diff --git a/sw/qa/extras/ww8import/data/bnc821208.doc b/sw/qa/extras/ww8import/data/bnc821208.doc
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..d89d711f38be
Binary files /dev/null and b/sw/qa/extras/ww8import/data/bnc821208.doc differ
diff --git a/sw/qa/extras/ww8import/ww8import.cxx b/sw/qa/extras/ww8import/ww8import.cxx
index 0c3e1fcb26e9..cc107e041ead 100644
--- a/sw/qa/extras/ww8import/ww8import.cxx
+++ b/sw/qa/extras/ww8import/ww8import.cxx
@@ -234,6 +234,15 @@ DECLARE_WW8IMPORT_TEST(testListNolevel, "list-nolevel.doc")
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(OUString("1."), aText);
 }
 
+DECLARE_WW8IMPORT_TEST(testBnc821208, "bnc821208.doc")
+{
+    // WW8Num1z0 earned a Symbol font, turning numbers into rectangles.
+    uno::Reference<beans::XPropertyState> xPropertyState(getStyles("CharacterStyles")->getByName("WW8Num1z0"), uno::UNO_QUERY);
+    beans::PropertyState ePropertyState = xPropertyState->getPropertyState("CharFontName");
+    // This was beans::PropertyState_DIRECT_VALUE.
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(beans::PropertyState_DEFAULT_VALUE, ePropertyState);
+}
+
 #endif
 
 CPPUNIT_PLUGIN_IMPLEMENT();
diff --git a/sw/source/filter/ww8/ww8par2.cxx b/sw/source/filter/ww8/ww8par2.cxx
index c5ac5b875b9a..4d8964922995 100644
--- a/sw/source/filter/ww8/ww8par2.cxx
+++ b/sw/source/filter/ww8/ww8par2.cxx
@@ -3736,6 +3736,11 @@ bool WW8RStyle::PrepareStyle(SwWW8StyInf &rSI, ww::sti eSti, sal_uInt16 nThisSty
     }
 
     bool bImport = !bStyExist || pIo->mbNewDoc; // import content ?
+
+    // Do not override character styles the list import code created earlier.
+    if (bImport && bStyExist && rSI.GetOrgWWName().startsWith("WW8Num"))
+        bImport = false;
+
     bool bOldNoImp = pIo->bNoAttrImport;
     rSI.bImportSkipped = !bImport;