diff --git a/Lib/idlelib/NEWS.txt b/Lib/idlelib/NEWS.txt
index 93084bfc2e5..7d77f6cf452 100644
--- a/Lib/idlelib/NEWS.txt
+++ b/Lib/idlelib/NEWS.txt
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ Released on 2019-12-16?
 ======================================
 
 
+bpo-40723: Make test_idle pass when run after import.
+
 bpo-38689: IDLE will no longer freeze when inspect.signature fails
 when fetching a calltip.
 
diff --git a/Lib/idlelib/idle_test/test_autocomplete.py b/Lib/idlelib/idle_test/test_autocomplete.py
index 2c478cd5c2a..1841495fcf1 100644
--- a/Lib/idlelib/idle_test/test_autocomplete.py
+++ b/Lib/idlelib/idle_test/test_autocomplete.py
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ class AutoCompleteTest(unittest.TestCase):
         acp = self.autocomplete
         small, large = acp.fetch_completions(
                 '', ac.ATTRS)
-        if __main__.__file__ != ac.__file__:
+        if hasattr(__main__, '__file__') and __main__.__file__ != ac.__file__:
             self.assertNotIn('AutoComplete', small)  # See issue 36405.
 
         # Test attributes
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/IDLE/2020-05-24-06-19-43.bpo-40723.AJLd4U.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/IDLE/2020-05-24-06-19-43.bpo-40723.AJLd4U.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e0de2f9d836
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/IDLE/2020-05-24-06-19-43.bpo-40723.AJLd4U.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Make test_idle pass when run after import.