diff --git a/app/code/Magento/Eav/Model/Entity/Attribute/AbstractAttribute.php b/app/code/Magento/Eav/Model/Entity/Attribute/AbstractAttribute.php
index 6601c05051378..88037448b5503 100644
--- a/app/code/Magento/Eav/Model/Entity/Attribute/AbstractAttribute.php
+++ b/app/code/Magento/Eav/Model/Entity/Attribute/AbstractAttribute.php
@@ -608,9 +608,11 @@ public function getSource()
     {
         if (empty($this->_source)) {
             if (!$this->getSourceModel()) {
-                $this->setSourceModel($this->_getDefaultSourceModel());
+                $this->_source = $this->_getDefaultSourceModel();
+            } else {
+                $this->_source = $this->getSourceModel();
             }
-            $source = $this->_universalFactory->create($this->getSourceModel());
+            $source = $this->_universalFactory->create($this->_source);
             if (!$source) {
                 throw new LocalizedException(
                     __(