diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/show-modal.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/show-modal.js
index 6a6fb17a71b..bc409f0f8f2 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/show-modal.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/show-modal.js
@@ -1,13 +1,17 @@
 import I18n from "I18n";
 import { dasherize } from "@ember/string";
 
+let _container;
+export function setModalContainer(container) {
+  _container = container;
+}
+
 export default function(name, opts) {
   opts = opts || {};
-  const container = Discourse.__container__;
 
   // We use the container here because modals are like singletons
   // in Discourse. Only one can be shown with a particular state.
-  const route = container.lookup("route:application");
+  const route = _container.lookup("route:application");
   const modalController = route.controllerFor("modal");
 
   modalController.set(
@@ -18,7 +22,7 @@ export default function(name, opts) {
   const controllerName = opts.admin ? `modals/${name}` : name;
   modalController.set("name", controllerName);
 
-  let controller = container.lookup("controller:" + controllerName);
+  let controller = _container.lookup("controller:" + controllerName);
   const templateName = opts.templateName || dasherize(name);
 
   const renderArgs = { into: "modal", outlet: "modalBody" };
@@ -27,7 +31,7 @@ export default function(name, opts) {
   } else {
     // use a basic controller
     renderArgs.controller = "basic-modal-body";
-    controller = container.lookup(`controller:${renderArgs.controller}`);
+    controller = _container.lookup(`controller:${renderArgs.controller}`);
   }
 
   if (opts.addModalBodyView) {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/pre-initializers/discourse-bootstrap.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/pre-initializers/discourse-bootstrap.js
index 1f209bee96c..3cfabb5a201 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/pre-initializers/discourse-bootstrap.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/pre-initializers/discourse-bootstrap.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import deprecated from "discourse-common/lib/deprecated";
 import { setIconList } from "discourse-common/lib/icon-library";
 import { setPluginContainer } from "discourse/lib/plugin-api";
 import { setURLContainer } from "discourse/lib/url";
+import { setModalContainer } from "discourse/lib/show-modal";
 
 export default {
   name: "discourse-bootstrap",
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ export default {
   initialize(container, app) {
     setPluginContainer(container);
     setURLContainer(container);
+    setModalContainer(container);
 
     // Our test environment has its own bootstrap code
     if (isTesting()) {
diff --git a/test/javascripts/helpers/qunit-helpers.js b/test/javascripts/helpers/qunit-helpers.js
index 8be26c06409..70f8a27d0f3 100644
--- a/test/javascripts/helpers/qunit-helpers.js
+++ b/test/javascripts/helpers/qunit-helpers.js
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import { currentSettings, mergeSettings } from "helpers/site-settings";
 import { getOwner } from "discourse-common/lib/get-owner";
 import { setTopicList } from "discourse/lib/topic-list-tracker";
 import { setURLContainer } from "discourse/lib/url";
+import { setModalContainer } from "discourse/lib/show-modal";
 
 export function currentUser() {
   return User.create(sessionFixtures["/session/current.json"].current_user);
@@ -176,6 +177,7 @@ export function acceptance(name, options) {
       this.container = getOwner(this);
       setPluginContainer(this.container);
       setURLContainer(this.container);
+      setModalContainer(this.container);
       if (options.beforeEach) {
         options.beforeEach.call(this);
       }
@@ -205,6 +207,7 @@ export function acceptance(name, options) {
       setTopicList(null);
       _clearSnapshots();
       setURLContainer(null);
+      setModalContainer(null);
       Discourse._runInitializer(
         "instanceInitializers",
         (initName, initializer) => {