diff --git a/watertap/core/plugins/solvers.py b/watertap/core/plugins/solvers.py
index aec58a417d..9a5ece4ec1 100644
--- a/watertap/core/plugins/solvers.py
+++ b/watertap/core/plugins/solvers.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 ###############################################################################
 
 import pyomo.environ as pyo
+from pyomo.opt import WriterFactory
 from pyomo.core.base.block import _BlockData
 from pyomo.core.kernel.block import IBlock
 from pyomo.solvers.plugins.solvers.IPOPT import IPOPT
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@
 from idaes.logger import getLogger
 
 _log = getLogger("watertap.core")
+_default_nl_writer = WriterFactory.get_class("nl")
 
 
 @pyo.SolverFactory.register(
@@ -55,6 +57,9 @@ def _presolve(self, *args, **kwds):
         if "constr_viol_tol" not in self.options:
             self.options["constr_viol_tol"] = 1e-08
 
+        # temporarily switch to nl_v1 writer
+        WriterFactory.register("nl")(WriterFactory.get_class("nl_v1"))
+
         if not self._is_user_scaling():
             self._cleanup_needed = False
             return super()._presolve(*args, **kwds)
@@ -148,6 +153,7 @@ def _presolve(self, *args, **kwds):
             raise
 
     def _cleanup(self):
+        WriterFactory.register("nl")(_default_nl_writer)
         if self._cleanup_needed:
             self._reset_scaling_factors()
             self._reset_bounds()
diff --git a/watertap/core/plugins/tests/test_solvers.py b/watertap/core/plugins/tests/test_solvers.py
index 40a8f1b7d5..df15fdfa0d 100644
--- a/watertap/core/plugins/tests/test_solvers.py
+++ b/watertap/core/plugins/tests/test_solvers.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import pyomo.environ as pyo
 import idaes.core.util.scaling as iscale
 
+from pyomo.opt import WriterFactory
 from pyomo.solvers.plugins.solvers.IPOPT import IPOPT
 from pyomo.common.errors import ApplicationError
 from idaes.core.util.scaling import (
@@ -24,6 +25,8 @@
 from idaes.core.solvers import get_solver
 from watertap.core.plugins.solvers import IpoptWaterTAP
 
+_default_nl_writer = WriterFactory.get_class("nl")
+
 
 class TestIpoptWaterTAP:
     @pytest.fixture(scope="class")
@@ -61,6 +64,11 @@ def _test_bounds(self, m):
     def s(self):
         return pyo.SolverFactory("ipopt-watertap")
 
+    @pytest.mark.unit
+    def test_nl_writer_held_harmless(self, m, s):
+        s.solve(m, tee=True)
+        assert _default_nl_writer == WriterFactory.get_class("nl")
+
     @pytest.mark.unit
     def test_pyomo_registration(self, s):
         assert s.__class__ is IpoptWaterTAP