diff --git a/nw/gui/doctree.py b/nw/gui/doctree.py
index c35d443c..7c994aae 100644
--- a/nw/gui/doctree.py
+++ b/nw/gui/doctree.py
@@ -296,8 +296,7 @@ class GuiDocTree(QTreeWidget):
 
     def buildTree(self):
         self.clear()
-        for tHandle in self.theProject.treeOrder:
-            nwItem = self.theProject.projTree[tHandle]
+        for nwItem in self.theProject.getProjectItems():
             self._addTreeItem(nwItem)
         return True
 
diff --git a/nw/project/project.py b/nw/project/project.py
index f468e73d..e3c17d89 100644
--- a/nw/project/project.py
+++ b/nw/project/project.py
@@ -368,6 +368,42 @@ class NWProject():
         logger.error("No tree item with handle %s" % str(tHandle))
         return None
 
+    def getProjectItems(self):
+        """This function is called from the tree view when building the tree. Each item in the
+        project is returned in the order saved in the project file, but first it checks that it has
+        a parent item already sent to the tree.
+        """
+        sentItems = []
+        iterItems = self.treeOrder.copy()
+        n    = 0
+        nMax = len(iterItems)
+        while n < nMax:
+            tHandle = iterItems[n]
+            tItem   = self.getItem(tHandle)
+            n += 1
+            if tItem.parHandle is None:
+                # Item is a root, or already been identified as an orphaned item
+                sentItems.append(tHandle)
+                yield tItem
+            elif tItem.parHandle in sentItems:
+                # Item's parent has been sent, so all is fine
+                sentItems.append(tHandle)
+                yield tItem
+            elif tItem.parHandle in iterItems:
+                # Item's parent exists, but hasn't been sent yet, so add it again to the end
+                logger.warning("Item %s found before its parent" % tHandle)
+                iterItems.append(tHandle)
+                nMax = len(iterItems)
+            else:
+                # Item is orphaned
+                logger.error("Item %s has no parent in current tree" % tHandle)
+                tItem.setParent(None)
+                yield tItem
+
+    ##
+    #  Class Methods
+    ##
+
     def findRootItem(self, theClass):
         for aRoot in self.treeRoots:
             if theClass == self.projTree[aRoot].itemClass:
diff --git a/sample/sampleNovel/nwProject.nwx b/sample/sampleNovel/nwProject.nwx
index 0c44701b..1d9004e7 100644
--- a/sample/sampleNovel/nwProject.nwx
+++ b/sample/sampleNovel/nwProject.nwx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
-<novelWriterXML appVersion="0.1.3" fileVersion="1.0" timeStamp="2019-05-18 20:51:40">
+<novelWriterXML appVersion="0.1.3" fileVersion="1.0" timeStamp="2019-05-19 00:07:57">
   <project>
     <name>Sample Project</name>
     <title>Sample Project</title>