diff --git a/docs/config.md b/docs/config.md
index da60fa5..26ab4c2 100644
--- a/docs/config.md
+++ b/docs/config.md
@@ -930,12 +930,17 @@ directive keys in root files and imported fragments, and rename any application
 fields previously named `configkit` to avoid the newly reserved key.
 
 Path declarations use slash-separated relative paths. Absolute paths and network
-URLs are invalid. Each path resolves from its declaring file's canonical directory,
-and files are traversed depth-first in declaration order: a file contributes its own
-body before its imports. Order stabilizes source records and diagnostics but never
-permits replacement. Required missing paths fail; `optional: true` suppresses only
-target nonexistence, not invalid paths, containment failures, directories,
-permissions, parse errors, or composition errors.
+URLs are invalid. Each path resolves from its declaring file's canonical directory.
+Acquisition remains depth-first in declaration order, preserving source-record and
+version-callback order. Ordinary mapping contributions in a main tier are assembled
+dependency-first: ConfigKit selects the lexically smallest stable source key among
+the contributions whose imports are complete. Independent branches may interleave,
+and the main body may be assembled after its imports. Sequence-item contributions
+retain their declaration order and local helper scope; they are not flattened into
+this ordinary mapping schedule. Assembly order never permits replacement. Required
+missing paths fail; `optional: true` suppresses only target nonexistence, not invalid
+paths, containment failures, directories, permissions, parse errors, or composition
+errors.
 
 Glob declarations use the slash-based Go `path.Match` grammar: `*`, `?`, character
 classes, and backslash escapes are supported, while recursive `**` syntax is invalid.
diff --git a/facade_source_version_mode_test.go b/facade_source_version_mode_test.go
index 9546097..ffb0478 100644
--- a/facade_source_version_mode_test.go
+++ b/facade_source_version_mode_test.go
@@ -13,10 +13,14 @@ import (
 	configkit "gitea.maximumdirect.net/eric/ConfigKit"
 )
 
-func TestFacadeSourceVersionEvidenceFollowsAuthoredSequenceRanges(t *testing.T) {
+func TestFacadeSourceVersionEvidenceFollowsAssembledSequenceRanges(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	for _, grouped := range []bool{false, true} {
-		for _, sensitivePath := range []string{"", "/records/1/version", "/records/1"} {
+		index := 0
+		if grouped {
+			index = 1
+		}
+		for _, sensitivePath := range []string{"", fmt.Sprintf("/records/%d/version", index), fmt.Sprintf("/records/%d", index)} {
 			t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("grouped=%t/secret=%s", grouped, sensitivePath), func(t *testing.T) {
 				definition := configkit.Definition[map[string]any]{
 					SequenceCompositions: []configkit.SequenceComposition{{Path: configkit.Keys("records"), IdentityField: "id"}},
@@ -46,6 +50,16 @@ func TestFacadeSourceVersionEvidenceFollowsAuthoredSequenceRanges(t *testing.T)
 				if err != nil {
 					t.Fatal(err)
 				}
+				if !grouped {
+					records, ok := result.Config["records"].([]any)
+					if !ok || len(records) != 2 {
+						t.Fatalf("scheduled records = %#v", result.Config["records"])
+					}
+					firstRecord, ok := records[0].(map[string]any)
+					if !ok || firstRecord["id"] != "child" {
+						t.Fatalf("scheduled records = %#v", result.Config["records"])
+					}
+				}
 				sources := result.Sources()
 				check := sources[len(sources)-1].VersionCheck
 				if check == nil || check.Path.String() != "/records/0/version" || check.Location == nil || check.Location.SourceID != sources[len(sources)-1].ID {
diff --git a/internal/engine/import_graph.go b/internal/engine/import_graph.go
index 2c71e55..7e3c0f1 100644
--- a/internal/engine/import_graph.go
+++ b/internal/engine/import_graph.go
@@ -148,6 +148,42 @@ func (graph importInclusionGraph) scheduleCycle(closingEdge int, location Locati
 	}, true
 }
 
