diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/python-tests.yml
index 8567aa0..ab177ce 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-tests.yml
@@ -30,6 +30,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Base Setup
         uses: jupyterlab/maintainer-tools/.github/actions/base-setup@v1
       - name: Install and test
-        run:
+        run: |
           pip install -e .[test]
-          pytest
+          pytest .
diff --git a/comm/base_comm.py b/comm/base_comm.py
index fb92408..30b2125 100644
--- a/comm/base_comm.py
+++ b/comm/base_comm.py
@@ -8,12 +8,13 @@
 import logging
 
 from traitlets.utils.importstring import import_item
+from traitlets.config import LoggingConfigurable
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('Comm')
 
 
 
-class BaseComm:
+class BaseComm(LoggingConfigurable):
     """Class for communicating between a Frontend and a Kernel
 
     Must be subclassed with a publish_msg method implementation which
@@ -92,7 +93,6 @@ def open(self, data=None, metadata=None, buffers=None):
 
     def close(self, data=None, metadata=None, buffers=None, deleting=False):
         """Close the frontend-side version of this comm"""
-        from comm import get_comm_manager
         if self._closed:
             # only close once
             return
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ def close(self, data=None, metadata=None, buffers=None, deleting=False):
         )
         if not deleting:
             # If deleting, the comm can't be registered
+            from comm import get_comm_manager
             get_comm_manager().unregister_comm(self)
 
     def send(self, data=None, metadata=None, buffers=None):
@@ -160,15 +161,17 @@ def handle_msg(self, msg):
                 shell.events.trigger("post_execute")
 
 
-class CommManager:
+class CommManager(LoggingConfigurable):
     """Default CommManager singleton implementation for Comms in the Kernel"""
 
     # Public APIs
 
-    def __init__(self):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self.comms = {}
         self.targets = {}
 
+        super(CommManager, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+
     def register_target(self, target_name, f):
         """Register a callable f for a given target name
 
diff --git a/tests/test_comm.py b/tests/test_comm.py
index 9e8f8e1..a297f80 100644
--- a/tests/test_comm.py
+++ b/tests/test_comm.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+from traitlets import Any
+from traitlets.config import LoggingConfigurable
+
 from comm.base_comm import CommManager, BaseComm
 
 
@@ -7,6 +10,11 @@ def publish_msg(self, msg_type, data=None, metadata=None, buffers=None, **keys):
         pass
 
 
+class CustomCommManager(CommManager):
+
+    parent = Any()
+
+
 def test_comm_manager():
     test = CommManager()
     assert test.targets == {}
@@ -14,4 +22,9 @@ def test_comm_manager():
 
 def test_base_comm():
     test = MyComm()
-    assert test.target_name == "comm"
\ No newline at end of file
+    assert test.target_name == "comm"
+
+
+def test_custom_comm_manager():
+    test = CustomCommManager(parent=LoggingConfigurable())
+    assert test.parent is not None