diff --git a/src/ipyautoui/autoform.py b/src/ipyautoui/autoform.py
index 84ab745b..12e46e90 100644
--- a/src/ipyautoui/autoform.py
+++ b/src/ipyautoui/autoform.py
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-# +
-
 """layout attributes of a form box
 """
 # %run _dev_maplocal_params.py
@@ -9,34 +7,19 @@
 import typing as ty
 
 from IPython.display import display, clear_output
-from ipyautoui.constants import BUTTON_WIDTH_MIN
+from ipyautoui.nullable import Nullable
+from ipyautoui.constants import KWARGS_SHOWNULL, KWARGS_SHOWRAW, SHOWNULL_ICON_SHOW, SHOWNULL_ICON_HIDE
 from ipyautoui.custom.buttonbars import SaveButtonBar
 from ipyautoui.custom.title_description import TitleDescription
 from ipyautoui._utils import display_python_string, show_hide_widget
-from ipyautoui.nullable import Nullable
 
 def make_bold(s: str) -> str:
     return f"<big><b>{s}</b></big>"
 
 
 # -
-
-SHOWNULL_ICON_SHOW = "plus"
-SHOWNULL_ICON_HIDE = "minus"
-KWARGS_SHOWNULL = dict(
-            icon=SHOWNULL_ICON_SHOW,
-            layout=w.Layout(width=BUTTON_WIDTH_MIN, display=""),
-            tooltip="show null form fields",
-            style={"font_weight": "bold"})
-KWARGS_SHOWRAW = dict(icon="code",
-            layout=w.Layout(width=BUTTON_WIDTH_MIN, display="None"),
-            tooltip="show raw data",
-            style={"font_weight": "bold"},
-        )
-
-
 class ShowNull(tr.HasTraits):
-    display_bn_shownull = tr.Bool(default_value=True)
+    display_bn_shownull = tr.Bool(default_value=True)        
 
     @tr.observe("display_bn_shownull")
     def _observe_display_bn_shownull(self, change):
@@ -63,20 +46,13 @@ def bn_shownull(self):
     def bn_shownull(self, value):
         self._bn_shownull = value
 
-    def show_hide_bn_nullable(self):  # work with AutoObject only
-        is_nullable = [True for v in self.di_widgets.values() if isinstance(v, Nullable)]
-        if len(is_nullable) > 0:
-            if self.display_bn_shownull:
-                show_hide_widget(self.bn_shownull, self.display_bn_shownull)
-                # NOTE: don't think should be required but it appeared to be saving the 
-                #       state of the button.layout.display between objects otherwise ... 
-                #       ... not sure... but this seems to fix it
-            else:
-                self.display_bn_shownull = True
+    def show_hide_bn_nullable(self):
+        """Set display of show null button based on if any nullable widgets are found."""
+        if self.check_for_nullables():  # check_for_nullables is defined in AutoObject
+            self.display_bn_shownull = True
         else:
             self.display_bn_shownull = False
-
-
+    
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     sn = ShowNull()
@@ -247,11 +223,6 @@ class AutoObjectFormLayout(ShowRaw, ShowNull, WrapSaveButtonBar):
 
 
 # +
-
-
-
-
-
 def demo_autoobject_form(title="test", description="a description of the title"):
     """for docs and testing only..."""
     from ipyautoui.custom.buttonbars import SaveButtonBar
diff --git a/src/ipyautoui/autoobject.py b/src/ipyautoui/autoobject.py
index c95b6ef9..bdda2a73 100644
--- a/src/ipyautoui/autoobject.py
+++ b/src/ipyautoui/autoobject.py
@@ -21,23 +21,18 @@
 
 import logging
 import pathlib
-import functools
 import ipywidgets as w
-from IPython.display import display
+import pandas as pd  # TODO: pandas is a heavy dep. if only used for pd.isnull... ? 
 import traitlets as tr
-import typing as ty
-import json
+from IPython.display import display
+from jsonref import replace_refs
 import ipyautoui.automapschema as aumap
 from ipyautoui._utils import obj_from_importstr
 from ipyautoui.nullable import Nullable
 from ipyautoui.autobox import AutoBox
 from ipyautoui.autoform import AutoObjectFormLayout
-from jsonref import replace_refs
-from pydantic import BaseModel
 from ipyautoui.watch_validate import WatchValidate
 from ipyautoui.custom.title_description import TitleDescription
-import contextlib
-import pandas as pd  # TODO: pandas is a heavy dep. if only used for pd.isnull... ? 
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -438,6 +433,14 @@ def di_widgets_value(self):  # used to set _value
         get_value = lambda v: v._value if "_value" in v.traits() else v.value
         return {k: get_value(v) for k, v in self.di_widgets.items()}
 
