diff --git a/lib/galaxy/tool_util/parser/xml.py b/lib/galaxy/tool_util/parser/xml.py
index 04c28a8297c6..598d5714213e 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/tool_util/parser/xml.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/tool_util/parser/xml.py
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ def parse_provided_metadata_file(self):
 
         return provided_metadata_file
 
-    def parse_outputs(self, tool):
+    def parse_outputs(self, tool=None):
         out_elem = self.root.find("outputs")
         outputs = {}
         output_collections = {}
@@ -558,7 +558,12 @@ def _parse_output(
             # This ensures that old tools continue to work.
             output.from_work_dir = output.from_work_dir.strip()
         output.hidden = string_as_bool(data_elem.get("hidden", ""))
-        output.actions = ToolOutputActionGroup(output, data_elem.find("actions"))
+        if tool is not None:
+            # poor design here driven entirely by pragmatism in refactoring, ToolOutputActionGroup
+            # belongs in galaxy-tool because it uses app heavily. Breaking the output objects
+            # into app-aware things and dumb models would be a large project but superior design
+            # and decomposition.
+            output.actions = ToolOutputActionGroup(output, data_elem.find("actions"))
         output.dataset_collector_descriptions = dataset_collector_descriptions_from_elem(
             data_elem, legacy=self.legacy_defaults
         )
diff --git a/test/unit/tool_util/test_output_models.py b/test/unit/tool_util/test_output_models.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4f5c9269c19e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/tool_util/test_output_models.py
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+from galaxy.tool_util.parser.factory import get_tool_source
+from galaxy.tool_util.parser.output_models import from_tool_source
+from galaxy.tool_util.unittest_utils import functional_test_tool_path
+
+
+def test_from_tool_data_table():
+    tool_source = get_tool_source(functional_test_tool_path("dbkey_output_action.xml"))
+    # prevent regression of https://github.com/galaxyproject/galaxy/issues/18554. Tool fails without fix
+    from_tool_source(tool_source)