diff --git a/GeneratorInterface/Core/interface/GeneratorFilter.h b/GeneratorInterface/Core/interface/GeneratorFilter.h
index 7deb56b80485b..17ceaf94b6d99 100644
--- a/GeneratorInterface/Core/interface/GeneratorFilter.h
+++ b/GeneratorInterface/Core/interface/GeneratorFilter.h
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ namespace edm
     Decayer*              decayer_;
     unsigned int          nEventsInLumiBlock_;
     unsigned int          nThreads_{1};
+    bool                  initialized_ = false;
   };
 
   //------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -222,9 +223,11 @@ namespace edm
     // the contained hadronizer that would report the integrated
     // luminosity.
 
-    hadronizer_.statistics();
+    if(initialized_) {
+      hadronizer_.statistics();
     
-    if ( decayer_ ) decayer_->statistics();
+      if ( decayer_ ) decayer_->statistics();
+    }
     
     std::unique_ptr<GenRunInfoProduct> griproduct(new GenRunInfoProduct(hadronizer_.getGenRunInfo()));
     r.put(std::move(griproduct));
@@ -274,7 +277,7 @@ namespace edm
          
     std::unique_ptr<GenLumiInfoHeader> genLumiInfoHeader(hadronizer_.getGenLumiInfoHeader());
     lumi.put(std::move(genLumiInfoHeader));
-
+    initialized_ = true;
   }
 
   template <class HAD, class DEC>
diff --git a/GeneratorInterface/Pythia8Interface/test/BuildFile.xml b/GeneratorInterface/Pythia8Interface/test/BuildFile.xml
index 0a302c56e7e22..643d169882572 100755
--- a/GeneratorInterface/Pythia8Interface/test/BuildFile.xml
+++ b/GeneratorInterface/Pythia8Interface/test/BuildFile.xml
@@ -12,3 +12,8 @@
 <library file="ZJetsAnalyzer.cc,analyserhepmc/LeptonAnalyserHepMC.cc,analyserhepmc/JetInputHepMC.cc" name="ZJetsTestAnalyzer">
   <flags EDM_PLUGIN="1"/>
 </library>
+
+<bin file="test_catch2_*.cc" name="testGeneratorInterfacePythia8InterfaceTP">
+  <use name="FWCore/TestProcessor"/>
+  <use name="catch2"/>
+</bin>
diff --git a/GeneratorInterface/Pythia8Interface/test/test_catch2_Pythia8GeneratorFilter.cc b/GeneratorInterface/Pythia8Interface/test/test_catch2_Pythia8GeneratorFilter.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..1395e38dc19b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/GeneratorInterface/Pythia8Interface/test/test_catch2_Pythia8GeneratorFilter.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#include "catch.hpp"
+#include "FWCore/TestProcessor/interface/TestProcessor.h"
+#include "FWCore/Utilities/interface/Exception.h"
+
+static constexpr auto s_tag = "[Pythia8GeneratorFilter]";
+
+TEST_CASE("Standard checks of Pythia8GeneratorFilter", s_tag) {
+  const std::string baseConfig{
+R"_(from FWCore.TestProcessor.TestProcess import *
+process = TestProcess()
+process.load("Configuration.StandardSequences.SimulationRandomNumberGeneratorSeeds_cff")
+process.RandomNumberGeneratorService.toTest = process.RandomNumberGeneratorService.generator.clone()
+process.toTest = cms.EDFilter("Pythia8GeneratorFilter",
+    comEnergy = cms.double(7000.),
+    PythiaParameters = cms.PSet(
+        pythia8_example02 = cms.vstring('HardQCD:all = on',
+                                        'PhaseSpace:pTHatMin = 20.'),
+        parameterSets = cms.vstring('pythia8_example02')
+    )
+)
+process.moduleToTest(process.toTest)
+)_"
+  };
+  
+  edm::test::TestProcessor::Config config{ baseConfig };  
+  SECTION("base configuration is OK") {
+    REQUIRE_NOTHROW(edm::test::TestProcessor(config));
+  }
+  
+  SECTION("No event data") {
+    edm::test::TestProcessor tester(config);
+    
+    REQUIRE_NOTHROW(tester.test());
+  }
+  
+  SECTION("beginJob and endJob only") {
+    edm::test::TestProcessor tester(config);
+    
+    REQUIRE_NOTHROW(tester.testBeginAndEndJobOnly());
+  }
+
+  SECTION("Run with no LuminosityBlocks") {
+    edm::test::TestProcessor tester(config);
+    
+    REQUIRE_NOTHROW(tester.testRunWithNoLuminosityBlocks());
+  }
+
+  SECTION("LuminosityBlock with no Events") {
+    edm::test::TestProcessor tester(config);
+    
+    REQUIRE_NOTHROW(tester.testLuminosityBlockWithNoEvents());
+  }
+
+}
+
+//Add additional TEST_CASEs to exercise the modules capabilities
diff --git a/GeneratorInterface/Pythia8Interface/test/test_catch2_main.cc b/GeneratorInterface/Pythia8Interface/test/test_catch2_main.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..0c7c351f437f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/GeneratorInterface/Pythia8Interface/test/test_catch2_main.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#define CATCH_CONFIG_MAIN
+#include "catch.hpp"