diff --git a/tests-unit/test_ast_bysection.py b/tests-unit/test_ast_bysection.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..afdcc70a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests-unit/test_ast_bysection.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import unittest
+from unittest.mock import patch, MagicMock
+from trlc.ast import Symbol_Table
+
+class TestRecordObject:
+    def __init__(self, location, section):
+        self.location = location
+        self.section = section
+
+class TestSection:
+    def __init__(self, name):
+        self.name = name
+
+class TestIterRecordObjectsBySection(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    @patch("trlc.ast.Symbol_Table.iter_record_objects")
+    def test_iter_record_objects_by_section(self, mock_iter_record_objects):
+        mock_location1 = MagicMock(file_name = 'file1')
+        mock_section1 = TestSection('section1')
+        mock_section2 = TestSection('section2')
+        mock_location2 = MagicMock(file_name = 'file2')
+        record1 = TestRecordObject(mock_location1, [mock_section1, mock_section2])
+        record2 = TestRecordObject(mock_location2, [])
+        mock_iter_record_objects.return_value = [record1, record2]
+        
+        results = list(Symbol_Table().iter_record_objects_by_section())
+        
+        expected_results = [
+            'file1',
+            ('section1', 0),
+            ('section2', 1),
+            (record1, 1),
+            'file2',
+            (record2, 0)
+        ]
+        
+        self.assertEqual(results, expected_results)
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/trlc/ast.py b/trlc/ast.py
index a187f136..1b68f02e 100644
--- a/trlc/ast.py
+++ b/trlc/ast.py
@@ -3096,15 +3096,13 @@ def iter_record_objects_by_section(self):
                 yield location
             if record_object.section:
                 object_level = len(record_object.section) - 1
-            else:
-                object_level = 0
-            if record_object.section:
                 for level, section in enumerate(record_object.section):
                     if section not in self.section_names:
                         self.section_names.append(section)
                         yield section.name, level
                 yield record_object, object_level
             else:
+                object_level = 0
                 yield record_object, object_level
 
     def iter_record_objects(self):