diff --git a/ui/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/ui/spoon/Spoon.java b/ui/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/ui/spoon/Spoon.java
index 7b36a0e80ccf..62aaff7b0315 100644
--- a/ui/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/ui/spoon/Spoon.java
+++ b/ui/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/ui/spoon/Spoon.java
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@
 import org.pentaho.di.cluster.SlaveServer;
 import org.pentaho.di.connections.ConnectionManager;
 import org.pentaho.di.core.AddUndoPositionInterface;
+import org.pentaho.di.core.bowl.Bowl;
+import org.pentaho.di.core.bowl.DefaultBowl;
 import org.pentaho.di.core.Const;
 import org.pentaho.di.core.DBCache;
 import org.pentaho.di.core.EngineMetaInterface;
@@ -482,6 +484,9 @@ public class Spoon extends ApplicationWindow implements AddUndoPositionInterface
 
   public PropsUI props;
 
+  // should never be null
+  private Bowl bowl = DefaultBowl.getInstance();
+
   public Repository rep;
   private String repositoryName;
 
@@ -9572,6 +9577,14 @@ public void setMetaStoreSupplier( Supplier<IMetaStore> metaStoreSupplier ) {
     this.metaStoreSupplier = metaStoreSupplier;
   }
 
+  public Bowl getBowl() {
+    return bowl;
+  }
+
+  public void setBowl( Bowl bowl ) {
+    this.bowl = Objects.requireNonNull( bowl );
+  }
+
   private void onLoginError( Throwable t ) {
     if ( t instanceof KettleAuthException ) {
       ShowMessageDialog dialog =