diff --git a/sal/cppunittester/cppunittester.cxx b/sal/cppunittester/cppunittester.cxx
index 6729903edd5d..50910fecfdd7 100644
--- a/sal/cppunittester/cppunittester.cxx
+++ b/sal/cppunittester/cppunittester.cxx
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <sal/log.hxx>
 #include <sal/types.h>
+#include <comphelper/scopeguard.hxx>
 #include <cppunittester/protectorfactory.hxx>
 #include <osl/module.h>
 #include <osl/module.hxx>
@@ -404,6 +405,24 @@ static bool main2()
     _CrtSetReportMode(_CRT_ASSERT, _CRTDBG_MODE_DEBUG|_CRTDBG_MODE_FILE);
     _CrtSetReportFile(_CRT_ASSERT, _CRTDBG_FILE_STDERR);
 #endif
+    // Create a desktop, to avoid popups interferring with active user session,
+    // because on Windows, we don't use svp vcl plugin for unit testing
+    HDESK hDesktop = nullptr;
+    comphelper::ScopeGuard desktopRestore(
+        [&hDesktop, hPrevDesktop = GetThreadDesktop(GetCurrentThreadId())]()
+        {
+            if (hDesktop)
+            {
+                SetThreadDesktop(hPrevDesktop);
+                CloseDesktop(hDesktop);
+            }
+        });
+    if (getenv("CPPUNIT_DEFAULT_DESKTOP") == nullptr)
+    {
+        hDesktop = CreateDesktopW(L"LO_CPPUNIT_DESKTOP", nullptr, nullptr, 0, GENERIC_ALL, nullptr);
+        if (hDesktop)
+            SetThreadDesktop(hDesktop);
+    }
 #endif
 
     std::vector<CppUnit::Protector *> protectors;