diff --git a/gramps/gui/widgets/styledtexteditor.py b/gramps/gui/widgets/styledtexteditor.py
index 05f53a972..19c1a3baf 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/widgets/styledtexteditor.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/widgets/styledtexteditor.py
@@ -181,7 +181,8 @@ class StyledTextEditor(Gtk.TextView):
         self.undo_disabled = self.textbuffer.undo_disabled # see bug 7097
         self.textbuffer.connect('style-changed', self._on_buffer_style_changed)
         self.textbuffer.connect('changed', self._on_buffer_changed)
-        GObject.GObject.__init__(self, buffer=self.textbuffer)
+        GObject.GObject.__init__(self)
+        self.set_buffer(self.textbuffer)
 
         st_cont = self.get_style_context()
         col = st_cont.lookup_color('link_color')