diff --git a/contrib/photils.lua b/contrib/photils.lua
index 1c72f4b..cc41b34 100644
--- a/contrib/photils.lua
+++ b/contrib/photils.lua
@@ -91,7 +91,13 @@ local PHOTILS = {
     per_page = 10,
     selected_tags = {},
     in_pagination = false,
-    tagged_image = ""
+    tagged_image = "",
+    module_installed = false,
+    event_registered = false,
+    plugin_display_views = {
+      [dt.gui.views.lighttable] = {"DT_UI_CONTAINER_PANEL_RIGHT_CENTER", 100},
+      [dt.gui.views.darkroom] = {"DT_UI_CONTAINER_PANEL_LEFT_CENTER", 100}
+    },
 }
 
 local GUI = {
@@ -358,6 +364,21 @@ function PHOTILS.on_reset(with_view)
     GUI.attach_button.sensitive = false
 end
 
+local function install_module()
+  if not PHOTILS.module_installed then
+    dt.register_lib(MODULE_NAME,
+        "photils autotagger",
+        true,
+        true,
+        PHOTILS.plugin_display_views,
+        GUI.container,
+        nil,
+        nil
+    )
+    PHOTILS.module_installed = true
+  end
+end
+
 -- add a fix number of buttons
 for _ = 1, PHOTILS.per_page, 1 do
     local btn_tag = dt.new_widget("check_button") {
@@ -402,10 +423,6 @@ table.insert(GUI.container, GUI.stack)
 
 GUI.stack.active = 1
 
-local plugin_display_views = {
-    [dt.gui.views.lighttable] = {"DT_UI_CONTAINER_PANEL_RIGHT_CENTER", 100},
-    [dt.gui.views.darkroom] = {"DT_UI_CONTAINER_PANEL_LEFT_CENTER", 100}
-}
 
 
 -- uses photils: prefix because script settings are all together and not seperated by script
@@ -417,12 +434,20 @@ dt.preferences.register(MODULE_NAME,
                         true)
 
 dt.register_event("mouse-over-image-changed",PHOTILS.image_changed)
-dt.register_lib(MODULE_NAME,
-    "photils autotagger",
-    true,
-    true,
-    plugin_display_views,
-    GUI.container,
-    nil,
-    nil
-)
+
+if dt.gui.current_view().name == "lighttable" then
+  install_module()
+else
+  if not PHOTILS.event_registered then
+    dt.register_event(
+      "view-changed",
+      function(event, old_view, new_view)
+        if new_view.name == "lighttable" and old_view.name == "darkroom" then
+          install_module()
+         end
+      end
+    )
+    PHOTILS.event_registered = true
+  end
+end
+