Index: src/dialogs/xml-tree.cpp
===================================================================
--- src/dialogs/xml-tree.cpp	(revision 22775)
+++ src/dialogs/xml-tree.cpp	(working copy)
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
 static sigc::connection sel_changed_connection;
 static sigc::connection document_uri_set_connection;
 static sigc::connection document_replaced_connection;
+static sigc::connection layer_changed_connection;
 static win_data wd;
 // impossible original values to make sure they are read from prefs
 static gint x = -1000, y = -1000, w = 0, h = 0;
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@
 static SPXMLViewContent *content = NULL;
 
 static gint blocked = 0;
+static bool swallow_empty_select_after_layer_change = false;
 static SPDesktop *current_desktop = NULL;
 static SPDocument *current_document = NULL;
 static gint selected_attr = 0;
@@ -119,6 +121,7 @@
 static void on_editable_changed_enable_if_valid_xml_name(GtkEditable *editable, gpointer data);
 
 static void on_desktop_selection_changed(Inkscape::Selection *selection);
+static void on_current_layer_changed(SPObject *layer);
 static void on_document_replaced(SPDesktop *dt, SPDocument *document);
 static void on_document_uri_set(gchar const *uri, SPDocument *document);
 
@@ -652,11 +655,13 @@
     if (current_desktop) {
         sel_changed_connection.disconnect();
         document_replaced_connection.disconnect();
+        layer_changed_connection.disconnect();
     }
     current_desktop = desktop;
     if (desktop) {
         sel_changed_connection = sp_desktop_selection(desktop)->connectChanged(&on_desktop_selection_changed);
         document_replaced_connection = desktop->connectDocumentReplaced(&on_document_replaced);
+        layer_changed_connection = desktop->connectCurrentLayerChanged(&on_current_layer_changed);
         set_tree_document(sp_desktop_document(desktop));
     } else {
         set_tree_document(NULL);
@@ -1257,17 +1262,35 @@
 void on_desktop_selection_changed(Inkscape::Selection */*selection*/)
 {
     if (!blocked++) {
-        set_tree_select(get_dt_select());
+        Inkscape::XML::Node *sel = get_dt_select();
+        if (sel || !swallow_empty_select_after_layer_change) {
+            set_tree_select(get_dt_select());
+        }
+        // reset flag anyway
+        swallow_empty_select_after_layer_change = false;
     }
     blocked--;
 }
 
+static void on_current_layer_changed(SPObject *layer)
+{
+    if (!blocked++ && layer->repr) {
+        set_tree_select(layer->repr);
+        swallow_empty_select_after_layer_change = true;
+    }
+    blocked--;
+}
+
 static void on_document_replaced(SPDesktop *dt, SPDocument *doc)
 {
-    if (current_desktop)
+    if (current_desktop) {
         sel_changed_connection.disconnect();
+        layer_changed_connection.disconnect();
+    }
 
     sel_changed_connection = sp_desktop_selection(dt)->connectChanged(&on_desktop_selection_changed);
+    layer_changed_connection = dt->connectCurrentLayerChanged(&on_current_layer_changed);
+    
     set_tree_document(doc);
 }