diff --git a/src/App/Part.cpp b/src/App/Part.cpp
index c56bee1c84..3468ee3652 100644
--- a/src/App/Part.cpp
+++ b/src/App/Part.cpp
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ PROPERTY_SOURCE_WITH_EXTENSIONS(App::Part, App::GeoFeature)
 Part::Part(void)
 {
     ADD_PROPERTY(Type,(""));
-    ADD_PROPERTY_TYPE(Material, (), 0, App::Prop_None, "Map with material properties");
+    ADD_PROPERTY_TYPE(Material, (0), 0, App::Prop_None, "The Material for this Part");
     ADD_PROPERTY_TYPE(Meta, (), 0, App::Prop_None, "Map with additional meta information");
 
     // create the uuid for the document
@@ -109,6 +109,21 @@ PyObject *Part::getPyObject()
     return Py::new_reference_to(PythonObject);
 }
 
+void Part::handleChangedPropertyType(Base::XMLReader &reader, const char *TypeName, App::Property *prop)
+{
+    // Migrate Material from App::PropertyMap to App::PropertyLink
+    if (!strcmp(TypeName, "App::PropertyMap")) {
+        App::PropertyMap oldvalue;
+        oldvalue.Restore(reader);
+        if (oldvalue.getSize()) {
+            auto oldprop = static_cast<App::PropertyMap*>(addDynamicProperty("App::PropertyMap", "Material_old", "Base"));
+            oldprop->setValues(oldvalue.getValues());
+        }
+    } else {
+        App::GeoFeature::handleChangedPropertyType(reader, TypeName, prop);
+    }
+}
+
 // Python feature ---------------------------------------------------------
 
 // Not quite sure yet making Part derivable in Python is good Idea!
diff --git a/src/App/Part.h b/src/App/Part.h
index 8c7667fbd0..a38ab5ec8f 100644
--- a/src/App/Part.h
+++ b/src/App/Part.h
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ public:
     /// unique identifier of the Item
     App::PropertyUUID    Uid;
     /// material descriptions
-    App::PropertyMap     Material;
+    App::PropertyLink    Material;
     /// Meta descriptions
     App::PropertyMap     Meta;
 
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ public:
         return "Gui::ViewProviderPart";
     }
 
+
+    virtual void handleChangedPropertyType(Base::XMLReader &reader, const char *TypeName, App::Property *prop) override;
+
     /**
      * Returns the part which contains this object.
      * In case this object does not belong to any Part, 0 is returned.