+func scheduleOrdinaryContributions(scope acquisitionScope, graph importInclusionGraph) acquisitionScope {
+	positions := make(map[importNodeKey]int, len(scope.contributions))
+	slots := make([]int, 0, len(scope.contributions))
+	keys := make([]dependencyKey, 0, len(scope.contributions))
+	for index, contribution := range scope.contributions {
+		if contribution.scopeOwner != scope.owner || (contribution.role != importRoleMain && contribution.role != importRoleMapping) {
+			continue
+		}
+		positions[contribution.identity] = len(keys)
+		slots = append(slots, index)
+		keys = append(keys, contribution.identity.dependencyKey())
+	}
+	if len(keys) < 2 {
+		return scope
+	}
+
+	edges := make([]dependencyEdge, 0, len(graph.edges))
+	for _, edge := range graph.edges {
+		importer, importerOK := positions[edge.importer]
+		imported, importedOK := positions[edge.imported]
+		if importerOK && importedOK {
+			edges = append(edges, dependencyEdge{prerequisite: imported, dependent: importer})
+		}
+	}
+	order, _ := scheduleDependencies(keys, edges)
+	if len(order) != len(keys) {
+		return scope
+	}
+	scheduled := scope
+	scheduled.contributions = append([]acquiredContribution(nil), scope.contributions...)
+	for position, scheduledIndex := range order {
+		scheduled.contributions[slots[position]] = scope.contributions[slots[scheduledIndex]]
+	}
+	return scheduled
+}
+
 func importKeyFor(access *filesystemAccess, canonical string, synthetic bool) importNodeKey {
 	kind := "host"
 	resourceKind := "file"
diff --git a/internal/engine/imports.go b/internal/engine/imports.go
index ff5700e..c2221cc 100644
--- a/internal/engine/imports.go
+++ b/internal/engine/imports.go
@@ -220,6 +220,9 @@ func loadImportedWithAccessTrackedAndProcessingPolicy(access *filesystemAccess,
 		}
 	}
 	if len(diagnostics) == 0 {
+		if !mainIsItem {
+			state.scope = scheduleOrdinaryContributions(state.scope, state.importGraph)
+		}
 		diagnostics = state.composePendingItems(&state.scope)
 	}
 
@@ -256,7 +259,7 @@ func loadImportedWithAccessTrackedAndProcessingPolicy(access *filesystemAccess,
 					protectionRule = &scoped
 				}
 			}
-			if diagnostic := importedVersionClaim(documents, completed, protectionRule, 0); diagnostic != nil {
+			if diagnostic := importedVersionClaim(documents, localScope, completed, protectionRule); diagnostic != nil {
 				if rule != nil {
 					diagnostic.Path = rule.Path.clone()
 				}
@@ -297,7 +300,7 @@ func loadImportedWithAccessTrackedAndProcessingPolicy(access *filesystemAccess,
 	}
 	composed, diagnostics := composeDocumentsWithPolicy(policy, documents...)
 	if composed != nil {
-		if diagnostic := importedVersionClaim(documents, composed, rule, 0); diagnostic != nil {
+		if diagnostic := importedVersionClaim(documents, state.scope, composed, rule); diagnostic != nil {
 			return nil, cloneSourceInfos(state.sources), []Diagnostic{*diagnostic}
 		}
 	}
@@ -618,10 +621,17 @@ func (s *importTraversal) composePendingItems(scope *acquisitionScope) []Diagnos
 	return nil
 }
 
-func importedVersionClaim(documents []*document.Node, composed *composedDocument, rule *VersionRule, mainIndex int) *Diagnostic {
+func importedVersionClaim(documents []*document.Node, scope acquisitionScope, composed *composedDocument, rule *VersionRule) *Diagnostic {
 	if composed == nil || rule == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
+	mainIndex := -1
+	for index, contribution := range scope.contributions {
+		if contribution.role == importRoleMain {
+			mainIndex = index
+			break
+		}
+	}
 	ranges := indexSequenceRanges(composed.sequenceRanges)
 	for index, contribution := range documents {
 		if index == mainIndex {
diff --git a/internal/engine/imports_test.go b/internal/engine/imports_test.go
index 7f1eaf4..b777e52 100644
--- a/internal/engine/imports_test.go
+++ b/internal/engine/imports_test.go
@@ -91,6 +91,80 @@ settings:
 	}
 }
 
