diff --git a/src/js/widgets-controller.js b/src/js/widgets-controller.js
index ef05e40c..a47c0315 100644
--- a/src/js/widgets-controller.js
+++ b/src/js/widgets-controller.js
@@ -149,14 +149,14 @@ function _instantiate(Widget, group) {
 
     const elements = _getElements(group, Widget.selector);
 
-    if (!elements.length) {
-        return;
-    }
-
     if (group === formElement) {
         Widget.globalInit(form, formElement);
     }
 
+    if (!elements.length) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     new Collection(elements).instantiate(Widget, opts);
 
     _setLangChangeListener(Widget, elements);
diff --git a/test/forms/repeat-count-widget-global-init.xml b/test/forms/repeat-count-widget-global-init.xml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5a6744f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/forms/repeat-count-widget-global-init.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<h:html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2002/xforms"
+    xmlns:ev="http://www.w3.org/2001/xml-events"
+    xmlns:h="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"
+    xmlns:jr="http://openrosa.org/javarosa"
+    xmlns:odk="http://www.opendatakit.org/xforms"
+    xmlns:orx="http://openrosa.org/xforms"
+    xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
+    <h:head>
+        <h:title>Global init of widgets in repeat count (default=0)</h:title>
+        <model odk:xforms-version="1.0.0">
+            <instance>
+                <data id="repeat-count-widget-global-init">
+                    <rep-count/>
+                    <rep jr:template="">
+                        <grp_plot>
+                            <plot_id/>
+                            <plot_size/>
+                            <plot_crops/>
+                        </grp_plot>
+                    </rep>
+                    <rep>
+                        <grp_plot>
+                            <plot_id/>
+                            <plot_size/>
+                            <plot_crops/>
+                        </grp_plot>
+                    </rep>
+                    <meta>
+                        <instanceID/>
+                    </meta>
+                </data>
+            </instance>
+            <bind nodeset="/data/rep-count" type="int"/>
+            <bind nodeset="/data/rep/dec" type="decimal"/>
+            <bind jr:preload="uid" nodeset="/data/meta/instanceID" readonly="true()" type="string"/>
+        </model>
+    </h:head>
+    <h:body>
+        <input ref="/data/rep-count">
+            <label>Repeat count</label>
+        </input>
+        <group ref="/data/rep">
+            <label>Rep</label>
+            <repeat jr:count="/data/rep-count" nodeset="/data/rep">
+                <input ref="/data/rep/dec">
+                    <label>Decimal input</label>
+                </input>
+            </repeat>
+        </group>
+    </h:body>
+</h:html>
diff --git a/test/spec/widgets-controller.spec.js b/test/spec/widgets-controller.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..90fca557
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/spec/widgets-controller.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import events from '../../src/js/event';
+import loadForm from '../helpers/load-form';
+
+describe('Widgets controller', () => {
+    it('globally initializes widgets which are only present in a repeat instance with count=0 on load', () => {
+        const form = loadForm('repeat-count-widget-global-init.xml');
+
+        form.init();
+
+        const setRepeatCount = () => {
+            /** @type {HTMLInputElement} */
+            const countControl = form.view.html.querySelector(
+                'input[name="/data/rep-count"]'
+            );
+
+            countControl.value = '1';
+
+            countControl.dispatchEvent(events.Change());
+        };
+
+        expect(setRepeatCount).not.to.throw();
+    });
+});