diff --git a/desktop-widgets/mapwidget.cpp b/desktop-widgets/mapwidget.cpp
index f5424bb0b..1646b7f51 100644
--- a/desktop-widgets/mapwidget.cpp
+++ b/desktop-widgets/mapwidget.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ MapWidget::MapWidget(QWidget *parent) : QQuickWidget(parent)
 	setResizeMode(QQuickWidget::SizeRootObjectToView);
 
 	m_rootItem = qobject_cast<QQuickItem *>(rootObject());
+	m_mapHelper = rootObject()->findChild<MapWidgetHelper *>();
 }
 
 void MapWidget::centerOnDiveSite(struct dive_site *ds)
diff --git a/desktop-widgets/mapwidget.h b/desktop-widgets/mapwidget.h
index 802d35153..5481c970a 100644
--- a/desktop-widgets/mapwidget.h
+++ b/desktop-widgets/mapwidget.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 class QResizeEvent;
 class QQuickItem;
+class MapWidgetHelper;
 struct dive_site;
 
 class MapWidget : public QQuickWidget {
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ public slots:
 private:
 	static MapWidget *m_instance;
 	QQuickItem *m_rootItem;
+	MapWidgetHelper *m_mapHelper;
 
 };