diff --git a/src/modules/netinstall/NetInstallPage.cpp b/src/modules/netinstall/NetInstallPage.cpp
index 13e9418a4..b1e04c56a 100644
--- a/src/modules/netinstall/NetInstallPage.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/netinstall/NetInstallPage.cpp
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@ NetInstallPage::readGroups( const QByteArray& yamlData )
             cWarning() << "netinstall groups data does not form a sequence.";
         }
         Q_ASSERT( groups.IsSequence() );
-        m_groups = new PackageModel( groups );
+        m_groups = new PackageModel();
+        m_groups->setupModelData( CalamaresUtils::yamlSequenceToVariant( groups ) );
         return true;
     }
     catch ( YAML::Exception& e )
@@ -214,7 +215,8 @@ NetInstallPage::loadGroupList( const QVariantList& l )
 {
     // This short-cuts through loading and just uses the data,
     // containing cruft from dataIsHere() and readGroups().
-    m_groups = new PackageModel( l );
+    m_groups = new PackageModel();
+    m_groups->setupModelData( l );
     retranslate();  // For changed model
     ui->groupswidget->setModel( m_groups );
     ui->groupswidget->header()->setSectionResizeMode( 0, QHeaderView::ResizeToContents );
diff --git a/src/modules/netinstall/PackageModel.cpp b/src/modules/netinstall/PackageModel.cpp
index 26b5eb552..88a06a1bb 100644
--- a/src/modules/netinstall/PackageModel.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/netinstall/PackageModel.cpp
@@ -22,18 +22,9 @@
 #include "utils/Variant.h"
 #include "utils/Yaml.h"
 
-PackageModel::PackageModel( const YAML::Node& data, QObject* parent )
+PackageModel::PackageModel( QObject* parent )
     : QAbstractItemModel( parent )
 {
-    m_rootItem = new PackageTreeItem();
-    setupModelData( CalamaresUtils::yamlSequenceToVariant( data ), m_rootItem );
-}
-
-PackageModel::PackageModel( const QVariantList& data, QObject* parent )
-    : QAbstractItemModel( parent )
-{
-    m_rootItem = new PackageTreeItem();
-    setupModelData( data, m_rootItem );
 }
 
 PackageModel::~PackageModel()
@@ -44,7 +35,7 @@ PackageModel::~PackageModel()
 QModelIndex
 PackageModel::index( int row, int column, const QModelIndex& parent ) const
 {
-    if ( !hasIndex( row, column, parent ) )
+    if ( !m_rootItem || !hasIndex( row, column, parent ) )
     {
         return QModelIndex();
     }
@@ -74,7 +65,7 @@ PackageModel::index( int row, int column, const QModelIndex& parent ) const
 QModelIndex
 PackageModel::parent( const QModelIndex& index ) const
 {
-    if ( !index.isValid() )
+    if ( !m_rootItem || !index.isValid() )
     {
         return QModelIndex();
     }
@@ -92,7 +83,7 @@ PackageModel::parent( const QModelIndex& index ) const
 int
 PackageModel::rowCount( const QModelIndex& parent ) const
 {
-    if ( parent.column() > 0 )
+    if ( !m_rootItem || ( parent.column() > 0 ) )
     {
         return 0;
     }
@@ -119,7 +110,7 @@ PackageModel::columnCount( const QModelIndex& ) const
 QVariant
 PackageModel::data( const QModelIndex& index, int role ) const
 {
-    if ( !index.isValid() )
+    if ( !m_rootItem || !index.isValid() )
     {
         return QVariant();
     }
@@ -141,6 +132,11 @@ PackageModel::data( const QModelIndex& index, int role ) const
 bool
 PackageModel::setData( const QModelIndex& index, const QVariant& value, int role )
 {
+    if ( !m_rootItem )
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
+
     if ( role == Qt::CheckStateRole && index.isValid() )
     {
         PackageTreeItem* item = static_cast< PackageTreeItem* >( index.internalPointer() );
@@ -156,7 +152,7 @@ PackageModel::setData( const QModelIndex& index, const QVariant& value, int role
 Qt::ItemFlags
 PackageModel::flags( const QModelIndex& index ) const
 {
-    if ( !index.isValid() )
+    if ( !m_rootItem || !index.isValid() )
     {
         return Qt::ItemFlags();
     }
@@ -180,6 +176,11 @@ PackageModel::headerData( int section, Qt::Orientation orientation, int role ) c
 PackageTreeItem::List
 PackageModel::getPackages() const
 {
+    if ( !m_rootItem )
+    {
+        return PackageTreeItem::List();
+    }
+
     auto items = getItemPackages( m_rootItem );
     for ( auto package : m_hiddenItems )
     {
@@ -194,7 +195,7 @@ PackageModel::getPackages() const
 PackageTreeItem::List
 PackageModel::getItemPackages( PackageTreeItem* item ) const
 {
-    QList< PackageTreeItem* > selectedPackages;
+    PackageTreeItem::List selectedPackages;
     for ( int i = 0; i < item->childCount(); i++ )
     {
         if ( item->child( i )->isSelected() == Qt::Unchecked )
@@ -256,3 +257,13 @@ PackageModel::setupModelData( const QVariantList& groupList, PackageTreeItem* pa
         }
     }
 }
+
+void
+PackageModel::setupModelData( const QVariantList& l )
+{
+    emit beginResetModel();
+    delete m_rootItem;
+    m_rootItem = new PackageTreeItem();
+    setupModelData( l, m_rootItem );
+    emit endResetModel();
+}
diff --git a/src/modules/netinstall/PackageModel.h b/src/modules/netinstall/PackageModel.h
index 04004b661..b4e8fc102 100644
--- a/src/modules/netinstall/PackageModel.h
+++ b/src/modules/netinstall/PackageModel.h
@@ -47,10 +47,11 @@ public:
      */
     static constexpr const int MetaExpandRole = Qt::UserRole + 1;
 
