diff --git a/autotest/test_misc.py b/autotest/test_misc.py
index c3034a3..5997bbc 100644
--- a/autotest/test_misc.py
+++ b/autotest/test_misc.py
@@ -151,12 +151,12 @@ def get_expected_namefiles(path, pattern="mfsim.nam") -> List[Path]:
 def test_get_model_paths_examples():
     expected_paths = get_expected_model_dirs(_examples_path)
     paths = get_model_paths(_examples_path)
-    assert paths == sorted(list(set(paths)))  # no duplicates
+    assert sorted(paths) == sorted(list(set(paths)))  # no duplicates
     assert set(expected_paths) == set(paths)
 
     expected_paths = get_expected_model_dirs(_examples_path, "*.nam")
     paths = get_model_paths(_examples_path, namefile="*.nam")
-    assert paths == sorted(list(set(paths)))
+    assert sorted(paths) == sorted(list(set(paths)))
     assert set(expected_paths) == set(paths)
 
 
@@ -166,12 +166,12 @@ def test_get_model_paths_examples():
 def test_get_model_paths_largetestmodels():
     expected_paths = get_expected_model_dirs(_examples_path)
     paths = get_model_paths(_examples_path)
-    assert paths == sorted(list(set(paths)))
+    assert sorted(paths) == sorted(list(set(paths)))
     assert set(expected_paths) == set(paths)
 
     expected_paths = get_expected_model_dirs(_examples_path)
     paths = get_model_paths(_examples_path)
-    assert paths == sorted(list(set(paths)))
+    assert sorted(paths) == sorted(list(set(paths)))
     assert set(expected_paths) == set(paths)
 
 
diff --git a/modflow_devtools/misc.py b/modflow_devtools/misc.py
index 19931ee..08a03f4 100644
--- a/modflow_devtools/misc.py
+++ b/modflow_devtools/misc.py
@@ -284,13 +284,41 @@ def get_model_paths(
     Find model directories recursively in the given location.
     A model directory is any directory containing one or more
     namefiles. Model directories can be filtered or excluded,
-    by prefix, pattern, namefile name, or packages used.
-    """
-
-    namefile_paths = get_namefile_paths(
-        path, prefix, namefile, excluded, selected, packages
-    )
-    model_paths = sorted(list(set([p.parent for p in namefile_paths if p.parent.name])))
+    by prefix, pattern, namefile name, or packages used. The
+    directories are returned in order within scenario folders
+    such that groundwater flow model workspaces precede other
+    model types. This allows models which depend on the flow
+    model's outputs to consume its head or budget, and models
+    should successfully run in the sequence returned provided
+    input files (e.g. FMI) refer to output via relative paths.
+    """
+
+    def keyfunc(v):
+        v = str(v)
+        if "gwf" in v:
+            return 0
+        else:
+            return 1
+
+    model_paths = []
+    globbed = path.rglob(f"{prefix if prefix else ''}*")
+    example_paths = [p for p in globbed if p.is_dir()]
+    for p in example_paths:
+        for mp in sorted(
+            list(
+                set(
+                    [
+                        p.parent
+                        for p in get_namefile_paths(
+                            p, prefix, namefile, excluded, selected, packages
+                        )
+                    ]
+                )
+            ),
+            key=keyfunc,
+        ):
+            if mp not in model_paths:
+                model_paths.append(mp)
     return model_paths