diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 678b480..44f0759 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -533,15 +533,15 @@ $response = $keyset->page(items: $items)
 ```json
 {
     "meta": {
-        "unread_count": 7,
         "per_page": 20,
-        "has_next": true
+        "has_next": true,
+        "unread_count": 7
     }
 }
 ```
 
-The supplied entries come first, in the order they were given, and the pagination entries come last. A supplied key that
-repeats a pagination key never shadows it, so `withMetadata(metadata: ['per_page' => 99])` leaves `per_page` on the real
+The pagination entries come first, and the supplied ones follow in the order they were given. A supplied key that
+repeats a pagination key is discarded, so `withMetadata(metadata: ['per_page' => 99])` leaves `per_page` on the real
 page size. Calling it more than once accumulates.
 
 ## FAQ
diff --git a/src/Cursor/Page.php b/src/Cursor/Page.php
index 16bc169..7d6d418 100644
--- a/src/Cursor/Page.php
+++ b/src/Cursor/Page.php
@@ -131,19 +131,20 @@ public function hasNext(): bool
     /**
      * Returns the cursor page as the JSON:API meta contents.
      *
-     * <p>Any metadata supplied through withMetadata comes first, in the order it was given. The
-     * pagination contents come last, so a supplied key never shadows them.</p>
+     * <p>The pagination contents come first. Any metadata supplied through withMetadata follows,
+     * in the order it was given, and a supplied key that repeats a pagination one is discarded.</p>
      *
-     * @return array<string, mixed> The meta contents, the supplied metadata first, then the
-     * pagination counts and sizes, then the boolean flags, each by ascending key-name length.
+     * @return array<string, mixed> The meta contents, the pagination counts and sizes first, then
+     * the boolean flags, each by ascending key-name length, then the supplied metadata.
      */
     public function metadata(): array
     {
-        return [
-            ...$this->extraMetadata,
+        $pagination = [
             'per_page' => $this->pagination->limit(),
             'has_next' => $this->hasNext
         ];
+
+        return [...$pagination, ...array_diff_key($this->extraMetadata, $pagination)];
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/Offset/Page.php b/src/Offset/Page.php
index 3b905a1..1955f5f 100644
--- a/src/Offset/Page.php
+++ b/src/Offset/Page.php
@@ -152,16 +152,15 @@ public function hasNext(): bool
     /**
      * Returns the page as the JSON:API meta contents.
      *
-     * <p>Any metadata supplied through withMetadata comes first, in the order it was given. The
-     * pagination contents come last, so a supplied key never shadows them.</p>
+     * <p>The pagination contents come first. Any metadata supplied through withMetadata follows,
+     * in the order it was given, and a supplied key that repeats a pagination one is discarded.</p>
      *
-     * @return array<string, mixed> The meta contents, the supplied metadata first, then the
-     * pagination counts and sizes, then the boolean flags, each by ascending key-name length.
+     * @return array<string, mixed> The meta contents, the pagination counts and sizes first, then
+     * the boolean flags, each by ascending key-name length, then the supplied metadata.
      */
     public function metadata(): array
     {
-        return [
-            ...$this->extraMetadata,
+        $pagination = [
             'total'        => $this->total->value(),
             'per_page'     => $this->paging->limit(),
             'total_pages'  => $this->pageCount->value(),
@@ -169,6 +168,8 @@ public function metadata(): array
             'has_next'     => $this->paging->hasNext(),
             'has_previous' => $this->paging->hasPrevious()
         ];
+
+        return [...$pagination, ...array_diff_key($this->extraMetadata, $pagination)];
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/Unit/Cursor/PageTest.php b/tests/Unit/Cursor/PageTest.php
index 677b361..d5e47b6 100644
--- a/tests/Unit/Cursor/PageTest.php
+++ b/tests/Unit/Cursor/PageTest.php
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ public function testMapWhenPageCarriesMetadataThenTheCopyKeepsIt(): void
         /** @When the items are projected through a transformation */
         $mapped = $page->map(transformation: static fn(int $element): int => ($element * 2));
 
