diff --git a/src/core/layout/qgslayout.cpp b/src/core/layout/qgslayout.cpp
index e4eb2f2bc0d..44fea4157c5 100644
--- a/src/core/layout/qgslayout.cpp
+++ b/src/core/layout/qgslayout.cpp
@@ -719,7 +719,6 @@ bool QgsLayout::readXml( const QDomElement &layoutElement, const QDomDocument &d
 
 QList< QgsLayoutItem * > QgsLayout::addItemsFromXml( const QDomElement &parentElement, const QDomDocument &document, const QgsReadWriteContext &context, QPointF *position, bool pasteInPlace )
 {
-  std::unique_ptr< QPointF > pasteInPlacePt;
   QList< QgsLayoutItem * > newItems;
   QList< QgsLayoutMultiFrame * > newMultiFrames;
 
@@ -729,6 +728,7 @@ QList< QgsLayoutItem * > QgsLayout::addItemsFromXml( const QDomElement &parentEl
   int zOrderOffset = mItemsModel->zOrderListSize();
 
   QPointF pasteShiftPos;
+  int pageNumber = -1;
   if ( position )
   {
     //If we are placing items relative to a certain point, then calculate how much we need
@@ -740,8 +740,7 @@ QList< QgsLayoutItem * > QgsLayout::addItemsFromXml( const QDomElement &parentEl
     pasteShiftPos = *position - minItemPos;
     if ( pasteInPlace )
     {
-      int pageNumber = mPageCollection->pageNumberForPoint( *position );
-      pasteInPlacePt = qgis::make_unique< QPointF >( 0, mPageCollection->page( pageNumber )->pos().y() );
+      pageNumber = mPageCollection->pageNumberForPoint( *position );
     }
   }
 
@@ -760,12 +759,10 @@ QList< QgsLayoutItem * > QgsLayout::addItemsFromXml( const QDomElement &parentEl
     item->readXml( currentItemElem, document, context );
     if ( position )
     {
-      if ( pasteInPlacePt )
+      if ( pasteInPlace )
       {
-#if 0 //TODO
-        item->setItemPosition( newLabel->pos().x(), std::fmod( newLabel->pos().y(), ( paperHeight() + spaceBetweenPages() ) ) );
-        item->move( pasteInPlacePt->x(), pasteInPlacePt->y() );
-#endif
+        QgsLayoutPoint posOnPage = QgsLayoutPoint::decodePoint( currentItemElem.attribute( QStringLiteral( "positionOnPage" ) ) );
+        item->attemptMove( posOnPage, true, false, pageNumber );
       }
       else
       {
diff --git a/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitem.cpp b/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitem.cpp
index 2c8303acb70..2116c56d42a 100644
--- a/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitem.cpp
+++ b/src/core/layout/qgslayoutitem.cpp
@@ -530,6 +530,7 @@ bool QgsLayoutItem::writeXml( QDomElement &parentElement, QDomDocument &doc, con
   element.setAttribute( QStringLiteral( "id" ), mId );
   element.setAttribute( QStringLiteral( "referencePoint" ), QString::number( static_cast< int >( mReferencePoint ) ) );
   element.setAttribute( QStringLiteral( "position" ), mItemPosition.encodePoint() );
+  element.setAttribute( QStringLiteral( "positionOnPage" ), pagePositionWithUnits().encodePoint() );
   element.setAttribute( QStringLiteral( "size" ), mItemSize.encodeSize() );
   element.setAttribute( QStringLiteral( "itemRotation" ), QString::number( mItemRotation ) );
   element.setAttribute( QStringLiteral( "groupUuid" ), mParentGroupUuid );
diff --git a/tests/src/python/test_qgslayout.py b/tests/src/python/test_qgslayout.py
index 7546ad78528..9beb9664a2f 100644
--- a/tests/src/python/test_qgslayout.py
+++ b/tests/src/python/test_qgslayout.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ from qgis.core import (QgsUnitTypes,
                        QgsLayoutObject,
                        QgsProject,
                        QgsLayoutItemGroup,
+                       QgsLayoutItem,
                        QgsProperty,
                        QgsLayoutPageCollection,
                        QgsLayoutMeasurement,
@@ -130,9 +131,9 @@ class TestQgsLayout(unittest.TestCase):
         new_item1 = [i for i in items if i.id() == 'xxyyxx'][0]
         new_item2 = [i for i in items if i.id() == 'zzyyzz'][0]
         self.assertEqual(new_item1.positionWithUnits(), QgsLayoutPoint(4, 8, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutMillimeters))
-        self.assertEqual(new_item1.sizeWithUnits(),QgsLayoutSize(18, 12, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutMillimeters))
+        self.assertEqual(new_item1.sizeWithUnits(), QgsLayoutSize(18, 12, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutMillimeters))
         self.assertEqual(new_item2.positionWithUnits(), QgsLayoutPoint(1.4, 1.8, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutCentimeters))
-        self.assertEqual(new_item2.sizeWithUnits(),QgsLayoutSize(2.8, 2.2, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutCentimeters))
+        self.assertEqual(new_item2.sizeWithUnits(), QgsLayoutSize(2.8, 2.2, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutCentimeters))
 
