diff --git a/src/main/xslt/modules/functions.xsl b/src/main/xslt/modules/functions.xsl
index a7fb6ee7c..2eaa856ad 100644
--- a/src/main/xslt/modules/functions.xsl
+++ b/src/main/xslt/modules/functions.xsl
@@ -125,9 +125,10 @@
       <xsl:sequence select="1"/>
     </xsl:when>
     <xsl:otherwise>
+      <!-- Hat tip to Gerrit for the fix here -->
       <xsl:variable name="plist"
-                    select="$list/preceding::db:orderedlist
-                              [not(ancestor::db:orderedlist)][1]"/>
+                    select="$list/ancestor-or-self::*[preceding-sibling::db:orderedlist][1]
+                                 /preceding-sibling::db:orderedlist[1]"/>
 
       <xsl:sequence select="f:orderedlist-startingnumber($plist)
                             + count($plist/db:listitem)"/>
diff --git a/src/test/resources/xml/orderedlist.004.xml b/src/test/resources/xml/orderedlist.004.xml
index aae4a3a3e..e5fa85e5d 100644
--- a/src/test/resources/xml/orderedlist.004.xml
+++ b/src/test/resources/xml/orderedlist.004.xml
@@ -30,4 +30,20 @@
             <para>Fourth Item</para>
         </listitem>
     </orderedlist>
+
+<para>What about this one (hat tip to Gerrit Imsieke).</para>
+
+<orderedlist>
+<listitem><para>First item</para></listitem>
+<listitem><para>Second item</para>
+  <orderedlist>
+    <listitem><para>Item 2.a</para></listitem>
+  </orderedlist>
+  <para>Interstitial paragraph.</para>
+  <orderedlist continuation="continues">
+    <listitem><para>Item 2.b</para></listitem>
+  </orderedlist>
+</listitem>
+</orderedlist>
 </article>
+