diff --git a/common/trace_helpers.cpp b/common/trace_helpers.cpp
index 4c361f9968..8c6da2a6c0 100644
--- a/common/trace_helpers.cpp
+++ b/common/trace_helpers.cpp
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ const wxChar* const kicadTraceCoroutineStack = wxT( "KICAD_COROUTINE_STACK" );
 const wxChar* const traceSchLibMem = wxT( "KICAD_SCH_LIB_MEM" );
 const wxChar* const traceFindItem = wxT( "KICAD_FIND_ITEM" );
 const wxChar* const traceSchLegacyPlugin = wxT( "KICAD_SCH_LEGACY_PLUGIN" );
+const wxChar* const traceSchPlugin = wxT( "KICAD_SCH_PLUGIN" );
 const wxChar* const traceGedaPcbPlugin = wxT( "KICAD_GEDA_PLUGIN" );
 const wxChar* const traceKicadPcbPlugin = wxT( "KICAD_PCB_PLUGIN" );
 const wxChar* const tracePrinting = wxT( "KICAD_PRINT" );
diff --git a/eeschema/sch_plugins/kicad/sch_sexpr_plugin.cpp b/eeschema/sch_plugins/kicad/sch_sexpr_plugin.cpp
index 0ef5ed8e78..db6de68937 100644
--- a/eeschema/sch_plugins/kicad/sch_sexpr_plugin.cpp
+++ b/eeschema/sch_plugins/kicad/sch_sexpr_plugin.cpp
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ SCH_SHEET* SCH_SEXPR_PLUGIN::Load( const wxString& aFileName, SCHEMATIC* aSchema
     if( aAppendToMe )
     {
         m_appending = true;
-        wxLogTrace( traceSchLegacyPlugin, "Append \"%s\" to sheet \"%s\".",
+        wxLogTrace( traceSchPlugin, "Append \"%s\" to sheet \"%s\".",
                     aFileName, aAppendToMe->GetFileName() );
 
         wxFileName normedFn = aAppendToMe->GetFileName();
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ SCH_SHEET* SCH_SEXPR_PLUGIN::Load( const wxString& aFileName, SCHEMATIC* aSchema
         if( m_path.IsEmpty() )
             m_path = aSchematic->Prj().GetProjectPath();
 
-        wxLogTrace( traceSchLegacyPlugin, "Normalized append path \"%s\".", m_path );
+        wxLogTrace( traceSchPlugin, "Normalized append path \"%s\".", m_path );
     }
     else
     {
@@ -178,6 +178,8 @@ SCH_SHEET* SCH_SEXPR_PLUGIN::Load( const wxString& aFileName, SCHEMATIC* aSchema
 
 void SCH_SEXPR_PLUGIN::loadHierarchy( const SCH_SHEET_PATH& aParentSheetPath, SCH_SHEET* aSheet )
 {
+    m_currentSheetPath.push_back( aSheet );
+
     SCH_SCREEN* screen = nullptr;
 
     if( !aSheet->GetScreen() )
@@ -193,10 +195,10 @@ void SCH_SEXPR_PLUGIN::loadHierarchy( const SCH_SHEET_PATH& aParentSheetPath, SC
         // Save the current path so that it gets restored when descending and ascending the
         // sheet hierarchy which allows for sheet schematic files to be nested in folders
         // relative to the last path a schematic was loaded from.
-        wxLogTrace( traceSchLegacyPlugin, "Saving path    '%s'", m_currentPath.top() );
+        wxLogTrace( traceSchPlugin, "Saving path    '%s'", m_currentPath.top() );
         m_currentPath.push( fileName.GetPath() );
-        wxLogTrace( traceSchLegacyPlugin, "Current path   '%s'", m_currentPath.top() );
-        wxLogTrace( traceSchLegacyPlugin, "Loading        '%s'", fileName.GetFullPath() );
+        wxLogTrace( traceSchPlugin, "Current path   '%s'", m_currentPath.top() );
+        wxLogTrace( traceSchPlugin, "Loading        '%s'", fileName.GetFullPath() );
 
         SCH_SHEET_PATH ancestorSheetPath = aParentSheetPath;
 
@@ -221,7 +223,12 @@ void SCH_SEXPR_PLUGIN::loadHierarchy( const SCH_SHEET_PATH& aParentSheetPath, SC
         }
 
         if( ancestorSheetPath.empty() )
-            m_rootSheet->SearchHierarchy( fileName.GetFullPath(), &screen );
+        {
+            // Existing schematics could be either in the root sheet path or the current sheet
+            // load path so we have to check both.
+            if( !m_rootSheet->SearchHierarchy( fileName.GetFullPath(), &screen ) )
+                m_currentSheetPath.at( 0 )->SearchHierarchy( fileName.GetFullPath(), &screen );
+        }
 
         if( screen )
         {
@@ -278,8 +285,10 @@ void SCH_SEXPR_PLUGIN::loadHierarchy( const SCH_SHEET_PATH& aParentSheetPath, SC
         }
 
         m_currentPath.pop();
-        wxLogTrace( traceSchLegacyPlugin, "Restoring path \"%s\"", m_currentPath.top() );
+        wxLogTrace( traceSchPlugin, "Restoring path \"%s\"", m_currentPath.top() );
     }
+
+    m_currentSheetPath.pop_back();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/eeschema/sch_plugins/kicad/sch_sexpr_plugin.h b/eeschema/sch_plugins/kicad/sch_sexpr_plugin.h
index 11cbc2935e..6c3ad293e4 100644
--- a/eeschema/sch_plugins/kicad/sch_sexpr_plugin.h
+++ b/eeschema/sch_plugins/kicad/sch_sexpr_plugin.h
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ protected:
     wxString                m_path;             ///< Root project path for loading child sheets.
     std::stack<wxString>    m_currentPath;      ///< Stack to maintain nested sheet paths
     SCH_SHEET*              m_rootSheet;        ///< The root sheet of the schematic being loaded.
+    SCH_SHEET_PATH          m_currentSheetPath;
     SCHEMATIC*              m_schematic;
     OUTPUTFORMATTER*        m_out;              ///< The formatter for saving SCH_SCREEN objects.
     SCH_SEXPR_PLUGIN_CACHE* m_cache;
diff --git a/include/trace_helpers.h b/include/trace_helpers.h
index 9b87ce0c53..6c5f3a393b 100644
--- a/include/trace_helpers.h
+++ b/include/trace_helpers.h
@@ -106,6 +106,13 @@ extern const wxChar* const traceAutoSave;
  */
 extern const wxChar* const traceSchLibMem;
 
+/**
+ * Flag to enable legacy schematic plugin debug output.
+ *
+ * Use "KICAD_SCH_PLUGIN" to enable.
+ */
+extern const wxChar* const traceSchPlugin;
+
 /**
  * Flag to enable legacy schematic plugin debug output.
  *