diff --git a/gramps2/ChangeLog b/gramps2/ChangeLog
index 69e9ba474..eeeee63de 100644
--- a/gramps2/ChangeLog
+++ b/gramps2/ChangeLog
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 2004-08-22  Tim Waugh  <twaugh@redhat.com>
 	* src/WriteXML.py (write_xml_data): Fixed typo causing XML export to
 	omit all place definitions.
+	(XmlWriter.write_xml_data): Sort person handles before writing.
+
 	* src/RelLib.py (probably_alive): Fixed typo (bug #1012347).
 
 2004-08-21  Alex Roitman  <shura@alex.neuro.umn.edu>
diff --git a/gramps2/src/WriteXML.py b/gramps2/src/WriteXML.py
index 0d1ace4b5..79904fd71 100644
--- a/gramps2/src/WriteXML.py
+++ b/gramps2/src/WriteXML.py
@@ -241,10 +241,14 @@ class XmlWriter:
             self.g.write(">\n")
 
             keys = self.db.get_person_handles(sort_handles=False)
-            keys.sort ()
+            sorted_keys = []
             for key in keys:
-                person = self.db.get_person_from_handle(key)
-                
+                person = self.db.get_person_from_handle (key)
+                tuple = (person.get_gramps_id (), person)
+                sorted_keys.append (tuple)
+
+            sorted_keys.sort ()
+            for (gramps_id, person) in sorted_keys:
                 if self.callback and count % delta == 0:
                     self.callback(float(count)/float(total))
                 count += 1