diff --git a/prometheus/registry.go b/prometheus/registry.go
index c6fd2f58b..ee31da5f7 100644
--- a/prometheus/registry.go
+++ b/prometheus/registry.go
@@ -52,16 +52,11 @@ const (
 // consequences. Users who want to avoid global state altogether should not use
 // the convenience functions and act on custom instances instead.
 var (
-	defaultRegistry              = NewRegistry()
+	defaultRegistry              = NewDefaultRegistry()
 	DefaultRegisterer Registerer = defaultRegistry
 	DefaultGatherer   Gatherer   = defaultRegistry
 )
 
-func init() {
-	MustRegister(NewProcessCollector(ProcessCollectorOpts{}))
-	MustRegister(NewGoCollector())
-}
-
 // NewRegistry creates a new vanilla Registry without any Collectors
 // pre-registered.
 func NewRegistry() *Registry {
@@ -72,6 +67,15 @@ func NewRegistry() *Registry {
 	}
 }
 
+func NewDefaultRegistry() *Registry {
+	reg := NewRegistry()
+	reg.MustRegister(
+		NewProcessCollector(ProcessCollectorOpts{}),
+		NewGoCollector(),
+	)
+	return reg
+}
+
 // NewPedanticRegistry returns a registry that checks during collection if each
 // collected Metric is consistent with its reported Desc, and if the Desc has
 // actually been registered with the registry. Unchecked Collectors (those whose