diff --git a/HISTORY.md b/HISTORY.md
index c0b3edd7..58836059 100755
--- a/HISTORY.md
+++ b/HISTORY.md
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
 ### 2021-11-12
 * store: fixed importing custom categories from libraries, thanks, Eckart, for reporting this!
 * gui, objects, scenes, store: reverted to HSV as default pen color model
+* store: fixed a serialization conflict for global variables referencing the stage
 
 ### 2021-11-11
 * German translation update, changed %hsva -> %clrdim
diff --git a/src/store.js b/src/store.js
index 6fcf484f..dbe2365c 100644
--- a/src/store.js
+++ b/src/store.js
@@ -1745,8 +1745,8 @@ Scene.prototype.toXML = function (serializer) {
             '<headers>%</headers>' +
             '<code>%</code>' +
             '<blocks>%</blocks>' +
-            '<variables>%</variables>' +
             '%' + // stage
+            '<variables>%</variables>' +
             '</scene>',
         this.name || localize('Untitled'),
         this.unifiedPalette ? ' palette="single"' : '',
@@ -1763,8 +1763,8 @@ Scene.prototype.toXML = function (serializer) {
         code('codeHeaders'),
         code('codeMappings'),
         serializer.store(this.stage.globalBlocks),
-        serializer.store(this.globalVariables),
-        serializer.store(this.stage)
+        serializer.store(this.stage),
+        serializer.store(this.globalVariables)
     );
     return xml;
 };