diff --git a/gramps/gui/dbloader.py b/gramps/gui/dbloader.py
index aab1fe157..3f8898513 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/dbloader.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/dbloader.py
@@ -253,7 +253,8 @@ class DbLoader(CLIDbLoader):
             #an importer can return an object with info, object.info_text() 
             #returns that info. Otherwise None is set to import_info
             self.import_info = importer(self.dbstate.db, filename,
-                            User(callback=self._pulse_progress))
+                            User(callback=self._pulse_progress,
+                                uistate=self.uistate))
             dirname = os.path.dirname(filename) + os.path.sep
             config.set('paths.recent-import-dir', dirname)
         except UnicodeError as msg:
diff --git a/gramps/gui/test/user_test.py b/gramps/gui/test/user_test.py
index 7b778df24..60d139693 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/test/user_test.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/test/user_test.py
@@ -56,5 +56,9 @@ class TestUser_prompt(unittest.TestCase):
         MockQD.return_value.run.assert_called_once_with()
         # TODO test that run's return is the one returned by prompt()...
 
+class TestUser_init_accepts_uistate(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test(self):
+        user.User(uistate = None)
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/gramps/gui/user.py b/gramps/gui/user.py
index 7a0b3f70b..f52880cf7 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/user.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/user.py
@@ -50,9 +50,10 @@ class User(user.User):
     This class provides a means to interact with the user via GTK.
     It implements the interface in gramps.gen.user.User()
     """
-    def __init__(self, callback=None, error=None):
+    def __init__(self, callback=None, error=None, uistate=None):
         user.User.__init__(self, callback, error)
         self.progress = None
+        self.uistate = uistate
     
     def begin_progress(self, title, message, steps):
         """
diff --git a/gramps/gui/viewmanager.py b/gramps/gui/viewmanager.py
index 2eac42a08..43beaee8f 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/viewmanager.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/viewmanager.py
@@ -1319,13 +1319,15 @@ class ViewManager(CLIManager):
                 from gramps.plugins.export.exportpkg import PackageWriter
                 writer = PackageWriter(self.dbstate.db, filename,
                                        User(error=ErrorDialog,
-                                       callback=self.uistate.pulse_progressbar))
+                                       callback=self.uistate.pulse_progressbar,
+                                       uistate=self.uistate))
                 writer.export()
             else:
                 from gramps.plugins.export.exportxml import XmlWriter
                 writer = XmlWriter(self.dbstate.db,
                                    User(error=ErrorDialog,
-                                   callback=self.uistate.pulse_progressbar),
+                                   callback=self.uistate.pulse_progressbar,
+                                   uistate=self.uistate),
                                    strip_photos=0, compress=1)
                 writer.write(filename)
             self.uistate.set_busy_cursor(False)