diff --git a/pcbnew/board.cpp b/pcbnew/board.cpp
index f47227d07e..17353aa115 100644
--- a/pcbnew/board.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/board.cpp
@@ -192,9 +192,13 @@ void BOARD::SetProject( PROJECT* aProject, bool aReferenceOnly )
         // want to transfer it over to the project netclasses list.
         if( m_LegacyNetclassesLoaded )
         {
-            std::shared_ptr<NET_SETTINGS> legacySettings = GetDesignSettings().m_NetSettings;
-            project.NetSettings()->m_DefaultNetClass = legacySettings->m_DefaultNetClass;
-            project.NetSettings()->m_NetClasses = legacySettings->m_NetClasses;
+            std::shared_ptr<NET_SETTINGS>  legacySettings  = GetDesignSettings().m_NetSettings;
+            std::shared_ptr<NET_SETTINGS>& projectSettings = project.NetSettings();
+
+            projectSettings->m_DefaultNetClass = legacySettings->m_DefaultNetClass;
+            projectSettings->m_NetClasses      = legacySettings->m_NetClasses;
+            projectSettings->m_NetClassPatternAssignments =
+                    std::move( legacySettings->m_NetClassPatternAssignments );
         }
 
         // Now update the DesignSettings' netclass pointer to point into the project.
diff --git a/pcbnew/plugins/kicad/pcb_parser.cpp b/pcbnew/plugins/kicad/pcb_parser.cpp
index bf96a7b828..eb6ab857b1 100644
--- a/pcbnew/plugins/kicad/pcb_parser.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/plugins/kicad/pcb_parser.cpp
@@ -2442,7 +2442,9 @@ void PCB_PARSER::parseNETCLASS()
         NeedRIGHT();
     }
 
-    if( m_board->GetDesignSettings().m_NetSettings->m_NetClasses.count( nc->GetName() ) )
+    std::shared_ptr<NET_SETTINGS>& netSettings = m_board->GetDesignSettings().m_NetSettings;
+
+    if( netSettings->m_NetClasses.count( nc->GetName() ) )
     {
         // Must have been a name conflict, this is a bad board file.
         // User may have done a hand edit to the file.
@@ -2452,9 +2454,13 @@ void PCB_PARSER::parseNETCLASS()
                       CurOffset() );
         THROW_IO_ERROR( error );
     }
+    else if( nc->GetName() == netSettings->m_DefaultNetClass->GetName() )
+    {
+        netSettings->m_DefaultNetClass = nc;
+    }
     else
     {
-        m_board->GetDesignSettings().m_NetSettings->m_NetClasses[ nc->GetName() ] = nc;
+        netSettings->m_NetClasses[ nc->GetName() ] = nc;
     }
 }