diff --git a/extension.js b/extension.js
index 6457e71..9c78ece 100644
--- a/extension.js
+++ b/extension.js
@@ -111,8 +111,10 @@ class PHPCBF {
         const workspaceRoot = folder ? folder.uri.fsPath : null;
         const filePath = document.fileName;
         if (this.configSearch && workspaceRoot !== null && filePath !== undefined) {
+            // Priority matches PHP_CodeSniffer's own auto-detection order:
+            // https://github.com/PHPCSStandards/PHP_CodeSniffer/blob/master/src/Config.php
             const confFileNames = [
-                '.phpcs.xml', '.phpcs.xml.dist', 'phpcs.xml', 'phpcs.xml.dist',
+                '.phpcs.xml', 'phpcs.xml', '.phpcs.xml.dist', 'phpcs.xml.dist',
                 'phpcs.ruleset.xml', 'ruleset.xml',
             ];
 
diff --git a/test/unit.test.js b/test/unit.test.js
index 0fb759e..88a25e8 100644
--- a/test/unit.test.js
+++ b/test/unit.test.js
@@ -103,4 +103,39 @@ describe("findFiles", () => {
         const result = findFiles(path.join(tmpRoot, "single"), ".", "phpcs.xml");
         assert.equal(result, expected);
     });
+
+    // Verify that the PHPCS auto-detection priority is respected:
+    // .phpcs.xml > phpcs.xml > .phpcs.xml.dist > phpcs.xml.dist
+    test("PHPCS priority: .phpcs.xml beats phpcs.xml when both exist", () => {
+        const expected = mkFile("priority1", "src", ".phpcs.xml");
+        mkFile("priority1", "src", "phpcs.xml");
+        const result = findFiles(
+            path.join(tmpRoot, "priority1"),
+            "src",
+            [".phpcs.xml", "phpcs.xml", ".phpcs.xml.dist", "phpcs.xml.dist"]
+        );
+        assert.equal(result, expected);
+    });
+
+    test("PHPCS priority: phpcs.xml beats .phpcs.xml.dist when both exist", () => {
+        const expected = mkFile("priority2", "src", "phpcs.xml");
+        mkFile("priority2", "src", ".phpcs.xml.dist");
+        const result = findFiles(
+            path.join(tmpRoot, "priority2"),
+            "src",
+            [".phpcs.xml", "phpcs.xml", ".phpcs.xml.dist", "phpcs.xml.dist"]
+        );
+        assert.equal(result, expected);
+    });
+
+    test("PHPCS priority: .phpcs.xml.dist beats phpcs.xml.dist when both exist", () => {
+        const expected = mkFile("priority3", "src", ".phpcs.xml.dist");
+        mkFile("priority3", "src", "phpcs.xml.dist");
+        const result = findFiles(
+            path.join(tmpRoot, "priority3"),
+            "src",
+            [".phpcs.xml", "phpcs.xml", ".phpcs.xml.dist", "phpcs.xml.dist"]
+        );
+        assert.equal(result, expected);
+    });
 });