diff --git a/idaes/core/base/flowsheet_model.py b/idaes/core/base/flowsheet_model.py
index 7b9fbf0aa9..b9ff3a63ca 100644
--- a/idaes/core/base/flowsheet_model.py
+++ b/idaes/core/base/flowsheet_model.py
@@ -74,7 +74,10 @@ def __init__(self):
             self.visualize = self._visualize_null
             self.installed = False
         else:
-            import idaes_ui
+            # FIXME the explicit submodule import is needed because the idaes_ui doesn't import its fv submodule
+            # otherwise, you get "AttributeError: module 'idaes_ui' has no 'fv' attribute"
+            import idaes_ui.fv
+
             self.visualize = idaes_ui.fv.visualize
             self.installed = True