diff --git a/src/browser/browser.zig b/src/browser/browser.zig
index 2c5b09ff..45fc0343 100644
--- a/src/browser/browser.zig
+++ b/src/browser/browser.zig
@@ -152,6 +152,10 @@ pub const Session = struct {
     pub fn createPage(self: *Session) !*Page {
         std.debug.assert(self.page == null);
 
+        // Start netsurf memory arena.
+        // We need to init this early as JS event handlers may be registered through Runtime.evaluate before the first html doc is loaded
+        try parser.init();
+
         const page_arena = &self.browser.page_arena;
         _ = page_arena.reset(.{ .retain_with_limit = 1 * 1024 * 1024 });
 
@@ -393,9 +397,6 @@ pub const Page = struct {
     fn loadHTMLDoc(self: *Page, reader: anytype, charset: []const u8) !void {
         const arena = self.arena;
 
-        // start netsurf memory arena.
-        try parser.init();
-
         log.debug("parse html with charset {s}", .{charset});
 
         const ccharset = try arena.dupeZ(u8, charset);
diff --git a/src/cdp/testing.zig b/src/cdp/testing.zig
index 94897339..7ae4212f 100644
--- a/src/cdp/testing.zig
+++ b/src/cdp/testing.zig
@@ -121,7 +121,6 @@ const TestContext = struct {
         if (opts.html) |html| {
             if (bc.session_id == null) bc.session_id = "SID-X";
             parser.deinit();
-            try parser.init();
             const page = try bc.session.createPage();
             page.doc = (try Document.init(html)).doc;
         }