diff --git a/pydm/tests/widgets/test_lineedit.py b/pydm/tests/widgets/test_lineedit.py
index 53d888426..3d4381cb0 100644
--- a/pydm/tests/widgets/test_lineedit.py
+++ b/pydm/tests/widgets/test_lineedit.py
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ def test_construct(qtbot, init_channel):
     assert pydm_lineedit._scale == 1
     assert pydm_lineedit._prec == 0
     assert pydm_lineedit.showUnits == False
+
+    assert pydm_lineedit.unitMenu is None
+    pydm_lineedit.widget_ctx_menu()
+
     assert isinstance(pydm_lineedit.unitMenu, QMenu) and pydm_lineedit.unitMenu.title() == "Convert Units"
     assert pydm_lineedit.displayFormat == pydm_lineedit.DisplayFormat.Default
     assert (pydm_lineedit._string_encoding == pydm_lineedit.app.get_string_encoding()
diff --git a/pydm/widgets/line_edit.py b/pydm/widgets/line_edit.py
index 1e715a4fe..5f99e46e8 100755
--- a/pydm/widgets/line_edit.py
+++ b/pydm/widgets/line_edit.py
@@ -40,8 +40,7 @@ def __init__(self, parent=None, init_channel=None):
         self._scale = 1
 
         self.returnPressed.connect(self.send_value)
-        self.unitMenu = QMenu('Convert Units', self)
-        self.create_unit_options()
+        self.unitMenu = None
         self._display_format_type = self.DisplayFormat.Default
         self._string_encoding = "utf_8"
         self._user_set_read_only = False  # Are we *really* read only?
@@ -157,7 +156,6 @@ def unit_changed(self, new_unit):
         """
         super(PyDMLineEdit, self).unit_changed(new_unit)
         self._scale = 1
-        self.create_unit_options()
 
     def create_unit_options(self):
         """
@@ -169,7 +167,11 @@ def create_unit_options(self):
         :attr:`.showUnits` attribute is set to False, the menu will tell
         the user that there are no available conversions
         """
-        self.unitMenu.clear()
+        if self.unitMenu is None:
+            self.unitMenu = QMenu('Convert Units', self)
+        else:
+            self.unitMenu.clear()
+
         units = utilities.find_unit_options(self._unit)
         if units and self._show_units:
             for choice in units:
@@ -219,6 +221,8 @@ def widget_ctx_menu(self):
         QMenu or None
             If the return of this method is None a new QMenu will be created by `assemble_tools_menu`.
         """
+        self.create_unit_options()
+
         menu = self.createStandardContextMenu()
         menu.addSeparator()
         menu.addMenu(self.unitMenu)