-    explicit PackageModel( const YAML::Node& data, QObject* parent = nullptr );
-    explicit PackageModel( const QVariantList& data, QObject* parent = nullptr );
+    explicit PackageModel( QObject* parent = nullptr );
     ~PackageModel() override;
 
+    void setupModelData( const QVariantList& l );
+
     QVariant data( const QModelIndex& index, int role ) const override;
     bool setData( const QModelIndex& index, const QVariant& value, int role = Qt::EditRole ) override;
     Qt::ItemFlags flags( const QModelIndex& index ) const override;
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ private:
 
     void setupModelData( const QVariantList& l, PackageTreeItem* parent );
 
-    PackageTreeItem* m_rootItem;
+    PackageTreeItem* m_rootItem = nullptr;
     PackageTreeItem::List m_hiddenItems;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/modules/netinstall/Tests.cpp b/src/modules/netinstall/Tests.cpp
index e85944f6c..cfaf20efa 100644
--- a/src/modules/netinstall/Tests.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/netinstall/Tests.cpp
@@ -234,20 +234,17 @@ ItemTests::testModel()
     QVariantList yamlContents = CalamaresUtils::yamlSequenceToVariant( yamldoc );
     QCOMPARE( yamlContents.length(), 1 );
 
-    PackageModel m0( yamlContents, nullptr );
-    PackageModel m1( yamldoc, nullptr );
+    PackageModel m0( nullptr );
+    m0.setupModelData( yamlContents );
 
-    QCOMPARE( m0.rowCount(), m1.rowCount() );
     QCOMPARE( m0.m_hiddenItems.count(), 0 );  // Nothing hidden
-    QCOMPARE( m1.m_hiddenItems.count(), 0 );
     QCOMPARE( m0.rowCount(), 1 );  // Group, the packages are invisible
     QCOMPARE( m0.rowCount( m0.index( 0, 0 ) ), 3 );  // The packages
-    QCOMPARE( m1.rowCount( m1.index( 0, 0 ) ), 3 );  // The packages
 
     checkAllSelected( m0.m_rootItem );
-    checkAllSelected( m1.m_rootItem );
 
-    PackageModel m2( YAML::Load( doc_with_expanded ), nullptr );
+    PackageModel m2( nullptr );
+    m2.setupModelData( CalamaresUtils::yamlSequenceToVariant( YAML::Load( doc_with_expanded ) ) );
     QCOMPARE( m2.m_hiddenItems.count(), 0 );
     QCOMPARE( m2.rowCount(), 1 );  // Group, now the packages expanded but not counted
     QCOMPARE( m2.rowCount( m2.index( 0, 0 ) ), 3 );  // The packages
@@ -255,7 +252,6 @@ ItemTests::testModel()
 
     PackageTreeItem r;
     QVERIFY( r == *m0.m_rootItem );
-    QVERIFY( r == *m1.m_rootItem );
 
     QCOMPARE( m0.m_rootItem->childCount(), 1 );
 
@@ -277,8 +273,6 @@ ItemTests::testModel()
     }
     QVERIFY( found_one_bash );
 
-    recursiveCompare( m0, m1 );
-
     // But m2 has "expanded" set which the others do no
     QVERIFY( *( m2.m_rootItem->child( 0 ) ) != *group );
 }
@@ -301,9 +295,10 @@ ItemTests::testExampleFiles()
         YAML::Node yamldoc = YAML::Load( contents.constData() );
         QVariantList yamlContents = CalamaresUtils::yamlSequenceToVariant( yamldoc );
 
-        PackageModel m0( yamldoc, nullptr );
-        PackageModel m1( yamlContents, nullptr );
-        recursiveCompare( m0, m1 );
+        PackageModel m1( nullptr );
+        m1.setupModelData( yamlContents );
+
+        // TODO: should test *something* about this file :/
     }
 }