diff --git a/src/core.cpp b/src/core.cpp
index 4a76aedfe575eb0a70c5ad0f5a057544f0dc143b..95fa9dd9ab7f568141acd6feaf3196fbce3af2d0 100644
--- a/src/core.cpp
+++ b/src/core.cpp
@@ -283,10 +283,15 @@ void Core::selectTimelineItem(int id)
     }
 }
 
-std::shared_ptr<SubtitleModel> Core::getSubtitleModel()
+std::shared_ptr<SubtitleModel> Core::getSubtitleModel(bool enforce)
 {
     if (m_guiConstructed && m_mainWindow->getCurrentTimeline()->controller()->getModel()) {
-        return m_mainWindow->getCurrentTimeline()->controller()->getModel()->getSubtitleModel();
+        auto subModel = m_mainWindow->getCurrentTimeline()->controller()->getModel()->getSubtitleModel();
+        if (enforce && subModel == nullptr) {
+            m_mainWindow->slotEditSubtitle();
+            subModel = m_mainWindow->getCurrentTimeline()->controller()->getModel()->getSubtitleModel();
+        }
+        return subModel;
     }
     return nullptr;
 }
diff --git a/src/core.h b/src/core.h
index 7969cdeadcb18c49c5529275ce7ebc78458ca07a..621babd8d387731b0981161143d85e78f40d3de4 100644
--- a/src/core.h
+++ b/src/core.h
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ public:
     /** @brief Temporarily un/plug a list of clips in timeline. */
     void temporaryUnplug(QList<int> clipIds, bool hide);
     /** @brief Returns the current doc's subtitle model. */
-    std::shared_ptr<SubtitleModel> getSubtitleModel();
+    std::shared_ptr<SubtitleModel> getSubtitleModel(bool enforce = false);
     
     KSharedDataCache audioThumbCache;
 
diff --git a/src/timeline2/view/timelinecontroller.cpp b/src/timeline2/view/timelinecontroller.cpp
index b5b6a903814d4e263bcac2f9f3a092738039d2a5..139c40ab517c1822a10d22dc1b1ad02134c00684 100644
--- a/src/timeline2/view/timelinecontroller.cpp
+++ b/src/timeline2/view/timelinecontroller.cpp
@@ -3794,8 +3794,8 @@ void TimelineController::addSubtitle(int startframe)
         startframe = pCore->getTimelinePosition();
     }
     int endframe = startframe + pCore->getDurationFromString(KdenliveSettings::subtitle_duration());
+    auto subtitleModel = pCore->getSubtitleModel(true);
     int id = TimelineModel::getNextId();
-    auto subtitleModel = pCore->getSubtitleModel();
     Fun local_undo = [subtitleModel, id, startframe, endframe]() {
         subtitleModel->removeSubtitle(id);
         pCore->refreshProjectRange({startframe, endframe});