diff --git a/test/benchmark/benchmark_sse.py b/test/benchmark/benchmark_sse.py
index b95b8cdf7c6bd..28b75dbbd8200 100644
--- a/test/benchmark/benchmark_sse.py
+++ b/test/benchmark/benchmark_sse.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 from subprocess import Popen
 
 __rootpath__ = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
-sys.path.append(__rootpath__)
+sys.path.insert(0, __rootpath__)
 
 from tools.shared import WINDOWS, CLANG_CXX, EMCC, PIPE
 from tools.shared import run_process
diff --git a/test/runner.py b/test/runner.py
index 5a86a49108a19..92d38f83879c1 100755
--- a/test/runner.py
+++ b/test/runner.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 # Setup
 
 __rootpath__ = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
-sys.path.append(__rootpath__)
+sys.path.insert(0, __rootpath__)
 
 import jsrun
 import parallel_testsuite
diff --git a/tools/maint/check_struct_info.py b/tools/maint/check_struct_info.py
index fe9692472544b..373f7e04c32bd 100755
--- a/tools/maint/check_struct_info.py
+++ b/tools/maint/check_struct_info.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 script_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
 root_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(script_dir))
 
-sys.path.append(root_dir)
+sys.path.insert(0, root_dir)
 
 from tools import utils
 
diff --git a/tools/maint/create_release.py b/tools/maint/create_release.py
index 3d3ba655b6bd0..11f57038b6874 100755
--- a/tools/maint/create_release.py
+++ b/tools/maint/create_release.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 script_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
 root_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(script_dir))
 
-sys.path.append(root_dir)
+sys.path.insert(0, root_dir)
 from tools import shared, utils
 
 
diff --git a/tools/maint/update_settings_docs.py b/tools/maint/update_settings_docs.py
index dc10f86191e44..bb39d5a2f1cca 100755
--- a/tools/maint/update_settings_docs.py
+++ b/tools/maint/update_settings_docs.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 script_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
 root_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(script_dir))
 
-sys.path.append(root_dir)
+sys.path.insert(0, root_dir)
 
 from tools.utils import path_from_root, read_file, safe_ensure_dirs