         # test with a group
         group = QgsLayoutItemGroup(l)
@@ -165,9 +166,41 @@ class TestQgsLayout(unittest.TestCase):
         new_item1 = [i for i in items if i.id() == 'xxyyxx'][0]
         new_item2 = [i for i in items if i.id() == 'zzyyzz'][0]
         self.assertEqual(new_item1.positionWithUnits(), QgsLayoutPoint(10, 30, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutMillimeters))
-        self.assertEqual(new_item1.sizeWithUnits(),QgsLayoutSize(18, 12, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutMillimeters))
+        self.assertEqual(new_item1.sizeWithUnits(), QgsLayoutSize(18, 12, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutMillimeters))
         self.assertEqual(new_item2.positionWithUnits(), QgsLayoutPoint(2.0, 4.0, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutCentimeters))
-        self.assertEqual(new_item2.sizeWithUnits(),QgsLayoutSize(2.8, 2.2, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutCentimeters))
+        self.assertEqual(new_item2.sizeWithUnits(), QgsLayoutSize(2.8, 2.2, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutCentimeters))
+
+        # paste in place
+        l4 = QgsLayout(p)
+        page = QgsLayoutItemPage(l)
+        page.setPageSize('A3')
+        l4.pageCollection().addPage(page)
+        page = QgsLayoutItemPage(l)
+        page.setPageSize('A6')
+        l4.pageCollection().addPage(page)
+
+        new_items = l4.addItemsFromXml(elem, doc, QgsReadWriteContext(), QPointF(10, 30), True)
+        self.assertEqual(len(new_items), 3)
+        new_item1 = [i for i in new_items if i.id() == 'xxyyxx'][0]
+        new_item2 = [i for i in new_items if i.id() == 'zzyyzz'][0]
+        self.assertEqual(new_item1.pagePositionWithUnits(), QgsLayoutPoint(4, 8, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutMillimeters))
+        self.assertEqual(new_item1.sizeWithUnits(), QgsLayoutSize(18, 12, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutMillimeters))
+        self.assertEqual(new_item1.page(), 0)
+        self.assertEqual(new_item2.pagePositionWithUnits(), QgsLayoutPoint(1.4, 1.8, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutCentimeters))
+        self.assertEqual(new_item2.sizeWithUnits(), QgsLayoutSize(2.8, 2.2, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutCentimeters))
+        self.assertEqual(new_item2.page(), 0)
+
+        # paste in place, page 2
+        new_items = l4.addItemsFromXml(elem, doc, QgsReadWriteContext(), QPointF(10, 550), True)
+        self.assertEqual(len(new_items), 3)
+        new_item1 = [i for i in new_items if i.id() == 'xxyyxx'][0]
+        new_item2 = [i for i in new_items if i.id() == 'zzyyzz'][0]
+        self.assertEqual(new_item1.pagePositionWithUnits(), QgsLayoutPoint(4, 8, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutMillimeters))
+        self.assertEqual(new_item1.page(), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(new_item1.sizeWithUnits(), QgsLayoutSize(18, 12, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutMillimeters))
+        self.assertEqual(new_item2.pagePositionWithUnits(), QgsLayoutPoint(1.4, 1.8, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutCentimeters))
+        self.assertEqual(new_item2.page(), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(new_item2.sizeWithUnits(), QgsLayoutSize(2.8, 2.2, QgsUnitTypes.LayoutCentimeters))
 
         #TODO - test restoring multiframe