diff --git a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawSVGTemplate.cpp b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawSVGTemplate.cpp
index 3773b3632f..fe36964dcc 100644
--- a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawSVGTemplate.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawSVGTemplate.cpp
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 
 #ifndef _PreComp_
 # include <sstream>
-# include <QDomDocument>
 # include <QFile>
 #endif
 
@@ -86,6 +85,10 @@ void DrawSVGTemplate::onChanged(const App::Property* prop)
         //the old template, but there is no guarantee that the same fields will be present.
         replaceFileIncluded(Template.getValue());
         EditableTexts.setValues(getEditableTextsFromTemplate());
+        QDomDocument templateDocument;
+        if (getTemplateDocument(Template.getValue(), templateDocument)) {
+            extractTemplateAttributes(templateDocument);
+        }
     } else if (prop == &EditableTexts) {
         //handled by ViewProvider
     }
@@ -103,20 +106,24 @@ QString DrawSVGTemplate::processTemplate()
         //can't do anything
         return QString();
     }
-
-    QFile templateFile(Base::Tools::fromStdString(PageResult.getValue()));
-    if (!templateFile.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly)) {
-        Base::Console().Error("DrawSVGTemplate::processTemplate can't read embedded template %s!\n", PageResult.getValue());
-        return QString();
-    }
-
     QDomDocument templateDocument;
-    if (!templateDocument.setContent(&templateFile)) {
-        Base::Console().Error("DrawSVGTemplate::processTemplate - failed to parse file: %s\n",
-            PageResult.getValue());
+    if (!getTemplateDocument(PageResult.getValue(), templateDocument)) {
         return QString();
     }
 
+//    QFile templateFile(Base::Tools::fromStdString(PageResult.getValue()));
+//    if (!templateFile.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly)) {
+//        Base::Console().Error("DrawSVGTemplate::processTemplate can't read embedded template %s!\n", PageResult.getValue());
+//        return QString();
+//    }
+
+//    QDomDocument templateDocument;
+//    if (!templateDocument.setContent(&templateFile)) {
+//        Base::Console().Error("DrawSVGTemplate::processTemplate - failed to parse file: %s\n",
+//            PageResult.getValue());
+//        return QString();
+//    }
+
     XMLQuery query(templateDocument);
     std::map<std::string, std::string> substitutions = EditableTexts.getValues();
 
@@ -144,8 +151,36 @@ QString DrawSVGTemplate::processTemplate()
         return true;
     });
 
-    // Calculate the dimensions of the page and store for retrieval
-    // Obtain the size of the SVG document by reading the document attributes
+    extractTemplateAttributes(templateDocument);
+//    // Calculate the dimensions of the page and store for retrieval
+//    // Obtain the size of the SVG document by reading the document attributes
+//    QDomElement docElement = templateDocument.documentElement();
+//    Base::Quantity quantity;
+
+//    // Obtain the width
+//    QString str = docElement.attribute(QString::fromLatin1("width"));
+//    quantity = Base::Quantity::parse(str);
+//    quantity.setUnit(Base::Unit::Length);
+
+//    Width.setValue(quantity.getValue());
+
+//    str = docElement.attribute(QString::fromLatin1("height"));
+//    quantity = Base::Quantity::parse(str);
+//    quantity.setUnit(Base::Unit::Length);
+
+//    Height.setValue(quantity.getValue());
+
+//    bool isLandscape = getWidth() / getHeight() >= 1.;
+
+//    Orientation.setValue(isLandscape ? 1 : 0);
+
+    //all Qt holds on files should be released on exit #4085
+    return templateDocument.toString();
+}
+
+// find the width, height and orientation of the template and update the properties
+void DrawSVGTemplate::extractTemplateAttributes(QDomDocument& templateDocument)
+{
     QDomElement docElement = templateDocument.documentElement();
     Base::Quantity quantity;
 
@@ -165,9 +200,27 @@ QString DrawSVGTemplate::processTemplate()
     bool isLandscape = getWidth() / getHeight() >= 1.;
 
