diff --git a/internal/sortfiles/sortfiles.go b/internal/sortfiles/sortfiles.go
index 7c0ad9c..975f55e 100644
--- a/internal/sortfiles/sortfiles.go
+++ b/internal/sortfiles/sortfiles.go
@@ -94,9 +94,9 @@ func ForRenamingAndUndo(changes file.Changes, revert bool) {
 	})
 }
 
-// EnforceHierarchicalOrder ensures all files in the same directory are sorted
+// Hierarchically ensures all files in the same directory are sorted
 // before children directories.
-func EnforceHierarchicalOrder(changes file.Changes) {
+func Hierarchically(changes file.Changes) {
 	slices.SortStableFunc(changes, func(a, b *file.Change) int {
 		lenA, lenB := len(a.BaseDir), len(b.BaseDir)
 		if lenA == lenB {
@@ -242,9 +242,8 @@ func Changes(
 	changes file.Changes,
 	conf *config.Config,
 ) {
-	// TODO: EnforceHierarchicalOrder should be the default sort?
 	if conf.SortPerDir {
-		EnforceHierarchicalOrder(changes)
+		Hierarchically(changes)
 	}
 
 	//nolint:exhaustive // default sort not needed
diff --git a/internal/sortfiles/sortfiles_test/sortfiles_test.go b/internal/sortfiles/sortfiles_test/sortfiles_test.go
index f649e35..1a72af5 100644
--- a/internal/sortfiles/sortfiles_test/sortfiles_test.go
+++ b/internal/sortfiles/sortfiles_test/sortfiles_test.go
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ func TestSortFiles_EnforceHierarchicalOrder(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Run(tc.Name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			unsorted := sortTest(t, tc.Unsorted)
 
-			sortfiles.EnforceHierarchicalOrder(unsorted)
+			sortfiles.Hierarchically(unsorted)
 
 			testutil.CompareSourcePath(t, tc.Sorted, unsorted)
 		})
diff --git a/replace/replace.go b/replace/replace.go
index f8671d8..4c319da 100644
--- a/replace/replace.go
+++ b/replace/replace.go
@@ -71,8 +71,10 @@ func replaceMatches(
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if vars.IndexMatches() > 0 {
-		sortfiles.EnforceHierarchicalOrder(matches)
+	// If using indexes without an explicit sort, ensure that the files
+	// are arranged hierarchically
+	if vars.IndexMatches() > 0 && conf.Sort == config.SortDefault {
+		sortfiles.Hierarchically(matches)
 	}
 
 	var pairs int
diff --git a/replace/replace_test/replace_test.go b/replace/replace_test/replace_test.go
index 30daae5..3bda6e3 100644
--- a/replace/replace_test/replace_test.go
+++ b/replace/replace_test/replace_test.go
@@ -91,22 +91,6 @@ func TestReplace(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			Args: []string{"-f", "budget", "-r", "forecast", "-l", "-2"},
 		},
-		{
-			Name: "replace the first 2 matches in reverse",
-			Changes: file.Changes{
-				{
-					Source: "budget_budget_budget_2023.xlsx",
-				},
-				{
-					Source: "budget_2024.xlsx",
-				},
-			},
-			Want: []string{
-				"budget_forecast_forecast_2023.xlsx",
-				"forecast_2024.xlsx",
-			},
-			Args: []string{"-f", "budget", "-r", "forecast", "-l", "-2"},
-		},
 		{
 			Name: "rename with capture variables",
 			Changes: file.Changes{
@@ -271,6 +255,76 @@ func TestReplace(t *testing.T) {
 				"pictures",
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			Name: "retain file order with an explicit sort",
+			Changes: file.Changes{
+				{
+					BaseDir: "testdata/dir1",
+					Source:  "doc.txt",
+				},
+				{
+					BaseDir: "testdata/dir1",
+					Source:  "file.md",
+				},
+				{
+					BaseDir: "testdata",
+					Source:  "audio.mp3",
+				},
+				{
+					BaseDir: "testdata",
+					Source:  "binary.mp3",
+				},
+			},
+			Want: []string{
+				"testdata/dir1/001.txt",
+				"testdata/dir1/002.md",
+				"testdata/003.mp3",
+				"testdata/004.mp3",
+			},
+			Args: []string{
+				"-f",
+				`.*\.(txt|md|mp3)`,
+				"-r",
+				"{%03d}{ext}",
+				"-R",
+				"--sort",
+				"size",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			Name: "without an explicit sort, arrange hierarchically",
+			Changes: file.Changes{
+				{
+					BaseDir: "testdata/dir1",
+					Source:  "doc.txt",
+				},
+				{
+					BaseDir: "testdata/dir1",
+					Source:  "file.md",
+				},
+				{
+					BaseDir: "testdata",
+					Source:  "audio.mp3",
+				},
+				{
+					BaseDir: "testdata",
+					Source:  "binary.mp3",
+				},
+			},
+			Want: []string{
+				"testdata/001.mp3",
+				"testdata/002.mp3",
+				"testdata/dir1/003.txt",
+				"testdata/dir1/004.md",
+			},
+			Args: []string{
+				"-f",
+				`.*\.(txt|md|mp3)`,
+				"-r",
+				"{%03d}{ext}",
+				"-R",
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	replaceTest(t, testCases)