-        /** @Then the copy keeps the supplied metadata ahead of the pagination contents */
-        self::assertSame(['unread_count' => 7, 'per_page' => 2, 'has_next' => false], $mapped->metadata());
+        /** @Then the copy keeps the supplied metadata after the pagination contents */
+        self::assertSame(['per_page' => 2, 'has_next' => false, 'unread_count' => 7], $mapped->metadata());
     }
 
     public function testNavigationWhenNoExtraElementThenHasNoNextPage(): void
@@ -85,12 +85,12 @@ public function testWithMetadataWhenAppliedTwiceThenBothEntriesAreKept(): void
         /** @When metadata is supplied twice */
         $counted = $page->withMetadata(metadata: ['unread_count' => 7])->withMetadata(metadata: ['muted_count' => 3]);
 
-        /** @Then both entries reach the meta contents, in the order they were supplied */
+        /** @Then both entries follow the pagination contents, in the order they were supplied */
         self::assertSame([
-            'unread_count' => 7,
-            'muted_count'  => 3,
             'per_page'     => 2,
-            'has_next'     => false
+            'has_next'     => false,
+            'unread_count' => 7,
+            'muted_count'  => 3
         ], $counted->metadata());
     }
 
@@ -218,13 +218,13 @@ public function testWithMetadataWhenRenderedThenMetaCarriesItAndTheLinkHeaderHol
         /** @When rendering the cursor page as a JSON:API response over the notifications base URI */
         $response = $page->toResponse(baseUri: '/v1/notifications');
 
-        /** @Then the supplied counter renders inside meta, ahead of the pagination contents */
+        /** @Then the supplied counter renders inside meta, after the pagination contents */
         self::assertSame([
             'data'  => [10, 20],
             'meta'  => [
-                'unread_count' => 7,
                 'per_page'     => 2,
-                'has_next'     => true
+                'has_next'     => true,
+                'unread_count' => 7
             ],
             'links' => [
                 'self' => '/v1/notifications?page[size]=2',
diff --git a/tests/Unit/Offset/PageTest.php b/tests/Unit/Offset/PageTest.php
index 87e5ff7..55a50db 100644
--- a/tests/Unit/Offset/PageTest.php
+++ b/tests/Unit/Offset/PageTest.php
@@ -156,16 +156,16 @@ public function testWithMetadataWhenAppliedTwiceThenBothEntriesAreKept(): void
         /** @When metadata is supplied twice */
         $counted = $page->withMetadata(metadata: ['unread_count' => 7])->withMetadata(metadata: ['muted_count' => 3]);
 
-        /** @Then both entries reach the meta contents, in the order they were supplied */
+        /** @Then both entries follow the pagination contents, in the order they were supplied */
         self::assertSame([
-            'unread_count' => 7,
-            'muted_count'  => 3,
             'total'        => 2,
             'per_page'     => 20,
             'total_pages'  => 1,
             'current_page' => 1,
             'has_next'     => false,
-            'has_previous' => false
+            'has_previous' => false,
+            'unread_count' => 7,
+            'muted_count'  => 3
         ], $counted->metadata());
     }
 
@@ -335,17 +335,17 @@ public function testWithMetadataWhenRenderedThenMetaCarriesItAndTheLinkHeaderHol
         /** @When rendering the page as a JSON:API response over the notifications base URI */
         $response = $page->toResponse(baseUri: '/v1/notifications');
 
-        /** @Then the supplied counter renders inside meta, ahead of the pagination contents */
+        /** @Then the supplied counter renders inside meta, after the pagination contents */
         self::assertSame([
             'data'  => ['a', 'b'],
             'meta'  => [
-                'unread_count' => 7,
                 'total'        => 2,
                 'per_page'     => 20,
                 'total_pages'  => 1,
                 'current_page' => 1,
                 'has_next'     => false,
-                'has_previous' => false
+                'has_previous' => false,
+                'unread_count' => 7
             ],
             'links' => [
                 'self'  => '/v1/notifications?page[number]=1&page[size]=20',