+func TestLoadOrdinaryImportsUseDependencyReadyCompositionOrder(t *testing.T) {
+	type task struct {
+		ID string `yaml:"id"`
+	}
+	type config struct {
+		Tasks []task `yaml:"tasks"`
+	}
+	directory := t.TempDir()
+	mainPath := writeImportFile(t, directory, "main.yml", `configkit:
+  imports:
+    - path: z-parent.yml
+    - path: a-independent.yml
+tasks: [{id: main}]
+`)
+	zParentPath := writeImportFile(t, directory, "z-parent.yml", `configkit:
+  imports:
+    - path: b-dependency.yml
+tasks: [{id: z-parent}]
+`)
+	aIndependentPath := writeImportFile(t, directory, "a-independent.yml", "tasks: [{id: a-independent}]\n")
+	bDependencyPath := writeImportFile(t, directory, "b-dependency.yml", "tasks: [{id: b-dependency}]\n")
+
+	input, diagnostics := assembleBaseInput[config](File(mainPath), Options[config]{
+		Imports:        true,
+		sequencePolicy: sequencePolicy{identityFields: map[string]string{"/tasks": "id"}},
+	})
+	if len(diagnostics) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("assemble imports: %#v", diagnostics)
+	}
+	tasks, ok := documentAtPath(input.document, Keys("tasks"))
+	if !ok || tasks.Kind != document.Sequence {
+		t.Fatalf("tasks document = %#v, %v", tasks, ok)
+	}
+	wantOrder := []string{"a-independent", "b-dependency", "z-parent", "main"}
+	if len(tasks.Sequence) != len(wantOrder) {
+		t.Fatalf("tasks = %#v", tasks.Sequence)
+	}
+	for index, want := range wantOrder {
+		id, found := documentAtPath(tasks, Path{}.Index(index).Key("id"))
+		if !found || id.Text != want {
+			t.Errorf("task %d ID = %#v, want %q", index, id, want)
+		}
+	}
+	wantAcquisition := []string{
+		canonicalTestPath(t, mainPath), canonicalTestPath(t, zParentPath),
+		canonicalTestPath(t, bDependencyPath), canonicalTestPath(t, aIndependentPath),
+	}
+	for index, want := range wantAcquisition {
+		if got := input.sources[index].Path; got != want {
+			t.Errorf("acquired source %d = %q, want %q", index, got, want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAcquiredContextsUseSelectedFileWhenSourceRecordsAreReordered(t *testing.T) {
+	directory := t.TempDir()
+	mainPath := writeImportFile(t, directory, "main.yml", "settings: {root: main}\n")
+	importedPath := writeImportFile(t, directory, "nested/imported.yml", "settings: {nested: imported}\n")
+	sources := []SourceInfo{
+		{ID: "source-2", Path: canonicalTestPath(t, importedPath), Kind: SourceKindFile},
+		{ID: "source-1", Path: canonicalTestPath(t, mainPath), Kind: SourceKindFile},
+	}
+	contexts, diagnostic := contextsForAcquiredSources(File(mainPath), nil, nil, sources)
+	if diagnostic != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("source contexts: %#v", diagnostic)
+	}
+	if got := contexts["source-1"].BaseDir; got != "." {
+		t.Errorf("main source base = %q, want root-relative current directory", got)
+	}
+	if got := contexts["source-2"].BaseDir; got != "nested" {
+		t.Errorf("imported source base = %q, want nested", got)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestLoadImportsFromProfilesDirectoryAsBaseInput(t *testing.T) {
 	directory := t.TempDir()
 	mainPath := writeImportFile(t, directory, "main.yml", "configkit: {imports: [{path: profiles/shared.yml}]}\n")
diff --git a/internal/engine/sequence_registration_test.go b/internal/engine/sequence_registration_test.go
index 6fb2bdb..6fc2aaf 100644
--- a/internal/engine/sequence_registration_test.go
+++ b/internal/engine/sequence_registration_test.go
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ func TestRegisteredSequencePolicyAcrossLoadingLifecycle(t *testing.T) {
 		mainPath := writeImportFile(t, directory, "main.yml", "configkit: {imports: [{path: fragment.yml}]}\nitems: [{id: authored}]\n")
 		writeImportFile(t, directory, "fragment.yml", "items: [{id: imported}]\n")
 		result, err := testLoad[config](File(mainPath), Options[config]{Imports: true, Definition: definition})
-		if err != nil || len(result.Config.Items) != 2 || result.Config.Items[1].ID != "imported" {
+		if err != nil || len(result.Config.Items) != 2 || result.Config.Items[0].ID != "imported" || result.Config.Items[1].ID != "authored" {
 			t.Fatalf("registered imported list = %#v, %v", result, err)
 		}
 	})
diff --git a/internal/engine/source_context.go b/internal/engine/source_context.go
index 2da7c24..ba61ffe 100644
--- a/internal/engine/source_context.go
+++ b/internal/engine/source_context.go
@@ -23,9 +23,16 @@ func contextsForAcquiredSources(source Source, context *FilesystemContext, baseS
 		filesystem = context.FS.namespace.filesystem
 		rootPath, basePath = context.Root, context.BaseDir
 	} else if source.kind == sourceFile {
-		filePath := sources[0].Path
+		filePath := source.path
 		if baseSource != nil {
 			filePath = baseSource.Path
+		} else {
+			canonical, err := canonicalExistingPath(filePath)
+			if err != nil {
+				value := importDiagnostic(CodeImportInvalid, "selected source could not be canonicalized", nil)
+				return nil, &value
+			}
+			filePath = canonical
 		}
 		basePath = filepath.Dir(filePath)
 		rootPath = basePath