diff --git a/bitbake/lib/bb/cooker.py b/bitbake/lib/bb/cooker.py
index 41f70ab95a..e8686475b9 100644
--- a/bitbake/lib/bb/cooker.py
+++ b/bitbake/lib/bb/cooker.py
@@ -1454,7 +1454,7 @@ class Parser(multiprocessing.Process):
         self.quit = quit
         self.init = init
         multiprocessing.Process.__init__(self)
-        self.context = bb.utils._context.copy()
+        self.context = bb.utils.get_context().copy()
         self.handlers = bb.event._handlers.copy()
 
     def run(self):
@@ -1490,7 +1490,8 @@ class Parser(multiprocessing.Process):
 
     def parse(self, filename, appends, caches_array):
         try:
-            bb.utils._context = self.context.copy()
+            # Reset our environment and handlers to the original settings
+            bb.utils.set_context(self.context.copy())
             bb.event._handlers = self.handlers.copy()
             return True, bb.cache.Cache.parse(filename, appends, self.cfg, caches_array)
         except Exception as exc:
diff --git a/bitbake/lib/bb/cookerdata.py b/bitbake/lib/bb/cookerdata.py
index c4a28c86c5..de4331050d 100644
--- a/bitbake/lib/bb/cookerdata.py
+++ b/bitbake/lib/bb/cookerdata.py
@@ -173,6 +173,7 @@ class CookerDataBuilder(object):
         self.postfiles = params.postfile
         self.tracking = params.tracking
 
+        bb.utils.set_context(bb.utils.clean_context())
         self.data = bb.data.init()
         if self.tracking:
             self.data.enableTracking()
diff --git a/bitbake/lib/bb/utils.py b/bitbake/lib/bb/utils.py
index 1ecc44a01a..7db6e3862f 100644
--- a/bitbake/lib/bb/utils.py
+++ b/bitbake/lib/bb/utils.py
@@ -36,12 +36,22 @@ from contextlib import contextmanager
 
 logger = logging.getLogger("BitBake.Util")
 
+def clean_context():
+    return {
+        "os": os,
+        "bb": bb,
+        "time": time,
+    }
+
+def get_context():
+    return _context
+    
+
+def set_context(ctx):
+    _context = ctx
+
 # Context used in better_exec, eval
-_context = {
-    "os": os,
-    "bb": bb,
-    "time": time,
-}
+_context = clean_context()
 
 def explode_version(s):
     r = []
@@ -343,7 +353,7 @@ def better_exec(code, context, text = None, realfile = "<code>"):
     if not hasattr(code, "co_filename"):
         code = better_compile(code, realfile, realfile)
     try:
-        exec(code, _context, context)
+        exec(code, get_context(), context)
     except Exception as e:
         (t, value, tb) = sys.exc_info()
 
@@ -358,10 +368,10 @@ def better_exec(code, context, text = None, realfile = "<code>"):
         raise e
 
 def simple_exec(code, context):
-    exec(code, _context, context)
+    exec(code, get_context(), context)
 
 def better_eval(source, locals):
-    return eval(source, _context, locals)
+    return eval(source, get_context(), locals)
 
 @contextmanager
 def fileslocked(files):