diff --git a/csaxs_bec/bec_ipython_client/plugins/LamNI/x_ray_eye_align.py b/csaxs_bec/bec_ipython_client/plugins/LamNI/x_ray_eye_align.py
index 9abe225..c9a3fcd 100644
--- a/csaxs_bec/bec_ipython_client/plugins/LamNI/x_ray_eye_align.py
+++ b/csaxs_bec/bec_ipython_client/plugins/LamNI/x_ray_eye_align.py
@@ -144,6 +144,12 @@ class XrayEyeAlign:
                 it is hard to locate the sample between rotations.  The caller
                 is responsible for closing the shutter afterwards.
         """
+        # self.gui is lamni.xeyegui, which is None until the widget has been
+        # opened at least once -- unlike align()/find_rotation_center(), this
+        # is often the first X-ray-eye call of a session (see leye_in()), so
+        # it must open the widget itself rather than assume it already exists.
+        if self.gui is None:
+            self.lamni.lamnigui_show_xeyealign()
         if not dev.cam_xeye.live_mode_enabled.get():
             dev.cam_xeye.live_mode_enabled.put(True)
         self.gui.on_live_view_enabled(True)