diff --git a/src/common/JSONImporter.js b/src/common/JSONImporter.js
index 983370a..b4118ee 100644
--- a/src/common/JSONImporter.js
+++ b/src/common/JSONImporter.js
@@ -819,11 +819,16 @@ define([
 
             let skipNodes = [];
             if (searchOpts.startHint) {
-                const match = await this.findNodeWhere(core, searchOpts.startHint, fn);
-                if (match) {
-                    return match;
+                let startNode = searchOpts.startHint;
+                let match = null;
+                while (startNode) {
+                    match = await this.findNodeWhere(core, startNode, fn, skipNodes);
+                    if (match) {
+                        return match;
+                    }
+                    skipNodes.push(startNode);
+                    startNode = core.getParent(startNode);
                 }
-                skipNodes.push(searchOpts.startHint);
             }
 
             return await this.findNodeWhere(core, node, fn, skipNodes);
diff --git a/test/common/JSONImporter.spec.js b/test/common/JSONImporter.spec.js
index 858830e..0f3a14e 100644
--- a/test/common/JSONImporter.spec.js
+++ b/test/common/JSONImporter.spec.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ describe('JSONImporter', function () {
     const _ = testFixture.requirejs('underscore');
     const Core = testFixture.requirejs('common/core/coreQ');
     const Importer = testFixture.requirejs('webgme-json-importer/JSONImporter');
+    const NodeSelections = Importer.NodeSelections;
     const assert = require('assert');
     const gmeConfig = testFixture.getGmeConfig();
     const path = testFixture.path;
@@ -1065,6 +1066,43 @@ describe('JSONImporter', function () {
             );
         });
 
+        it('should search children for @guid first', async function() {
+            const fco = await core.loadByPath(root, '/1');
+            const parent = core.createNode({base: fco, parent: root});
+            const node = core.createNode({base: fco, parent});
+            const guid = core.getGuid(node);
+
+            const parentJson = {
+                children: [
+                    {
+                        id: `@guid:${guid}`
+                    }
+                ]
+            };
+            const selectors = new NodeSelections();
+            await importer.resolveSelectors(parent, parentJson, selectors);
+            assert.equal(selectors.cache.length, 1);
+        });
+
+        it('should search children of ancestors for @guid next', async function() {
+            const fco = await core.loadByPath(root, '/1');
+            const gparent = core.createNode({base: fco, parent: root});
+            const parent = core.createNode({base: fco, parent: gparent});
+            const node = core.createNode({base: fco, parent: gparent});
+            const guid = core.getGuid(node);
+
+            const parentJson = {
+                children: [
+                    {
+                        id: `@guid:${guid}`
+                    }
+                ]
+            };
+            const selectors = new NodeSelections();
+            await importer.resolveSelectors(parent, parentJson, selectors);
+            assert.equal(selectors.cache.length, 2);
+        });
+
         it('should set guid when creating @guid nodes', async function() {
             const fco = await core.loadByPath(root, '/1');
             const node = core.createNode({base: fco, parent: root});