     Orientation.setValue(isLandscape ? 1 : 0);
+}
 
-    //all Qt holds on files should be released on exit #4085
-    return templateDocument.toString();
+// load the included template file as a QDomDocument
+bool DrawSVGTemplate::getTemplateDocument(std::string sourceFile, QDomDocument& templateDocument) const
+{
+    if (sourceFile.empty()) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    QFile templateFile(Base::Tools::fromStdString(sourceFile));
+    if (!templateFile.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly)) {
+        Base::Console().Error("DrawSVGTemplate::processTemplate can't read embedded template %s!\n", PageResult.getValue());
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    if (!templateDocument.setContent(&templateFile)) {
+        Base::Console().Error("DrawSVGTemplate::processTemplate - failed to parse file: %s\n",
+            PageResult.getValue());
+        return false;
+    }
+    // no errors templateDocument is loaded
+    return true;
 }
 
 double DrawSVGTemplate::getWidth() const
@@ -200,35 +253,42 @@ std::map<std::string, std::string> DrawSVGTemplate::getEditableTextsFromTemplate
 //    Base::Console().Message("DSVGT::getEditableTextsFromTemplate()\n");
     std::map<std::string, std::string> editables;
 
-    std::string templateFilename = Template.getValue();
-    if (templateFilename.empty()) {
-        return editables;
-    }
-
-    Base::FileInfo tfi(templateFilename);
-    if (!tfi.isReadable()) {
-        // if there is an old absolute template file set use a redirect
-        tfi.setFile(App::Application::getResourceDir() + "Mod/Drawing/Templates/" + tfi.fileName());
-        // try the redirect
-        if (!tfi.isReadable()) {
-            Base::Console().Error("DrawSVGTemplate::getEditableTextsFromTemplate() not able to open %s!\n", Template.getValue());
-            return editables;
-        }
-    }
-
-    QFile templateFile(QString::fromUtf8(tfi.filePath().c_str()));
-    if (!templateFile.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly)) {
-        Base::Console().Error("DrawSVGTemplate::getEditableTextsFromTemplate() can't read template %s!\n", Template.getValue());
-        return editables;
-    }
+//    std::string templateFilename = Template.getValue();
+//    if (templateFilename.empty()) {
+//        return editables;
+//    }
 
+// if we pass the filename we can reuse getTemplateDocument here
     QDomDocument templateDocument;
-    if (!templateDocument.setContent(&templateFile)) {
-        Base::Console().Message("DrawSVGTemplate::getEditableTextsFromTemplate() - failed to parse file: %s\n",
-                                Template.getValue());
+    if (!getTemplateDocument(Template.getValue(), templateDocument)) {
         return editables;
     }
 
+
+//    Base::FileInfo tfi(templateFilename);
+//    if (!tfi.isReadable()) {
+//        // if there is an old absolute template file set use a redirect
+//        tfi.setFile(App::Application::getResourceDir() + "Mod/Drawing/Templates/" + tfi.fileName());
+//        // try the redirect
+//        if (!tfi.isReadable()) {
+//            Base::Console().Error("DrawSVGTemplate::getEditableTextsFromTemplate() not able to open %s!\n", Template.getValue());
+//            return editables;
+//        }
+//    }
+
+//    QFile templateFile(QString::fromUtf8(tfi.filePath().c_str()));
+//    if (!templateFile.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly)) {
+//        Base::Console().Error("DrawSVGTemplate::getEditableTextsFromTemplate() can't read template %s!\n", Template.getValue());
+//        return editables;
+//    }
+
+//    QDomDocument templateDocument;
+//    if (!templateDocument.setContent(&templateFile)) {
+//        Base::Console().Message("DrawSVGTemplate::getEditableTextsFromTemplate() - failed to parse file: %s\n",
+//                                Template.getValue());
+//        return editables;
+//    }
+
     XMLQuery query(templateDocument);
 
     // XPath query to select all <tspan> nodes whose <text> parent
diff --git a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawSVGTemplate.h b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawSVGTemplate.h
index 030ebc33f1..4454967e11 100644
--- a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawSVGTemplate.h
+++ b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawSVGTemplate.h
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
 #ifndef TECHDRAW_DrawSVGTemplate_h_
 #define TECHDRAW_DrawSVGTemplate_h_
 
+# include <QDomDocument>
+
 #include <App/FeaturePython.h>
 #include <App/PropertyFile.h>
 #include <Mod/TechDraw/TechDrawGlobal.h>
@@ -56,6 +58,8 @@ public:
     double getHeight() const override;
 
     QString processTemplate();
+    void extractTemplateAttributes(QDomDocument& templateDocument);
+    bool getTemplateDocument(std::string sourceFile, QDomDocument& templateDocument) const;
 
     void translateLabel(std::string context, std::string baseName, std::string uniqueName);