diff --git a/src/ale.cpp b/src/ale.cpp
index 4ac8550807024af6e3d0dcb950a40cd70e0131b9..5646c3ee3d9e61a37160614e6b87ae46986ba187 100644
--- a/src/ale.cpp
+++ b/src/ale.cpp
@@ -343,7 +343,6 @@ namespace ale {
          // Initialize the Python interpreter but only once.
          first_run = !first_run;
          Py_Initialize();
-         atexit(Py_Finalize);
      }
 
      // Import the file as a Python module.