diff --git a/source/blender/blenloader/intern/readfile.c b/source/blender/blenloader/intern/readfile.c
index 2402106306e..ab30d92f03e 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenloader/intern/readfile.c
+++ b/source/blender/blenloader/intern/readfile.c
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@
 #include "DNA_node_types.h"
 #include "DNA_object_fluidsim.h" // NT
 #include "DNA_packedFile_types.h"
+#include "DNA_particle_types.h"
 #include "DNA_property_types.h"
 #include "DNA_text_types.h"
 #include "DNA_view3d_types.h"
@@ -3161,9 +3162,37 @@ static void lib_link_particlesettings(FileData *fd, Main *main)
 			if(part->effector_weights)
 				part->effector_weights->group = newlibadr(fd, part->id.lib, part->effector_weights->group);
 
-			dw = part->dupliweights.first;
-			for(; dw; dw=dw->next)
-				dw->ob = newlibadr(fd, part->id.lib, dw->ob);
+			if(part->dupliweights.first) {
+				int index_ok = 0;
+				/* check for old files without indices (all indexes 0) */
+				dw = part->dupliweights.first;
+				if(part->dupliweights.first == part->dupliweights.last) {
+					/* special case for only one object in the group */
+					index_ok = 1;
+				}
+				else { 
+					for(; dw; dw=dw->next) {
+						if(dw->index > 0) {
+							index_ok = 1;
+							break;
+						}
+					}
+				}
+
+				if(index_ok) {
+					/* if we have indexes, let's use them */
+					dw = part->dupliweights.first;
+					for(; dw; dw=dw->next) {
+						GroupObject *go = (GroupObject *)BLI_findlink(&part->dup_group->gobject, dw->index);
+						dw->ob = go ? go->ob : NULL;
+					}
+				}
+				else {
+					/* otherwise try to get objects from own library (won't work on library linked groups) */
+					for(; dw; dw=dw->next)
+						dw->ob = newlibadr(fd, part->id.lib, dw->ob);
+				}
+			}
 
 			if(part->boids) {
 				BoidState *state = part->boids->states.first;
diff --git a/source/blender/blenloader/intern/writefile.c b/source/blender/blenloader/intern/writefile.c
index ba4395ace9c..bf86527b9d3 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenloader/intern/writefile.c
+++ b/source/blender/blenloader/intern/writefile.c
@@ -837,6 +837,7 @@ static void write_particlesettings(WriteData *wd, ListBase *idbase)
 {
 	ParticleSettings *part;
 	ParticleDupliWeight *dw;
+	GroupObject *go;
 	int a;
 
 	part= idbase->first;
@@ -851,8 +852,16 @@ static void write_particlesettings(WriteData *wd, ListBase *idbase)
 			writestruct(wd, DATA, "EffectorWeights", 1, part->effector_weights);
 
 			dw = part->dupliweights.first;
-			for(; dw; dw=dw->next)
+			for(; dw; dw=dw->next) {
+				/* update indices */
+				dw->index = 0;
+				go = part->dup_group->gobject.first;
+				while(go && go->ob != dw->ob) {
+					go=go->next;
+					dw->index++;
+				}
 				writestruct(wd, DATA, "ParticleDupliWeight", 1, dw);
+			}
 
 			if(part->boids && part->phystype == PART_PHYS_BOIDS) {
 				BoidState *state = part->boids->states.first;
diff --git a/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_particle_types.h b/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_particle_types.h
index aace8156e9d..69ee530c0b6 100644
--- a/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_particle_types.h
+++ b/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_particle_types.h
@@ -89,7 +89,8 @@ typedef struct ParticleDupliWeight {
 	struct ParticleDupliWeight *next, *prev;
 	struct Object *ob;
 	short count;
-	short flag, rt[2];
+	short flag;
+	short index, rt; /* only updated on file save and used on file load */
 } ParticleDupliWeight;
 
 typedef struct ParticleData {