diff --git a/src/mapserver/qgsprojectparser.cpp b/src/mapserver/qgsprojectparser.cpp
index a3e9e1ed25e..f4e8b29fd0a 100644
--- a/src/mapserver/qgsprojectparser.cpp
+++ b/src/mapserver/qgsprojectparser.cpp
@@ -2245,6 +2245,65 @@ QgsRectangle QgsProjectParser::layerBoundingBoxInProjectCRS( const QDomElement&
   return BBox;
 }
 
+void QgsProjectParser::addDrawingOrder( QDomElement elem, bool useDrawingOrder, QMap<int, QString>& orderedLayerList, int& nEmbeddedGroupLayers,
+                                        bool embedded ) const
+{
+  if ( elem.isNull() )
+  {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if ( elem.tagName() == "legendlayer" )
+  {
+    if ( useDrawingOrder )
+    {
+      int order = elem.attribute( "drawingOrder", "-1" ).toInt();
+      orderedLayerList.insertMulti( order + nEmbeddedGroupLayers, elem.attribute( "name" ) );
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      orderedLayerList.insertMulti( orderedLayerList.size(), elem.attribute( "name" ) );
+    }
+
+    if ( embedded )
+    {
+      ++nEmbeddedGroupLayers;
+    }
+  }
+  else if ( elem.tagName() == "legendgroup" )
+  {
+    //embedded vs. not embedded
+    if ( elem.attribute( "embedded" ) == "1" && !embedded )
+    {
+      //load layers / elements from project file
+      QString project = convertToAbsolutePath( elem.attribute( "project" ) );
+      QString embeddedGroupName = elem.attribute( "name" );
+      QgsProjectParser* p = dynamic_cast<QgsProjectParser*>( QgsConfigCache::instance()->searchConfiguration( project ) );
+      if ( p )
+      {
+        QList<QDomElement> embeddedGroupElements = p->mLegendGroupElements;
+        foreach ( const QDomElement &groupElem, embeddedGroupElements )
+        {
+          if ( groupElem.attribute( "name" ) == embeddedGroupName )
+          {
+            addDrawingOrder( groupElem, false, orderedLayerList, nEmbeddedGroupLayers, true );
+            break;
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      QDomNodeList childList = elem.childNodes();
+      QDomElement childElem;
+      for ( int i = 0; i < childList.size(); ++i )
+      {
+        addDrawingOrder( childList.at( i ).toElement(), useDrawingOrder, orderedLayerList, nEmbeddedGroupLayers, false );
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 void QgsProjectParser::addDrawingOrder( QDomElement& parentElem, QDomDocument& doc ) const
 {
   if ( !mXMLDoc )
@@ -2259,40 +2318,24 @@ void QgsProjectParser::addDrawingOrder( QDomElement& parentElem, QDomDocument& d
     return;
   }
 
-  QStringList layerList;
-
   bool useDrawingOrder = ( legendElement.attribute( "updateDrawingOrder" ) == "false" );
-  QDomNodeList layerNodeList = legendElement.elementsByTagName( "legendlayer" );
-  if ( !useDrawingOrder ) //bottom to top
-  {
-    for ( int i = 0; i < layerNodeList.size(); ++i )
-    {
-      layerList.prepend( layerNodeList.at( i ).toElement().attribute( "name" ) );
-    }
-  }
-  else
-  {
-    QMap<int, QString> orderedLayerNames;
-    for ( int i = 0; i < layerNodeList.size(); ++i )
-    {
-      QString layerName = layerNodeList.at( i ).toElement().attribute( "name" );
-      int order = layerNodeList.at( i ).toElement().attribute( "drawingOrder" ).toInt();
-      if ( order == -1 )
-      {
-        layerList.prepend( layerName );
-      }
-      else
-      {
-        orderedLayerNames.insert( order, layerName );
-      }
-    }
+  int nEmbeddedGroupLayers = 0;
+  QMap<int, QString> orderedLayerNames;
 
-    QMap<int, QString>::const_iterator orderIt = orderedLayerNames.constBegin();
-    for ( ; orderIt != orderedLayerNames.constEnd(); ++orderIt )
-    {
-      layerList.prepend( *orderIt );
-    }
+  QDomNodeList legendChildren = legendElement.childNodes();
+  QDomElement childElem;
+  for ( int i = 0; i < legendChildren.size(); ++i )
+  {
+    addDrawingOrder( legendChildren.at( i ).toElement(), useDrawingOrder, orderedLayerNames, nEmbeddedGroupLayers, false );
   }
+
+  QStringList layerList;
+  QMap<int, QString>::const_iterator nameIt = orderedLayerNames.constBegin();
+  for ( ; nameIt != orderedLayerNames.constEnd(); ++nameIt )
+  {
+    layerList.prepend( nameIt.value() );
+  }
+
   QDomElement layerDrawingOrderElem = doc.createElement( "LayerDrawingOrder" );
   QDomText drawingOrderText = doc.createTextNode( layerList.join( "," ) );
   layerDrawingOrderElem.appendChild( drawingOrderText );
diff --git a/src/mapserver/qgsprojectparser.h b/src/mapserver/qgsprojectparser.h
index ad6ee626d12..899f4026fba 100644
--- a/src/mapserver/qgsprojectparser.h
+++ b/src/mapserver/qgsprojectparser.h
@@ -207,6 +207,9 @@ class QgsProjectParser: public QgsConfigParser
     void setMaxWidthHeight();
     /**Reads layer drawing order from the legend section of the project file and appends it to the parent elemen (usually the <Capability> element)*/
     void addDrawingOrder( QDomElement& parentElem, QDomDocument& doc ) const;
+    /**Adds drawing order info from layer element or group element (recursive)*/
+    void addDrawingOrder( QDomElement elem, bool useDrawingOrder, QMap<int, QString>& orderedLayerList, int& nEmbeddedGroupLayers,
+                          bool embedded = false ) const;
     /**Returns project layers by id*/
     void projectLayerMap( QMap<QString, QgsMapLayer*>& layerMap ) const;