diff --git a/python/jupyterlab_widgets/src/manager.ts b/python/jupyterlab_widgets/src/manager.ts
index bcd34bd6cb..a0c1274ff6 100644
--- a/python/jupyterlab_widgets/src/manager.ts
+++ b/python/jupyterlab_widgets/src/manager.ts
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ export class WidgetManager extends LabWidgetManager {
    */
   private _saveState(): void {
     const state = this.get_state_sync({ drop_defaults: true });
-    this._context.contentsModel?.content.metadata.set('widgets', {
+    this._context.model.setMetadata('widgets', {
       'application/vnd.jupyter.widget-state+json': state,
     });
   }