diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 249cee85d3..c8f1fece9b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -848,7 +848,7 @@ define percent_defconfig
 	@$$(COMMON_CONFIG_ENV) BR2_DEFCONFIG=$(1)/configs/$$@ \
 		$$< --defconfig=$(1)/configs/$$@ $$(CONFIG_CONFIG_IN)
 endef
-$(eval $(foreach d,$(TOPDIR) $(BR2_EXTERNAL_DIRS),$(call percent_defconfig,$(d))$(sep)))
+$(eval $(foreach d,$(call reverse,$(TOPDIR) $(BR2_EXTERNAL_DIRS)),$(call percent_defconfig,$(d))$(sep)))
 
 savedefconfig: $(BUILD_DIR)/buildroot-config/conf prepare-kconfig
 	@$(COMMON_CONFIG_ENV) $< \
diff --git a/docs/manual/customize-outside-br.txt b/docs/manual/customize-outside-br.txt
index 09977e050e..4c0f56813f 100644
--- a/docs/manual/customize-outside-br.txt
+++ b/docs/manual/customize-outside-br.txt
@@ -169,5 +169,6 @@ And then in +$(BR2_EXTERNAL_FOO_42_PATH)/package/package1+ and
 +
 .Note:
 If a defconfig file is present in more than one br2-external tree, then
-   the first one is used. It is not possible to override a defconfig
-   bundled in Buildroot.
+   the one from the last br2-external tree is used. It is thus possible
+   to override a defconfig bundled in Buildroot or another br2-external
+   tree.
diff --git a/support/misc/utils.mk b/support/misc/utils.mk
index 990a3d1fd6..c44319338e 100644
--- a/support/misc/utils.mk
+++ b/support/misc/utils.mk
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ endef
 $(eval $(call caseconvert-helper,UPPERCASE,$(join $(addsuffix :,$([FROM])),$([TO]))))
 $(eval $(call caseconvert-helper,LOWERCASE,$(join $(addsuffix :,$([TO])),$([FROM]))))
 
+# Reverse the orders of words in a list. Again, inspired by the gmsl
+# 'reverse' macro.
+reverse = $(if $(1),$(call reverse,$(wordlist 2,$(words $(1)),$(1))) $(firstword $(1)))
+
 # Sanitize macro cleans up generic strings so it can be used as a filename
 # and in rules. Particularly useful for VCS version strings, that can contain
 # slashes, colons (OK in filenames but not in rules), and spaces.