+    def check_for_nullables(self) -> bool:
+        """Search through widgets and as soon as a Nullable widget is found, return True.
+        Else, return False."""
+        for v in self.di_widgets.values():
+            if isinstance(v, Nullable):
+                return True
+        return False
+
 
 class AutoObjectForm(AutoObject, AutoObjectFormLayout):
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
@@ -452,7 +455,7 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
             self.vbx_showraw,
         ]
         self.show_hide_bn_nullable()
-
+        
     def display_ui(self):  # NOTE: this overwritten this in AutoObjectForm
         self.vbx_widget.layout.display = ""
 
diff --git a/src/ipyautoui/autoui.py b/src/ipyautoui/autoui.py
index 1b3ce0b7..3dd231aa 100644
--- a/src/ipyautoui/autoui.py
+++ b/src/ipyautoui/autoui.py
@@ -31,37 +31,25 @@
 # %load_ext lab_black
 
 import pathlib
-from IPython.display import display
-from pydantic import BaseModel, ValidationError
 import json
+import logging
+import functools
 import traitlets as tr
 import typing as ty
-from ipyautoui.autoform import AutoObjectFormLayout, ShowRaw
-from ipyautoui.custom import SaveButtonBar  # removing makes circular import error
-import json
-import logging
-from ipyautoui.automapschema import map_widget, widgetcaller, _init_model_schema
 import ipywidgets as w
-from pydantic import BaseModel
-from ipyautoui.automapschema import pydantic_validate
-from IPython.display import clear_output
-from ipyautoui.automapschema import (
-    map_widget,
-    widgetcaller,
-    _init_model_schema,
-    get_widgets_map,
-    get_containers_map,
-)
+from pydantic import BaseModel, ValidationError
+from IPython.display import display
+
+from ipyautoui.custom import SaveButtonBar  # removing makes circular import error
 from ipyautoui.autobox import AutoBox
-from ipyautoui.autoform import TitleDescription, WrapSaveButtonBar, ShowRaw, ShowNull
+from ipyautoui.autoform import AutoObjectFormLayout, TitleDescription, WrapSaveButtonBar, ShowRaw, ShowNull
 from ipyautoui.custom.editgrid import EditGrid
+from ipyautoui.automapschema import get_widgets_map, get_containers_map, map_widget, widgetcaller, _init_model_schema, pydantic_validate
+
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 # +
-import functools
-
-
 def wrapped_partial(func, *args, **kwargs):
     # http://louistiao.me/posts/adding-__name__-and-__doc__-attributes-to-functoolspartial-objects/
     partial_func = functools.partial(func, *args, **kwargs)
@@ -217,9 +205,6 @@ def create_autodisplay_map(
         return {ext: AutoRenderer}
 
 
-
-
-
 def get_autoui(schema: ty.Union[ty.Type[BaseModel], dict], **kwargs):
     model, schema = _init_model_schema(schema)
     schema = {**schema, **kwargs}
@@ -258,6 +243,7 @@ def _set_children(self):
                         self.vbx_widget,
                         self.vbx_showraw,
                     ]
+                    self.show_hide_bn_nullable()
 
         if model is not None:
             return wrapped_partial(
diff --git a/src/ipyautoui/constants.py b/src/ipyautoui/constants.py
index 4651b63f..5c5d914f 100644
--- a/src/ipyautoui/constants.py
+++ b/src/ipyautoui/constants.py
@@ -138,6 +138,19 @@
     layout={"width": BUTTON_WIDTH_MIN},
 )
 
+SHOWNULL_ICON_SHOW = "plus"
+SHOWNULL_ICON_HIDE = "minus"
+KWARGS_SHOWNULL = frozenmap(
+            icon=SHOWNULL_ICON_SHOW,
+            layout=dict(width=BUTTON_WIDTH_MIN, display=""),
+            tooltip="show null form fields",
+            style={"font_weight": "bold"})
+KWARGS_SHOWRAW = frozenmap(icon="code",
+            layout=dict(width=BUTTON_WIDTH_MIN, display="None"),
+            tooltip="show raw data",
+            style={"font_weight": "bold"},
+        )
+
 
 KWARGS_DATAGRID_DEFAULT = frozenmap(
     header_renderer=TextRenderer(
diff --git a/tests/test_autoobject.py b/tests/test_autoobject.py
index 5c801e68..480504aa 100644
--- a/tests/test_autoobject.py
+++ b/tests/test_autoobject.py
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ class NoNullables(BaseModel):
         a: str = Field(default="Test", description="This test is important")
         b: str = Field(default="Test1", description="This test is important too")
 
-    ui = AutoObjectForm.from_pydantic_model(NoNullables) 
+    ui = AutoObjectForm.from_pydantic_model(NoNullables)
     assert ui.display_bn_shownull == False
     assert ui.bn_shownull.layout.display == "None"