diff --git a/modules/gui/qt/medialibrary/mlbasemodel.cpp b/modules/gui/qt/medialibrary/mlbasemodel.cpp
index c49b9659a5..9590f4bbeb 100644
--- a/modules/gui/qt/medialibrary/mlbasemodel.cpp
+++ b/modules/gui/qt/medialibrary/mlbasemodel.cpp
@@ -251,6 +251,18 @@ void MLBaseModel::onVlcMlEvent(void* data, const vlc_ml_event_t* event)
     });
 }
 
+void MLBaseModel::classBegin()
+{
+    m_qmlInitializing = true;
+}
+
+void MLBaseModel::componentComplete()
+{
+    m_qmlInitializing = false;
+
+    validateCache();
+}
+
 MLItemId MLBaseModel::parentId() const
 {
     return m_parent;
@@ -349,7 +361,7 @@ void MLBaseModel::unsetSortCriteria()
 
 int MLBaseModel::rowCount(const QModelIndex &parent) const
 {
-    if (!m_mediaLib || parent.isValid())
+    if (!cachable() || parent.isValid())
         return 0;
 
     validateCache();
@@ -409,9 +421,11 @@ QVariantList MLBaseModel::getIdsForIndexes(const QVariantList & indexes) const
 
 unsigned MLBaseModel::getCount() const
 {
-    if (!m_mediaLib)
+    if (!cachable())
         return 0;
+
     validateCache();
+
     if (m_cache->count() == COUNT_UNINITIALIZED)
         return 0;
     return static_cast<unsigned>(m_cache->count());
@@ -443,7 +457,7 @@ void MLBaseModel::validateCache() const
     if (m_cache)
         return;
 
-    if (!m_mediaLib)
+    if (!cachable())
         return;
 
     auto loader = createLoader();
diff --git a/modules/gui/qt/medialibrary/mlbasemodel.hpp b/modules/gui/qt/medialibrary/mlbasemodel.hpp
index c53408e506..906d394067 100644
--- a/modules/gui/qt/medialibrary/mlbasemodel.hpp
+++ b/modules/gui/qt/medialibrary/mlbasemodel.hpp
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 
 #include <memory>
 #include <QAbstractListModel>
+#include <QQmlParserStatus>
+
 #include <vlc_media_library.h>
 #include "mlqmltypes.hpp"
 #include "medialib.hpp"
@@ -39,9 +41,10 @@
 class MLListCache;
 class MediaLib;
 
-class MLBaseModel : public QAbstractListModel
+class MLBaseModel : public QAbstractListModel, public QQmlParserStatus
 {
     Q_OBJECT
+    Q_INTERFACES(QQmlParserStatus)
 
     Q_PROPERTY(MLItemId parentId READ parentId WRITE setParentId NOTIFY parentIdChanged
                RESET unsetParentId FINAL)
@@ -99,6 +102,9 @@ private:
     static void onVlcMlEvent( void* data, const vlc_ml_event_t* event );
 
 protected:
+    void classBegin() override;
+    void componentComplete() override;
+
     virtual vlc_ml_sorting_criteria_t roleToCriteria(int role) const = 0;
     static QString getFirstSymbol(QString str);
     virtual vlc_ml_sorting_criteria_t nameToCriteria(QByteArray) const {
@@ -183,6 +189,8 @@ private:
     void onCacheBeginRemoveRows(int first, int last);
     void onCacheBeginMoveRows(int first, int last, int destination);
 
+    inline bool cachable() const { return m_mediaLib && !m_qmlInitializing; }
+
 protected:
     MLItemId m_parent;
 
@@ -199,6 +207,8 @@ protected:
 
     //loader used to load single items
     std::shared_ptr<BaseLoader> m_itemLoader;
+
+    bool m_qmlInitializing = false;
 };
 
 #endif // MLBASEMODEL_HPP