diff --git a/.changeset/ready-mirrors-sneeze.md b/.changeset/ready-mirrors-sneeze.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3836acf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/ready-mirrors-sneeze.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"eslint-import-resolver-typescript": patch
+---
+
+fix: always sort projects by affinity before iterating
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c7bd7e50..4405eee3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # eslint-import-resolver-typescript
 
 [![GitHub Actions Workflow Status](https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/import-js/eslint-import-resolver-typescript/ci.yml?branch=master)](https://github.com/import-js/eslint-import-resolver-typescript/actions/workflows/ci.yml?query=branch%3Amaster)
+[![Codecov](https://img.shields.io/codecov/c/github/import-js/eslint-import-resolver-typescript.svg)](https://codecov.io/gh/import-js/eslint-import-resolver-typescript)
 [![type-coverage](https://img.shields.io/badge/dynamic/json.svg?label=type-coverage&prefix=%E2%89%A5&suffix=%&query=$.typeCoverage.atLeast&uri=https%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fimport-js%2Feslint-import-resolver-typescript%2Fmaster%2Fpackage.json)](https://github.com/plantain-00/type-coverage)
 [![npm](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/eslint-import-resolver-typescript.svg)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/eslint-import-resolver-typescript)
 [![GitHub Release](https://img.shields.io/github/release/import-js/eslint-import-resolver-typescript)](https://github.com/import-js/eslint-import-resolver-typescript/releases)
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 60db5ec0..fb16fb18 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -95,9 +95,9 @@ export const resolve = (
 
   // eslint-disable-next-line sonarjs/label-position, sonarjs/no-labels
   createResolver: if (!resolver) {
-    // must be a array with 2+ items here already ensured by `normalizeOptions`
-    const project = options.project as string[]
-    for (const tsconfigPath of project) {
+    // must be an array with 2+ items here already ensured by `normalizeOptions`
+    const projects = sortProjectsByAffinity(options.project as string[], file)
+    for (const tsconfigPath of projects) {
       const resolverCached = resolverCache.get(tsconfigPath)
       if (resolverCached) {
         resolver = resolverCached
@@ -135,24 +135,23 @@ export const resolve = (
         },
       }
       resolver = new ResolverFactory(options)
-      resolverCache.set(tsconfigPath, resolver)
-      break createResolver
+      const resolved = resolve(source, file, options, resolver)
+      if (resolved.found) {
+        resolverCache.set(tsconfigPath, resolver)
+        return resolved
+      }
     }
 
     log(
       'no tsconfig matched',
       file,
       'with',
-      ...project,
-      ', trying from the the nearest one',
+      ...projects,
+      ', trying from the the nearest one instead',
     )
-    for (const p of sortProjectsByAffinity(project, file)) {
-      const resolved = resolve(
-        source,
-        file,
-        { ...options, project: p },
-        resolver,
-      )
+
+    for (const project of projects) {
+      const resolved = resolve(source, file, { ...options, project }, resolver)
       if (resolved.found) {
         return resolved
       }