diff --git a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawProjGroupItem.cpp b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawProjGroupItem.cpp
index 20e33f3534a0..36ac741e83ee 100644
--- a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawProjGroupItem.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawProjGroupItem.cpp
@@ -131,10 +131,19 @@ bool DrawProjGroupItem::showLock(void) const
     return result;
 }
 
-
 App::DocumentObjectExecReturn *DrawProjGroupItem::execute(void)
 {
 //    Base::Console().Message("DPGI::execute(%s)\n",Label.getValue());
+
+    bool haveX = checkXDirection();
+    if (!haveX) {
+        //block touch/onChanged stuff
+        Base::Vector3d newX = getXDirection();
+        XDirection.setValue(newX);
+        XDirection.purgeTouched();  //don't trigger updates!
+        //unblock
+    }
+
     if (DrawUtil::checkParallel(Direction.getValue(),
                                 getXDirection())) {
         return new App::DocumentObjectExecReturn("DPGI: Direction and XDirection are parallel");
diff --git a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewDetail.cpp b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewDetail.cpp
index 9d52a336b13c..a7a8b044a7e5 100644
--- a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewDetail.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewDetail.cpp
@@ -216,6 +216,15 @@ App::DocumentObjectExecReturn *DrawViewDetail::execute(void)
         return DrawView::execute();
     }
 
+    bool haveX = checkXDirection();
+    if (!haveX) {
+        //block touch/onChanged stuff
+        Base::Vector3d newX = getXDirection();
+        XDirection.setValue(newX);
+        XDirection.purgeTouched();  //don't trigger updates!
+        //unblock
+    }
+
     Base::Vector3d anchor = AnchorPoint.getValue();    //this is a 2D point (in unrotated coords)
     Base::Vector3d dirDetail = dvp->Direction.getValue();
 
diff --git a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewPart.cpp b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewPart.cpp
index e4bc1adbdf22..54bcf890138f 100644
--- a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewPart.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewPart.cpp
@@ -241,9 +241,16 @@ App::DocumentObjectExecReturn *DrawViewPart::execute(void)
         return App::DocumentObject::StdReturn;
     }
 
-    checkXDirection();
+    bool haveX = checkXDirection();
+    if (!haveX) {
+        //block touch/onChanged stuff
+        Base::Vector3d newX = getXDirection();
+        XDirection.setValue(newX);
+        XDirection.purgeTouched();  //don't trigger updates!
+        //unblock
+    }
 
-    m_saveShape = shape;
+//    m_saveShape = shape;
     geometryObject = makeGeometryForShape(shape);
 
 #if MOD_TECHDRAW_HANDLE_FACES
@@ -321,6 +328,7 @@ GeometryObject* DrawViewPart::makeGeometryForShape(TopoDS_Shape shape)
     //center shape on origin
     TopoDS_Shape centeredShape = TechDraw::moveShape(shape,
                                                      centroid * -1.0);
+    m_saveShape = centeredShape;
 
     TopoDS_Shape scaledShape = TechDraw::scaleShape(centeredShape,
                                                     getScale());
@@ -919,7 +927,7 @@ bool DrawViewPart::checkXDirection(void) const
         Base::Vector3d origin(0.0,0.0,0.0);
         Base::Vector3d xDir = getLegacyX(origin,
                                          dir);
-        Base::Console().Warning("DVP - %s - XDirection property not set. Try %s\n",
+        Base::Console().Warning("DVP - %s - XDirection property not set. Trying %s\n",
                                 getNameInDocument(),
                                 DrawUtil::formatVector(xDir).c_str());
         return false;
diff --git a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewSection.cpp b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewSection.cpp
index 1d85411c0b90..7d4236cd0f4c 100644
--- a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewSection.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewSection.cpp
@@ -242,7 +242,15 @@ App::DocumentObjectExecReturn *DrawViewSection::execute(void)
         return new App::DocumentObjectExecReturn("BaseView Source object is Null");
     }
 
