diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/appearance.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/appearance.rs
index df691490f..3da1cb56c 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/appearance.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/appearance.rs
@@ -615,12 +615,16 @@ fn reduce_basic(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
     // When every object comes out as it was, the document and its undo history stay as they are.
     let before = s.doc()?.doc.clone();
     // The Appearance panel's active row (a row of the first selected object's stack, and in each
-    // other target the row equal to it there), when the command acts on that selection.
-    let active = match s.appearance_item() {
-        Some(index)
-            if p.get("ids").is_none() && p.get("id").is_none() && !targets_contents(p)? && s.doc()?.selection.subjects().first() == ids.first() =>
-        {
-            items_per_target(&before, &ids, &[index], true)
+    // other target the row equal to it there), when the command acts on that selection. The targets
+    // are in paint order, so the first selected object can be any of them.
+    let first = s.doc()?.selection.subjects().first().and_then(|f| ids.iter().position(|id| id == f));
+    let active = match (s.appearance_item(), first) {
+        (Some(index), Some(k)) if p.get("ids").is_none() && p.get("id").is_none() && !targets_contents(p)? => {
+            let mut from = ids.clone();
+            from.swap(0, k);
+            let mut rows = items_per_target(&before, &from, &[index], true);
+            rows.swap(0, k);
+            rows
         }
         _ => vec![Vec::new(); ids.len()],
     };
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/tests/appearance.rs b/crates/engine/src/tests/appearance.rs
index 490622812..3a56ff7f1 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/tests/appearance.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/tests/appearance.rs
@@ -444,6 +444,25 @@ fn reduce_to_basic_keeps_the_active_row() {
     assert_eq!(stroke(&n, 1).width, 1.0);
 }
 
+/// The active row is a row of the first selected object even when that object paints above the
+/// others; another object without an equal row keeps its topmost fill.
+#[test]
+fn reduce_to_basic_keeps_the_active_row_of_the_first_selected_object() {
+    let mut s = session();
+    let a = rect(&mut s, 50.0);
+    run(&mut s, "appearance.addFill", json!({}));
+    run(&mut s, "appearance.setItem", json!({"index": 2, "color": "#0000ff"})); // [Fill, Stroke, Fill blue]
+    let b = rect(&mut s, 200.0);
+    run(&mut s, "appearance.addFill", json!({}));
+    run(&mut s, "appearance.setItem", json!({"index": 0, "color": "#00ff00"}));
+    run(&mut s, "appearance.setItem", json!({"index": 2, "color": "#ff0000"})); // [Fill green, Stroke, Fill red]
+    run(&mut s, "select.set", json!({"ids": [b.0, a.0]}));
+    run(&mut s, "appearance.setActiveItem", json!({"index": 0}));
+    run(&mut s, "appearance.reduceToBasic", json!({}));
+    assert_eq!(fill_paint(&node(&s, b), 0).color().unwrap().to_hex(), "#00ff00");
+    assert_eq!(fill_paint(&node(&s, a), 0).color().unwrap().to_hex(), "#0000ff");
+}
+
 /// How many steps there are to undo and to redo, and whether the document has unsaved changes.
 fn history(s: &Session) -> (usize, usize, bool) {
     let st = s.doc().unwrap();