diff --git a/MANUAL.txt b/MANUAL.txt
index 2e37d62a0..207f5a5ae 100644
--- a/MANUAL.txt
+++ b/MANUAL.txt
@@ -3883,9 +3883,9 @@ given a role by external processors.)  Field names must not be
 interpretable as YAML numbers or boolean values (so, for
 example, `yes`, `True`, and `15` cannot be used as field names).
 
-A document may contain multiple metadata blocks.  The metadata fields will
-be combined through a *left-biased union*:  if two metadata blocks attempt
-to set the same field, the value from the first block will be taken.
+A document may contain multiple metadata blocks.  If two
+metadata blocks attempt to set the same field, the value from
+the second block will be taken.
 
 When pandoc is used with `-t markdown` to create a Markdown document,
 a YAML metadata block will be produced only if the `-s/--standalone`
diff --git a/cabal.project b/cabal.project
index 02610d598..d780a5d48 100644
--- a/cabal.project
+++ b/cabal.project
@@ -13,3 +13,7 @@ source-repository-package
     location: https://github.com/jgm/pandoc-citeproc
     tag: 0.16.3.1
 
+source-repository-package
+    type: git
+    location: git: https://github.com/jgm/pandoc-types
+    tag: 00f7bb79e79d7cfd3523880dbc64ba3ea46c3da2
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/App.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/App.hs
index 79346855f..0d34eca11 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/App.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/App.hs
@@ -230,12 +230,8 @@ convertWithOpts opts = do
     metadataFromFile <-
       case optMetadataFiles opts of
         []    -> return mempty
-        paths -> mapM readFileLazy paths >>= mapM (yamlToMeta readerOpts)
-                   >>= return . (foldr1 (<>))
-        -- Note: this list is in reverse order from the order on the
-        -- command line.  So this code ensures that metadata files
-        -- specified later in the command line take precedence over
-        -- those specified earlier.
+        paths -> mapM readFileLazy paths >>=
+                    fmap mconcat . mapM (yamlToMeta readerOpts)
 
     let transforms = (case optShiftHeadingLevelBy opts of
                           0             -> id
@@ -286,8 +282,8 @@ convertWithOpts opts = do
               (   (if isJust (optExtractMedia opts)
                       then fillMediaBag
                       else return)
-              >=> return . adjustMetadata (<> metadataFromFile)
-              >=> return . adjustMetadata (metadata <>)
+              >=> return . adjustMetadata (metadataFromFile <>)
+              >=> return . adjustMetadata (<> metadata)
               >=> applyTransforms transforms
               >=> applyFilters readerOpts filters' [format]
               >=> maybe return extractMedia (optExtractMedia opts)
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/App/CommandLineOptions.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/App/CommandLineOptions.hs
index 7692cfac9..9f1905741 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/App/CommandLineOptions.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/App/CommandLineOptions.hs
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ options =
     , Option "" ["metadata-file"]
                  (ReqArg
                   (\arg opt -> return opt{ optMetadataFiles =
-                    normalizePath arg : optMetadataFiles opt })
+                      optMetadataFiles opt ++ [normalizePath arg] })
                   "FILE")
                  ""
 
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Vimwiki.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Vimwiki.hs
index 57fa6fa1a..27b7d7245 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Vimwiki.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Vimwiki.hs
@@ -427,7 +427,9 @@ ph s = try $ do
   contents <- trimInlines . mconcat <$> manyTill inline (lookAhead newline)
     --use lookAhead because of placeholder in the whitespace parser
   let meta' = B.setMeta s contents nullMeta
-  updateState $ \st -> st { stateMeta = stateMeta st <> meta' }
+  -- this order ensures that later values will be ignored in favor
+  -- of earlier ones:
+  updateState $ \st -> st { stateMeta = meta' <> stateMeta st }
 
 noHtmlPh :: PandocMonad m => VwParser m ()
 noHtmlPh = try $
diff --git a/stack.yaml b/stack.yaml
index e85d101f6..0989fbed1 100644
--- a/stack.yaml
+++ b/stack.yaml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ packages:
 - '.'
 extra-deps:
 - pandoc-citeproc-0.16.3.1
-- pandoc-types-1.17.6.1
+#- pandoc-types-1.17.6.1
 - texmath-0.11.3
 - haddock-library-1.8.0
 - skylighting-0.8.2.3
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ extra-deps:
 - HsYAML-0.2.0.0
 - HsYAML-aeson-0.2.0.0
 - doctemplates-0.7
+- git: https://github.com/jgm/pandoc-types
+  commit: 00f7bb79e79d7cfd3523880dbc64ba3ea46c3da2
 ghc-options:
    "$locals": -fhide-source-paths -Wno-missing-home-modules
 resolver: lts-14.6
diff --git a/test/command/multiple-metadata-blocks.md b/test/command/multiple-metadata-blocks.md
index 27c5e3dae..5adbfe423 100644
--- a/test/command/multiple-metadata-blocks.md
+++ b/test/command/multiple-metadata-blocks.md
@@ -10,6 +10,6 @@ foo: bar
 foo: bim
 ...
 ^D
-Pandoc (Meta {unMeta = fromList [("foo",MetaInlines [Str "bar"])]})
+Pandoc (Meta {unMeta = fromList [("foo",MetaInlines [Str "bim"])]})
 []
 ```