diff --git a/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/Designer.java b/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/Designer.java
index 33bcfcfc25..4846392ca2 100644
--- a/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/Designer.java
+++ b/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/Designer.java
@@ -123,7 +123,9 @@ public class Designer extends Application {
         long initTime = System.currentTimeMillis() - initStartTimeMillis;
 
         System.out.println("done in " + initTime + "ms.");
-        System.out.println("Run with --verbose parameter to enable error output.");
+        if (!owner.isDeveloperMode()) {
+            System.out.println("Run with --verbose parameter to enable error output.");
+        }
     }
 
 
diff --git a/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/controls/AstTreeView.java b/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/controls/AstTreeView.java
index fb7450a63e..51670aee99 100644
--- a/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/controls/AstTreeView.java
+++ b/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/controls/AstTreeView.java
@@ -35,7 +35,14 @@ public class AstTreeView extends TreeView<Node> implements NodeSelectionSource {
 
     private ASTTreeItem selectedTreeItem;
     private final SuspendableEventStream<Node> selectionEvents;
-    private DesignerRoot designerRoot;
+    private final DesignerRoot designerRoot;
+
+
+    /** Only provided for scenebuilder, not used at runtime. */
+    public AstTreeView() {
+        designerRoot = null;
+        selectionEvents = null;
+    }
 
 
     public AstTreeView(@NamedArg("designerRoot") DesignerRoot root) {
diff --git a/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/controls/NodeEditionCodeArea.java b/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/controls/NodeEditionCodeArea.java
index cd83b18b3a..fad925fbc6 100644
--- a/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/controls/NodeEditionCodeArea.java
+++ b/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/controls/NodeEditionCodeArea.java
@@ -48,8 +48,13 @@ public class NodeEditionCodeArea extends HighlightLayerCodeArea<StyleLayerIds> i
     private final Var<List<Node>> currentRuleResults = Var.newSimpleVar(Collections.emptyList());
     private final Var<List<Node>> currentErrorNodes = Var.newSimpleVar(Collections.emptyList());
     private final Var<List<NameOccurrence>> currentNameOccurrences = Var.newSimpleVar(Collections.emptyList());
-    private DesignerRoot designerRoot;
+    private final DesignerRoot designerRoot;
 
+    /** Only provided for scenebuilder, not used at runtime. */
+    public NodeEditionCodeArea() {
+        super(StyleLayerIds.class);
+        designerRoot = null;
+    }
 
     public NodeEditionCodeArea(@NamedArg("designerRoot") DesignerRoot root) {
         super(StyleLayerIds.class);
diff --git a/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/controls/ToolbarTitledPane.java b/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/controls/ToolbarTitledPane.java
index 369ccb8d9e..22ccbedd90 100644
--- a/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/controls/ToolbarTitledPane.java
+++ b/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/controls/ToolbarTitledPane.java
@@ -103,6 +103,10 @@ public final class ToolbarTitledPane extends TitledPane {
     }
 
 
+    /**
+     * If non-blank, an error icon with this message as the tooltip
+     * will appear.
+     */
     public Var<String> errorMessageProperty() {
         return errorMessage;
     }