diff --git a/lisp/ox-latex.el b/lisp/ox-latex.el
index 7ac66925e..e863e6a66 100644
--- a/lisp/ox-latex.el
+++ b/lisp/ox-latex.el
@@ -1323,20 +1323,6 @@ CONTENTS is nil.  INFO is a plist holding contextual information."
      (when (eq (org-element-type prev) 'footnote-reference)
        org-latex-footnote-separator))
    (cond
-    ;; Use \footnotemark if reference is within an item's tag.
-    ((eq (org-element-type (org-export-get-parent-element footnote-reference))
-	 'item)
-     (if (org-export-footnote-first-reference-p footnote-reference info)
-	 "\\footnotemark"
-       ;; Since we can't specify footnote number as an optional
-       ;; argument within an item tag, some extra work has to be done
-       ;; when the footnote has already been referenced.  In that
-       ;; case, set footnote counter to the desired number, use the
-       ;; footnotemark, then set counter back to its original value.
-       (format
-	"\\setcounter{footnote}{%s}\\footnotemark\\setcounter{footnote}{%s}"
-	(1- (org-export-get-footnote-number footnote-reference info))
-	(org-latex--get-footnote-counter footnote-reference info))))
     ;; Use \footnotemark if the footnote has already been defined.
     ((not (org-export-footnote-first-reference-p footnote-reference info))
      (format "\\footnotemark[%s]{}"
@@ -1610,7 +1596,7 @@ contextual information."
 		     (trans "$\\boxminus$ ")))
 	 (tag (let ((tag (org-element-property :tag item)))
 		;; Check-boxes must belong to the tag.
-		(and tag (format "[%s] "
+		(and tag (format "[{%s}] "
 				 (concat checkbox
 					 (org-export-data tag info)))))))
     (concat counter "\\item" (or tag (concat " " checkbox))
diff --git a/lisp/ox.el b/lisp/ox.el
index 319ae5430..e49de22c6 100644
--- a/lisp/ox.el
+++ b/lisp/ox.el
@@ -4050,7 +4050,8 @@ significant."
 	     (let ((foundp (funcall find-headline path parent)))
 	       (when foundp (throw 'exit foundp))))
 	   (let ((parent-hl (org-export-get-parent-headline link)))
-	     (cons parent-hl (org-export-get-genealogy parent-hl))))
+	     (if (not parent-hl) (list (plist-get info :parse-tree))
+	       (cons parent-hl (org-export-get-genealogy parent-hl)))))
 	  ;; No destination found: return nil.
 	  (and (not match-title-p) (puthash path nil link-cache))))))))
 
diff --git a/testing/lisp/test-ox.el b/testing/lisp/test-ox.el
index c85d1ddcd..cbae08a82 100644
--- a/testing/lisp/test-ox.el
+++ b/testing/lisp/test-ox.el
@@ -1642,7 +1642,14 @@ Another text. (ref:text)
   (should-not
    (org-test-with-parsed-data "[[target]]"
      (org-export-resolve-fuzzy-link
-      (org-element-map tree 'link 'identity info t) info))))
+      (org-element-map tree 'link 'identity info t) info)))
+  ;; Match fuzzy link even when before first headline.
+  (should
+   (eq 'headline
+       (org-test-with-parsed-data "[[hl]]\n* hl"
+	 (org-element-type
+	  (org-export-resolve-fuzzy-link
+	   (org-element-map tree 'link 'identity info t) info))))))
 
 (ert-deftest test-org-export/resolve-id-link ()
   "Test `org-export-resolve-id-link' specifications."