diff --git a/sidebar/SidebarMode.cpp b/sidebar/SidebarMode.cpp
--- a/sidebar/SidebarMode.cpp
+++ b/sidebar/SidebarMode.cpp
@@ -221,7 +221,8 @@
 class SidebarMode::Private {
 public:
     Private()
-      : quickWidget( nullptr ),
+      : toolTipManager( nullptr ),
+        quickWidget( nullptr ),
         moduleView( nullptr ),
         collection( nullptr ),
         activeCategory( -1 ),
@@ -369,13 +370,18 @@
 void SidebarMode::requestToolTip(int index, const QRectF &rect)
 {
     if (showToolTips()) {
+        if (!d->toolTipManager) {
+            d->toolTipManager = new ToolTipManager(d->searchModel, d->quickWidget);
+        }
         d->toolTipManager->requestToolTip(d->searchModel->index(index, 0), rect.toRect());
     }
 }
 
 void SidebarMode::hideToolTip()
 {
-    d->toolTipManager->hideToolTip();
+    if (d->toolTipManager) {
+        d->toolTipManager->hideToolTip();
+    }
 }
 
 Q_INVOKABLE void SidebarMode::loadMostUsed(int index)
@@ -495,8 +501,6 @@
 
     d->quickWidget->installEventFilter(this);
 
-    d->toolTipManager = new ToolTipManager(d->searchModel, d->quickWidget);
-
     d->placeHolderWidget = new QQuickWidget(d->mainWidget);
     d->placeHolderWidget->quickWindow()->setTitle(i18n("Most Used"));
     d->placeHolderWidget->setResizeMode(QQuickWidget::SizeRootObjectToView);