diff --git a/artiq/gui/applets.py b/artiq/gui/applets.py
index dc8816c6b..849ae67b7 100644
--- a/artiq/gui/applets.py
+++ b/artiq/gui/applets.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import sys
 import string
 import shlex
 from functools import partial
+from itertools import count
 
 from PyQt5 import QtCore, QtGui, QtWidgets
 
@@ -296,7 +297,7 @@ class AppletsDock(QtWidgets.QDockWidget):
 
         self.table.setContextMenuPolicy(QtCore.Qt.ActionsContextMenu)
         new_action = QtWidgets.QAction("New applet", self.table)
-        new_action.triggered.connect(self.new)
+        new_action.triggered.connect(lambda: self.new())
         self.table.addAction(new_action)
         templates_menu = QtWidgets.QMenu()
         for name, template in _templates:
@@ -370,9 +371,8 @@ class AppletsDock(QtWidgets.QDockWidget):
 
     def new(self, uid=None):
         if uid is None:
-            uid = next(iter(set(range(len(self.applet_uids) + 1))
-                            - self.applet_uids))
-        assert uid not in self.applet_uids
+            uid = next(i for i in count() if i not in self.applet_uids)
+        assert uid not in self.applet_uids, uid
         self.applet_uids.add(uid)
 
         row = self.table.rowCount()