diff --git a/sw/qa/extras/ooxmlexport/data/tdf153526_commentInNumbering.docx b/sw/qa/extras/ooxmlexport/data/tdf153526_commentInNumbering.docx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f26240092c10
Binary files /dev/null and b/sw/qa/extras/ooxmlexport/data/tdf153526_commentInNumbering.docx differ
diff --git a/sw/qa/extras/ooxmlexport/ooxmlexport18.cxx b/sw/qa/extras/ooxmlexport/ooxmlexport18.cxx
index 8b6795b726c5..2e71b5bcc7fe 100644
--- a/sw/qa/extras/ooxmlexport/ooxmlexport18.cxx
+++ b/sw/qa/extras/ooxmlexport/ooxmlexport18.cxx
@@ -80,6 +80,13 @@ DECLARE_OOXMLEXPORT_TEST(testTdf147646, "tdf147646_mergedCellNumbering.docx")
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(OUString("2."),parseDump("/root/page/body/tab/row[4]/cell/txt/SwParaPortion/SwLineLayout/child::*[@type='PortionType::Number']","expand"));
 }
 
+DECLARE_OOXMLEXPORT_TEST(testTdf153526_commentInNumbering, "tdf153526_commentInNumbering.docx")
+{
+    // an exception was prematurely ending finishParagraph, losing numbering and CRs
+    // so before the patch, this was 6.
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(13, getParagraphs());
+}
+
 DECLARE_OOXMLEXPORT_TEST(testTdf153042_largeTab, "tdf153042_largeTab.docx")
 {
     // This is not the greatest test because it is slightly weird, and has a different layout
diff --git a/writerfilter/source/dmapper/DomainMapper_Impl.cxx b/writerfilter/source/dmapper/DomainMapper_Impl.cxx
index efc83477f818..558d71f90fe7 100644
--- a/writerfilter/source/dmapper/DomainMapper_Impl.cxx
+++ b/writerfilter/source/dmapper/DomainMapper_Impl.cxx
@@ -2332,11 +2332,14 @@ void DomainMapper_Impl::finishParagraph( const PropertyMapPtr& pPropertyMap, con
                             uno::Reference<container::XNamed> xCurrentNumberingRules(itNumberingRules->Value, uno::UNO_QUERY);
                             if (xCurrentNumberingRules.is())
                                 aCurrentNumberingName = xCurrentNumberingRules->getName();
-                            if (m_xPreviousParagraph.is())
+                            try
                             {
-                                uno::Reference<container::XNamed> xPreviousNumberingRules(m_xPreviousParagraph->getPropertyValue("NumberingRules"), uno::UNO_QUERY);
-                                if (xPreviousNumberingRules.is())
-                                    aPreviousNumberingName = xPreviousNumberingRules->getName();
+                                uno::Reference<container::XNamed> xPreviousNumberingRules(m_xPreviousParagraph->getPropertyValue("NumberingRules"), uno::UNO_QUERY_THROW);
+                                aPreviousNumberingName = xPreviousNumberingRules->getName();
+                            }
+                            catch (const uno::Exception&)
+                            {
+                                TOOLS_WARN_EXCEPTION("writerfilter", "DomainMapper_Impl::finishParagraph NumberingRules");
                             }
                         }
                         else if ( m_xPreviousParagraph->getPropertySetInfo()->hasPropertyByName("NumberingStyleName") &&