):
+		with replace_item(globals(), 'config', deepcopy(config)):
+			config['config']['common']['interval'] = None
+			with get_powerline(run_once=True) as p:
+				self.assertEqual(p.render(), '<1 2 1> s<2 4 False>>><3 4 4>g<4 False False>>><None None None>')
+				self.assertAccessEvents('config', 'colors', 'colorschemes/test/default', 'themes/test/default')
+
+				config['themes/test/default']['segments']['left'][0]['contents'] = 'col3'
+				add_watcher_events(p, 'themes/test/default', wait=False)
+				self.assertEqual(p.render(), '<1 2 1> s<2 4 False>>><3 4 4>g<4 False False>>><None None None>')
+				self.assertAccessEvents()
+				self.assertEqual(p.logger._pop_msgs(), [])
+				self.assertEqual(p._watcher._calls, [])
 		pop_events()