diff --git a/src/qt/paymentserver.cpp b/src/qt/paymentserver.cpp
index d66a722078..ba5c06064f 100644
--- a/src/qt/paymentserver.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/paymentserver.cpp
@@ -232,7 +232,10 @@ bool PaymentServer::ipcSendCommandLine(int argc, char* argv[])
         QLocalSocket* socket = new QLocalSocket();
         socket->connectToServer(ipcServerName(), QIODevice::WriteOnly);
         if (!socket->waitForConnected(BITCOIN_IPC_CONNECT_TIMEOUT))
+        {
+            delete socket;
             return false;
+        }
 
         QByteArray block;
         QDataStream out(&block, QIODevice::WriteOnly);
@@ -277,8 +280,11 @@ PaymentServer::PaymentServer(QObject* parent, bool startLocalServer) :
     {
         uriServer = new QLocalServer(this);
 
-        if (!uriServer->listen(name))
-            qDebug() << "PaymentServer::PaymentServer : Cannot start bitcoin: click-to-pay handler";
+        if (!uriServer->listen(name)) {
+            // constructor is called early in init, so don't use "emit message()" here
+            QMessageBox::critical(0, tr("Payment request error"),
+                tr("Cannot start bitcoin: click-to-pay handler"));
+        }
         else {
             connect(uriServer, SIGNAL(newConnection()), this, SLOT(handleURIConnection()));
             connect(this, SIGNAL(receivedPaymentACK(QString)), this, SLOT(handlePaymentACK(QString)));
@@ -295,12 +301,12 @@ PaymentServer::~PaymentServer()
 // OSX-specific way of handling bitcoin: URIs and
 // PaymentRequest mime types
 //
-bool PaymentServer::eventFilter(QObject *, QEvent *event)
+bool PaymentServer::eventFilter(QObject *object, QEvent *event)
 {
-    // clicking on bitcoin: URIs creates FileOpen events on the Mac:
+    // clicking on bitcoin: URIs creates FileOpen events on the Mac
     if (event->type() == QEvent::FileOpen)
     {
-        QFileOpenEvent* fileEvent = static_cast<QFileOpenEvent*>(event);
+        QFileOpenEvent *fileEvent = static_cast<QFileOpenEvent*>(event);
         if (!fileEvent->file().isEmpty())
             handleURIOrFile(fileEvent->file());
         else if (!fileEvent->url().isEmpty())
@@ -308,7 +314,8 @@ bool PaymentServer::eventFilter(QObject *, QEvent *event)
 
         return true;
     }
-    return false;
+
+    return QObject::eventFilter(object, event);
 }
 
 void PaymentServer::initNetManager()
@@ -359,7 +366,7 @@ void PaymentServer::handleURIOrFile(const QString& s)
         return;
     }
 
-    if (s.startsWith(BITCOIN_IPC_PREFIX, Qt::CaseInsensitive)) // bitcoin:
+    if (s.startsWith(BITCOIN_IPC_PREFIX, Qt::CaseInsensitive)) // bitcoin: URI
     {
 #if QT_VERSION < 0x050000
         QUrl uri(s);
diff --git a/src/qt/paymentserver.h b/src/qt/paymentserver.h
index 50f077f3bc..ab59388acc 100644
--- a/src/qt/paymentserver.h
+++ b/src/qt/paymentserver.h
@@ -77,10 +77,6 @@ public:
     // Return certificate store
     static X509_STORE* getCertStore() { return certStore; }
 
-    // Constructor registers this on the parent QApplication to
-    // receive QEvent::FileOpen events
-    bool eventFilter(QObject *object, QEvent *event);
-
     // OptionsModel is used for getting proxy settings and display unit
     void setOptionsModel(OptionsModel *optionsModel);
 
@@ -111,6 +107,11 @@ private slots:
     void reportSslErrors(QNetworkReply*, const QList<QSslError> &);
     void handlePaymentACK(const QString& paymentACKMsg);
 
+protected:
+    // Constructor registers this on the parent QApplication to
+    // receive QEvent::FileOpen and QEvent:Drop events
+    bool eventFilter(QObject *object, QEvent *event);
+
 private:
     static bool readPaymentRequest(const QString& filename, PaymentRequestPlus& request);
     bool processPaymentRequest(PaymentRequestPlus& request, SendCoinsRecipient& recipient);
diff --git a/src/qt/test/paymentservertests.cpp b/src/qt/test/paymentservertests.cpp
index b8f2cc65cb..7dee7a9cda 100644
--- a/src/qt/test/paymentservertests.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/test/paymentservertests.cpp
@@ -7,12 +7,9 @@
 
 #include <openssl/x509.h>
 #include <openssl/x509_vfy.h>
-#include <QCoreApplication>
-#include <QDebug>
+
 #include <QFileOpenEvent>
 #include <QTemporaryFile>
-#include <QVariant>
-
 
 X509 *parse_b64der_cert(const char* cert_data)
 {
@@ -41,9 +38,14 @@ static SendCoinsRecipient handleRequest(PaymentServer* server, std::vector<unsig
     f.write((const char*)&data[0], data.size());
     f.close();
 
-    // Create a FileOpenEvent and send it directly to the server's event filter:
+    // Create a QObject, install event filter from PaymentServer
+    // and send a file open event to the object
+    QObject object;
+    object.installEventFilter(server);
     QFileOpenEvent event(f.fileName());
-    server->eventFilter(NULL, &event);
+    // If sending the event fails, this will cause sigCatcher to be empty,
+    // which will lead to a test failure anyway.
+    QCoreApplication::sendEvent(&object, &event);
 
     QObject::disconnect(server, SIGNAL(receivedPaymentRequest(SendCoinsRecipient)),
                         &sigCatcher, SLOT(getRecipient(SendCoinsRecipient)));
diff --git a/src/qt/test/paymentservertests.h b/src/qt/test/paymentservertests.h
index 0bff923ad4..884e535a60 100644
--- a/src/qt/test/paymentservertests.h
+++ b/src/qt/test/paymentservertests.h
@@ -20,8 +20,10 @@ private slots:
 class RecipientCatcher : public QObject
 {
     Q_OBJECT
+
 public slots:
     void getRecipient(SendCoinsRecipient r);
+
 public:
     SendCoinsRecipient recipient;
 };
diff --git a/src/qt/test/test_main.cpp b/src/qt/test/test_main.cpp
index 5c941c6387..ae584706f1 100644
--- a/src/qt/test/test_main.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/test/test_main.cpp
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
-
-
 #include "paymentservertests.h"
 #include "uritests.h"
 
+#include <QCoreApplication>
 #include <QObject>
 #include <QTest>
 
@@ -11,6 +10,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
     bool fInvalid = false;
 
+    // Don't remove this, it's needed to access
+    // QCoreApplication:: in the tests
+    QCoreApplication app(argc, argv);
+    app.setApplicationName("Bitcoin-Qt-test");
+
     URITests test1;
     if (QTest::qExec(&test1) != 0)
         fInvalid = true;