diff --git a/Migration.md b/Migration.md
index 904ec8b7f..9358a0087 100644
--- a/Migration.md
+++ b/Migration.md
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ but with improved human-readability..
 
 1. ParserConfig defaults to WARN instead of LOG when parsing unrecognized
    elements.
+2. Updated search order for `sdf::findFile()` making local path (current directory) the first to be searched. 
 
 ### Deprecations
 
diff --git a/include/sdf/SDFImpl.hh b/include/sdf/SDFImpl.hh
index c74412094..20e1ec19f 100644
--- a/include/sdf/SDFImpl.hh
+++ b/include/sdf/SDFImpl.hh
@@ -59,13 +59,13 @@ namespace sdf
   /// The search order in the function is as follows:
   /// 1. Using the global URI path map, search in paths associated with the URI
   ///    scheme of the input.
-  /// 2. Seach in the path defined by the macro `SDF_SHARE_PATH`.
-  /// 3. Search in the the libsdformat install path. The path is formed by
-  ///    has the pattern `SDF_SHARE_PATH/sdformat<major version>/<version>/`
-  /// 4. Directly check if the input path exists in the filesystem.
-  /// 5. Seach in the path defined by the environment variable `SDF_PATH`.
-  /// 6. If enabled via _searchLocalPath, prepend the input with the current
+  /// 2. If enabled via _searchLocalPath, prepend the input with the current
   ///    working directory and check if the result path exists.
+  /// 3. Seach in the path defined by the macro `SDF_SHARE_PATH`.
+  /// 4. Search in the the libsdformat install path. The path is formed by
+  ///    has the pattern `SDF_SHARE_PATH/sdformat<major version>/<version>/`
+  /// 5. Directly check if the input path exists in the filesystem.
+  /// 6. Seach in the path defined by the environment variable `SDF_PATH`.
   /// 7. If enabled via _useCallback and the global callback function is set,
   ///    invoke the function and return its result.
   ///
diff --git a/src/SDF.cc b/src/SDF.cc
index 395119a01..07056d792 100644
--- a/src/SDF.cc
+++ b/src/SDF.cc
@@ -97,6 +97,17 @@ std::string findFile(const std::string &_filename, bool _searchLocalPath,
     filename = filename.substr(idx + sep.length());
   }
 
+  // First check the local path, if the flag is set.
+  if (_searchLocalPath)
+  {
+    std::string path = sdf::filesystem::append(sdf::filesystem::current_path(),
+                                               filename);
+    if (sdf::filesystem::exists(path))
+    {
+      return path;
+    }
+  }
+
   // Next check the install path.
   std::string path = sdf::filesystem::append(SDF_SHARE_PATH, filename);
   if (sdf::filesystem::exists(path))
@@ -113,7 +124,7 @@ std::string findFile(const std::string &_filename, bool _searchLocalPath,
     return path;
   }
 
-  // Next check to see if the given file exists.
+  // Finally check to see if the given file exists.
   path = filename;
   if (sdf::filesystem::exists(path))
   {
@@ -135,16 +146,6 @@ std::string findFile(const std::string &_filename, bool _searchLocalPath,
     }
   }
 
-  // Finally check the local path, if the flag is set.
-  if (_searchLocalPath)
-  {
-    path = sdf::filesystem::append(sdf::filesystem::current_path(), filename);
-    if (sdf::filesystem::exists(path))
-    {
-      return path;
-    }
-  }
-
   // If we still haven't found the file, use the registered callback if the
   // flag has been set
   if (_useCallback)
diff --git a/src/SDF_TEST.cc b/src/SDF_TEST.cc
index 315343e12..43d2e4732 100644
--- a/src/SDF_TEST.cc
+++ b/src/SDF_TEST.cc
@@ -788,4 +788,32 @@ TEST(SDF, WriteURIPath)
   ASSERT_EQ(std::remove(tempFile.c_str()), 0);
   ASSERT_EQ(rmdir(tempDir.c_str()), 0);
 }
+
+/////////////////////////////////////////////////
+TEST(SDF, FindFileModelSDFCurrDir)
+{
+  std::string currDir;
+
+  // Get current directory path from $PWD env variable
+  currDir = sdf::filesystem::current_path();
+
+  // A file named model.sdf in current directory
+  auto tempFile = currDir + "/model.sdf";
+
+  sdf::SDF tempSDF;
+  tempSDF.Write(tempFile);
+
+  // Check file was created
+  auto fp = fopen(tempFile.c_str(), "r");
+  ASSERT_NE(nullptr, fp);
+
+  // Get path of the file returned from findFile()
+  std::string foundFile = sdf::findFile("model.sdf", true, false);
+
+  // Check that the returned file is model.sdf from curr directory
+  ASSERT_EQ(tempFile, foundFile);
+
+  // Cleanup
+  ASSERT_EQ(std::remove(tempFile.c_str()), 0);
+}
 #endif  // _WIN32