diff --git a/addons/knobs/src/KnobManager.js b/addons/knobs/src/KnobManager.js
index 73ae03687e07..adc871568de8 100644
--- a/addons/knobs/src/KnobManager.js
+++ b/addons/knobs/src/KnobManager.js
@@ -6,11 +6,14 @@ import KnobStore from './KnobStore';
 const PANEL_UPDATE_INTERVAL = 400;
 
 export default class KnobManager {
-  constructor(channel) {
-    this.channel = channel;
+  constructor() {
     this.knobStore = new KnobStore();
   }
 
+  setChannel(channel) {
+    this.channel = channel;
+  }
+
   knob(name, options) {
     this._mayCallChannel();
 
diff --git a/addons/knobs/src/index.js b/addons/knobs/src/index.js
index d508841a8ae4..2f4c16dcddca 100644
--- a/addons/knobs/src/index.js
+++ b/addons/knobs/src/index.js
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@ import KnobManager from './KnobManager';
 import { vueHandler } from './vue';
 import { reactHandler } from './react';
 
-const channel = addons.getChannel();
-const manager = new KnobManager(channel);
+const manager = new KnobManager();
 
 export function knob(name, options) {
   return manager.knob(name, options);
@@ -63,6 +62,9 @@ export function date(name, value = new Date()) {
 // In 3.3, this will become `withKnobs`, once our decorator API supports it.
 //   See https://github.com/storybooks/storybook/pull/1527
 function wrapperKnobs(options) {
+  const channel = addons.getChannel();
+  manager.setChannel(channel);
+
   if (options) channel.emit('addon:knobs:setOptions', options);
 
   switch (window.STORYBOOK_ENV) {