diff --git a/core/libs/prx/libc/CMakeLists.txt b/core/libs/prx/libc/CMakeLists.txt
index 575971f71..f63141384 100644
--- a/core/libs/prx/libc/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/core/libs/prx/libc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -242,8 +242,9 @@ if(BUILD_TESTING)
     add_test(NAME application_heap_replacement COMMAND application_heap_tests)
     add_test(NAME application_heap_invalid_metadata COMMAND application_heap_tests invalid)
     add_test(NAME application_heap_default COMMAND application_heap_tests default)
+    add_test(NAME application_heap_exit_order COMMAND application_heap_tests exit-order)
     if(WIN32)
-        set_tests_properties(application_heap_replacement application_heap_invalid_metadata application_heap_default
+        set_tests_properties(application_heap_replacement application_heap_invalid_metadata application_heap_default application_heap_exit_order
             PROPERTIES ENVIRONMENT_MODIFICATION "PATH=path_list_prepend:$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:libc>")
     endif()
 endif()
diff --git a/core/libs/prx/libc/src/ApplicationHeap.cpp b/core/libs/prx/libc/src/ApplicationHeap.cpp
index 3cd055106..b24c4fe64 100644
--- a/core/libs/prx/libc/src/ApplicationHeap.cpp
+++ b/core/libs/prx/libc/src/ApplicationHeap.cpp
@@ -95,11 +95,10 @@ void requireAlignment(std::size_t alignment) {
 }
 
 void finalize() {
-    Initialize finalizeCallback;
+    Initialize finalizeCallback = nullptr;
     {
         std::lock_guard lock(heapMutex);
-        if (heapFailure) std::rethrow_exception(heapFailure);
-        if (heapFinalized) throw std::runtime_error("application heap: duplicate finalization");
+        if (heapFinalized || heapFailure) return;
         finalizeCallback = heapFinalize;
     }
     if (finalizeCallback != nullptr) finalizeCallback();
@@ -107,6 +106,13 @@ void finalize() {
     heapFinalized = true;
 }
 
+struct HeapFinalizerRegistration {
+    HeapFinalizerRegistration() {
+        if (std::atexit(finalize) != 0) std::terminate();
+    }
+};
+const HeapFinalizerRegistration heapFinalizerRegistration;
+
 }
 
 void ApplicationHeapRegister_nid_no_patch(void* const* api) {
@@ -144,7 +150,6 @@ void ApplicationHeapInitialize_nid_no_patch(const void* processParameters) {
                 std::lock_guard lock(heapMutex);
                 heapFinalize = read<Initialize>(replacement, 0x18);
             }
-            if (std::atexit(finalize) != 0) throw std::runtime_error("application heap: cannot register finalization");
         } catch (...) {
             std::lock_guard lock(heapMutex);
             heapFailure = std::current_exception();
diff --git a/core/libs/tests/ApplicationHeap.cpp b/core/libs/tests/ApplicationHeap.cpp
index 0f08924bb..088f79122 100644
--- a/core/libs/tests/ApplicationHeap.cpp
+++ b/core/libs/tests/ApplicationHeap.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ void* ApplicationHeapRealign_nid_no_patch(void*, std::size_t, std::size_t);
 char* APS5_VABI strdup_nid_postfix(const char*);
 char* APS5_VABI strndup_nid_postfix(const char*, std::size_t);
 int* APS5_VABI __error_nid_postfix();
+int APS5_VABI atexit_nid_postfix(void (APS5_VABI*)());
 }
 
 namespace {
@@ -42,6 +43,9 @@ void reject(TAction action) {
 
 void APS5_VABI initialize() { ++initializes; }
 void APS5_VABI finalize() { require(initializes == 1); }
+void APS5_VABI exitCallbackAllocates() {
+    if (ApplicationHeapAllocate_nid_no_patch(16) != storage.data()) throw std::runtime_error("application heap test failed");
+}
 
 void* APS5_VABI allocate(std::size_t bytes) {
     lastSize = bytes;
@@ -110,6 +114,12 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
     write(replacement, 0x40, &align);
     write(replacement, 0x48, &realign);
     write(replacement, 0x50, &posixAlign);
+    if (argc > 1 && std::strcmp(argv[1], "exit-order") == 0) {
+        require(atexit_nid_postfix(exitCallbackAllocates) == 0);
+        ApplicationHeapInitialize_nid_no_patch(process.data());
+        require(initializes == 1);
+        return 0;
+    }
     if (argc > 1 && std::strcmp(argv[1], "default") == 0) {
         std::array<void*, 10> partial{};
         partial[0] = reinterpret_cast<void*>(&allocate);