-    checkXDirection();
+//    checkXDirection();
+    bool haveX = checkXDirection();
+    if (!haveX) {
+        //block touch/onChanged stuff
+        Base::Vector3d newX = getXDirection();
+        XDirection.setValue(newX);
+        XDirection.purgeTouched();  //don't trigger updates!
+        //unblock
+    }
 
     //is SectionOrigin valid?
     Bnd_Box centerBox;
@@ -305,7 +313,6 @@ App::DocumentObjectExecReturn *DrawViewSection::execute(void)
 
         Base::Vector3d origin(0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
         viewAxis = getProjectionCS(origin);
-
         if (!DrawUtil::fpCompare(Rotation.getValue(),0.0)) {
             scaledShape = TechDraw::rotateShape(scaledShape,
                                                 viewAxis,
@@ -569,6 +576,35 @@ bool DrawViewSection::isReallyInBox (const gp_Pnt p, const Bnd_Box& bb) const
     return !bb.IsOut(p);
 }
 
+Base::Vector3d DrawViewSection::getXDirection(void) const
+{
+//    Base::Console().Message("DVS::getXDirection() - %s\n", Label.getValue());
+    Base::Vector3d result(1.0, 0.0, 0.0);               //default X
+    App::Property* prop = getPropertyByName("XDirection");
+    if (prop != nullptr) {                              //have an XDirection property
+        Base::Vector3d propVal = XDirection.getValue();
+        if (DrawUtil::fpCompare(propVal.Length(), 0.0))  {   //but it has no value
+            std::string sectName = SectionDirection.getValueAsString();
+            gp_Ax2 cs = getCSFromBase(sectName);
+            gp_Dir gXDir = cs.XDirection();
+            result = Base::Vector3d(gXDir.X(),
+                                    gXDir.Y(),
+                                    gXDir.Z());
+        } else {
+            result = propVal;                               //normal case.  XDirection is set.
+        }
+    } else {                                                //no Property.  can this happen?
+            std::string sectName = SectionDirection.getValueAsString();
+            gp_Ax2 cs = getCSFromBase(sectName);
+            gp_Dir gXDir = cs.XDirection();
+            result = Base::Vector3d(gXDir.X(),
+                                    gXDir.Y(),
+                                    gXDir.Z());
+
+    }
+    return result;
+}
+
 void DrawViewSection::setCSFromBase(const std::string sectionName) 
 {
 //    Base::Console().Message("DVS::setCSFromBase(%s)\n", sectionName.c_str());
@@ -586,7 +622,7 @@ void DrawViewSection::setCSFromBase(const std::string sectionName)
     XDirection.setValue(vXDir);
 }
 
-gp_Ax2 DrawViewSection::getCSFromBase(const std::string sectionName)
+gp_Ax2 DrawViewSection::getCSFromBase(const std::string sectionName) const
 {
 //    Base::Console().Message("DVS::getCSFromBase(%s)\n", sectionName.c_str());
     Base::Vector3d sectionNormal;
@@ -663,7 +699,6 @@ gp_Ax2 DrawViewSection::getSectionCS(void) const
     catch (...) {
         Base::Console().Warning("DVS::getSectionCS - %s - failed to create section CS\n", getNameInDocument());
     }
-
     return sectionCS;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewSection.h b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewSection.h
index a1b02c5987e8..298814193d04 100644
--- a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewSection.h
+++ b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewSection.h
@@ -91,12 +91,13 @@ class TechDrawExport DrawViewSection : public DrawViewPart
     std::vector<TechDraw::Face*> getFaceGeometry();
 
     void setCSFromBase(const std::string sectionName);
-    gp_Ax2 getCSFromBase(const std::string sectionName);
+    gp_Ax2 getCSFromBase(const std::string sectionName) const;
 
     gp_Ax2 rotateCSArbitrary(gp_Ax2 oldCS,
                              Base::Vector3d axis,
                              double degAngle) const;
     gp_Ax2 getSectionCS() const;
+    virtual Base::Vector3d getXDirection(void) const override;       //don't use XDirection.getValue()
 
     TechDraw::DrawViewPart* getBaseDVP() const;
     TechDraw::DrawProjGroupItem* getBaseDPGI() const;