diff --git a/src/DynamoCoreWpf/Views/Preview/PreviewControl.xaml.cs b/src/DynamoCoreWpf/Views/Preview/PreviewControl.xaml.cs
index 5125450819c..440b279fee8 100644
--- a/src/DynamoCoreWpf/Views/Preview/PreviewControl.xaml.cs
+++ b/src/DynamoCoreWpf/Views/Preview/PreviewControl.xaml.cs
@@ -393,10 +393,7 @@ private void RefreshExpandedDisplay(Action refreshDisplay)
 
                     if (largeContentGrid.Children.Count == 0)
                     {
-                        var tree = new WatchTree
-                        {
-                            DataContext = new WatchViewModel(nodeViewModel.DynamoViewModel.BackgroundPreviewViewModel.AddLabelForPath)
-                        };
+                        var tree = new WatchTree(new WatchViewModel(nodeViewModel.DynamoViewModel.BackgroundPreviewViewModel.AddLabelForPath));
                         tree.treeView1.ItemContainerGenerator.StatusChanged += WatchContainer_StatusChanged;
                         largeContentGrid.Children.Add(tree);
                     }
diff --git a/src/DynamoCoreWpf/Views/Preview/WatchTree.xaml.cs b/src/DynamoCoreWpf/Views/Preview/WatchTree.xaml.cs
index 433441671b3..886f545dfc7 100644
--- a/src/DynamoCoreWpf/Views/Preview/WatchTree.xaml.cs
+++ b/src/DynamoCoreWpf/Views/Preview/WatchTree.xaml.cs
@@ -22,9 +22,13 @@ public partial class WatchTree : UserControl
         private readonly int minWidthSize = 100;
         private readonly int minHeightSize = 38;
 
-        public WatchTree()
+        public WatchTree(WatchViewModel vm)
         {
+            _vm = vm;
+
             InitializeComponent();
+
+            DataContext = vm;
             this.Loaded += WatchTree_Loaded;
             this.Unloaded += WatchTree_Unloaded;
         }
@@ -42,8 +46,7 @@ private void WatchTree_Unloaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
 
         void WatchTree_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
         {
-            _vm = this.DataContext as WatchViewModel;
-            _vm.PropertyChanged += _vm_PropertyChanged;            
+            _vm.PropertyChanged += _vm_PropertyChanged;
         }
 
         private void _vm_PropertyChanged(object sender, System.ComponentModel.PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
diff --git a/src/Libraries/CoreNodeModelsWpf/NodeViewCustomizations/Watch.cs b/src/Libraries/CoreNodeModelsWpf/NodeViewCustomizations/Watch.cs
index 63913e2e26c..4c5c11d23dd 100644
--- a/src/Libraries/CoreNodeModelsWpf/NodeViewCustomizations/Watch.cs
+++ b/src/Libraries/CoreNodeModelsWpf/NodeViewCustomizations/Watch.cs
@@ -39,15 +39,15 @@ public void CustomizeView(Watch nodeModel, NodeView nodeView)
             this.watch = nodeModel;
             this.syncContext = new DispatcherSynchronizationContext(nodeView.Dispatcher);
 
-            var watchTree = new WatchTree();
+            // make empty watchViewModel
+            rootWatchViewModel = new WatchViewModel(dynamoViewModel.BackgroundPreviewViewModel.AddLabelForPath);
+
+            var watchTree = new WatchTree(rootWatchViewModel);
             watchTree.BorderThickness = new Thickness(1, 1, 1, 1);
             watchTree.BorderBrush = new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromRgb(220,220,220));
 
             watchTree.SetWatchNodeProperties();
 
-            // make empty watchViewModel
-            rootWatchViewModel = new WatchViewModel(dynamoViewModel.BackgroundPreviewViewModel.AddLabelForPath);
-
             nodeView.PresentationGrid.Children.Add(watchTree);
             nodeView.PresentationGrid.Visibility = Visibility.Visible;
             // disable preview control
@@ -61,9 +61,6 @@ public void CustomizeView(Watch nodeModel, NodeView nodeView)
 
         private void Bind(WatchTree watchTree, NodeView nodeView)
         {
-            // The WatchTree Control is bound to the WatchViewModel
-            watchTree.DataContext = rootWatchViewModel;
-
             // Add binding for TreeView
             var sourceBinding = new Binding("Children")
             {
diff --git a/test/DynamoCoreWpfTests/DynamoViewTests.cs b/test/DynamoCoreWpfTests/DynamoViewTests.cs
index 5884100c51e..d470873fffa 100644
--- a/test/DynamoCoreWpfTests/DynamoViewTests.cs
+++ b/test/DynamoCoreWpfTests/DynamoViewTests.cs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 
 namespace DynamoCoreWpfTests
-{        
+{
     public class DynamoViewTests : DynamoTestUIBase
     {
         // adapted from: NodeViewTests.cs
@@ -58,11 +58,11 @@ public void FooterNotificationControlTest()
 
             var workspace = ViewModel.Model.CurrentWorkspace as HomeWorkspaceModel;
             Debug.Assert(workspace != null, nameof(workspace) + " != null");
-            workspace.Run();            
+            workspace.Run();
 
             List<NodeModel> errorNodes = ViewModel.Model.CurrentWorkspace.Nodes.ToList().FindAll(n => n.State == ElementState.Error);
             List<NodeModel> warningNodes = ViewModel.Model.CurrentWorkspace.Nodes.ToList().FindAll(n => n.State == ElementState.Warning || n.State == ElementState.PersistentWarning);
-            
+
             // We should have 3 nodes in Error state and 3 nodes in Warning state
             Assert.AreEqual(3, warningNodes.Count());
             Assert.AreEqual(3, errorNodes.Count());
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ public void FooterNotificationControlTest()
 
             // Check if the run message indicates warning
             Assert.AreEqual(notificationsControl.runNotificationTextBlock.Text, "Run completed with warnings.");
-            
+
             // After deleting all Error nodes, the counter should get to 0 
             Assert.AreEqual((items[0] as FooterNotificationItem).NotificationCount, 0);