diff --git a/eeschema/sch_legacy_plugin.cpp b/eeschema/sch_legacy_plugin.cpp
index cef7e31bbe..573530c5a3 100644
--- a/eeschema/sch_legacy_plugin.cpp
+++ b/eeschema/sch_legacy_plugin.cpp
@@ -693,21 +693,6 @@ void SCH_LEGACY_PLUGIN::loadHierarchy( SCH_SHEET* aSheet )
             try
             {
                 loadFile( fileName.GetFullPath(), aSheet->GetScreen() );
-                for( auto aItem : aSheet->GetScreen()->Items().OfType( SCH_SHEET_T ) )
-                {
-                    assert( aItem->Type() == SCH_SHEET_T );
-                    auto sheet = static_cast<SCH_SHEET*>( aItem );
-
-                    // Set the parent to aSheet.  This effectively creates a method to find
-                    // the root sheet from any sheet so a pointer to the root sheet does not
-                    // need to be stored globally.  Note: this is not the same as a hierarchy.
-                    // Complex hierarchies can have multiple copies of a sheet.  This only
-                    // provides a simple tree to find the root sheet.
-                    sheet->SetParent( aSheet );
-
-                    // Recursion starts here.
-                    loadHierarchy( sheet );
-                }
             }
             catch( const IO_ERROR& ioe )
             {
@@ -721,6 +706,22 @@ void SCH_LEGACY_PLUGIN::loadHierarchy( SCH_SHEET* aSheet )
 
                 m_error += ioe.What();
             }
+
+            for( auto aItem : aSheet->GetScreen()->Items().OfType( SCH_SHEET_T ) )
+            {
+                wxCHECK2( aItem->Type() == SCH_SHEET_T, continue );
+                auto sheet = static_cast<SCH_SHEET*>( aItem );
+
+                // Set the parent to aSheet.  This effectively creates a method to find
+                // the root sheet from any sheet so a pointer to the root sheet does not
+                // need to be stored globally.  Note: this is not the same as a hierarchy.
+                // Complex hierarchies can have multiple copies of a sheet.  This only
+                // provides a simple tree to find the root sheet.
+                sheet->SetParent( aSheet );
+
+                // Recursion starts here.
+                loadHierarchy( sheet );
+            }
         }
 
         m_currentPath.pop();