diff --git a/src/plugins/qmldesigner/componentsplugin/tabviewindexmodel.cpp b/src/plugins/qmldesigner/componentsplugin/tabviewindexmodel.cpp
index 824576fd92e..06fb0c4f994 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmldesigner/componentsplugin/tabviewindexmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qmldesigner/componentsplugin/tabviewindexmodel.cpp
@@ -43,12 +43,17 @@ void TabViewIndexModel::setModelNodeBackend(const QVariant &modelNodeBackend)
     QObject* modelNodeBackendObject = modelNodeBackend.value<QObject*>();
 
     if (modelNodeBackendObject)
-        m_modelNode = modelNodeBackendObject->property("modelNode").value<QmlDesigner::ModelNode>();
+        setModelNode(modelNodeBackendObject->property("modelNode").value<QmlDesigner::ModelNode>());
 
     setupModel();
     emit modelNodeBackendChanged();
 }
 
+void TabViewIndexModel::setModelNode(const QmlDesigner::ModelNode &modelNode)
+{
+    m_modelNode = modelNode;
+}
+
 QStringList TabViewIndexModel::tabViewIndexModel() const
 {
     return m_tabViewIndexModel;
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmldesigner/componentsplugin/tabviewindexmodel.h b/src/plugins/qmldesigner/componentsplugin/tabviewindexmodel.h
index fa421434d6d..009375c416c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmldesigner/componentsplugin/tabviewindexmodel.h
+++ b/src/plugins/qmldesigner/componentsplugin/tabviewindexmodel.h
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ public:
     explicit TabViewIndexModel(QObject *parent = 0);
 
     void setModelNodeBackend(const QVariant &modelNodeBackend);
+    void setModelNode(const QmlDesigner::ModelNode &modelNode);
     QStringList tabViewIndexModel() const;
     void setupModel();