diff --git a/eeschema/netlist_exporters/netlist_exporter_xml.cpp b/eeschema/netlist_exporters/netlist_exporter_xml.cpp
index 8206553a85..73a653f9fa 100644
--- a/eeschema/netlist_exporters/netlist_exporter_xml.cpp
+++ b/eeschema/netlist_exporters/netlist_exporter_xml.cpp
@@ -222,6 +222,7 @@ XNODE* NETLIST_EXPORTER_XML::makeSymbols( unsigned aCtl )
     m_libParts.clear();
 
     SCH_SHEET_LIST sheetList = m_schematic->GetSheets();
+    SCH_SHEET_PATH currentSheet = m_schematic->CurrentSheet();
 
     // Output is xml, so there is no reason to remove spaces from the field values.
     // And XML element names need not be translated to various languages.
@@ -230,6 +231,10 @@ XNODE* NETLIST_EXPORTER_XML::makeSymbols( unsigned aCtl )
     {
         SCH_SHEET_PATH sheet = sheetList[ii];
 
+        // Change schematic CurrentSheet in each iteration to allow hierarchical
+        // resolution of text variables in sheet fields.
+        m_schematic->SetCurrentSheet( sheet );
+
         auto cmp = [sheet]( SCH_SYMBOL* a, SCH_SYMBOL* b )
                    {
                        return ( StrNumCmp( a->GetRef( &sheet, false ),
@@ -400,6 +405,8 @@ XNODE* NETLIST_EXPORTER_XML::makeSymbols( unsigned aCtl )
         }
     }
 
+    m_schematic->SetCurrentSheet( currentSheet );
+
     return xcomps;
 }