diff --git a/crates/meilisearch/tests/settings/get_settings.rs b/crates/meilisearch/tests/settings/get_settings.rs
index 47e699380..f50f7f940 100644
--- a/crates/meilisearch/tests/settings/get_settings.rs
+++ b/crates/meilisearch/tests/settings/get_settings.rs
@@ -692,3 +692,68 @@ async fn granular_filterable_attributes() {
     ]
     "###);
 }
+
+#[actix_rt::test]
+async fn test_searchable_attributes_order() {
+    let server = Server::new_shared();
+    let index = server.unique_index();
+
+    // 1) Create an index with settings "searchableAttributes": ["title", "overview"]
+    let (response, code) = index.create(None).await;
+    assert_eq!(code, 202, "{response}");
+    server.wait_task(response.uid()).await.succeeded();
+
+    let (task, code) = index
+        .update_settings(json!({
+            "searchableAttributes": ["title", "overview"]
+        }))
+        .await;
+    assert_eq!(code, 202, "{task}");
+    server.wait_task(task.uid()).await.succeeded();
+
+    // 2) Add documents in the index
+    let documents = json!([
+        {
+            "id": 1,
+            "title": "The Matrix",
+            "overview": "A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality."
+        },
+        {
+            "id": 2,
+            "title": "Inception",
+            "overview": "A thief who steals corporate secrets through dream-sharing technology."
+        }
+    ]);
+
+    let (response, code) = index.add_documents(documents, None).await;
+    assert_eq!(code, 202, "{response}");
+    server.wait_task(response.uid()).await.succeeded();
+
+    // 3) Modify the settings "searchableAttributes": ["overview", "title"] (overview is put first)
+    let (task, code) = index
+        .update_settings(json!({
+            "searchableAttributes": ["overview", "title"]
+        }))
+        .await;
+    assert_eq!(code, 202, "{task}");
+    server.wait_task(task.uid()).await.succeeded();
+
+    // 4) Check if it has been applied
+    let (response, code) = index.settings().await;
+    assert_eq!(code, 200, "{response}");
+    assert_eq!(response["searchableAttributes"], json!(["overview", "title"]));
+
+    // 5) Re-modify the settings "searchableAttributes": ["title", "overview"] (title is put first)
+    let (task, code) = index
+        .update_settings(json!({
+            "searchableAttributes": ["title", "overview"]
+        }))
+        .await;
+    assert_eq!(code, 202, "{task}");
+    server.wait_task(task.uid()).await.succeeded();
+
+    // 6) Check if it has been applied
+    let (response, code) = index.settings().await;
+    assert_eq!(code, 200, "{response}");
+    assert_eq!(response["searchableAttributes"], json!(["title", "overview"]));
+}
diff --git a/crates/milli/src/update/settings.rs b/crates/milli/src/update/settings.rs
index 911f51865..d2f74da2a 100644
--- a/crates/milli/src/update/settings.rs
+++ b/crates/milli/src/update/settings.rs
@@ -554,10 +554,10 @@ impl<'a, 't, 'i> Settings<'a, 't, 'i> {
         match self.searchable_fields {
             Setting::Set(ref fields) => {
                 // Check to see if the searchable fields changed before doing anything else
-                let old_fields = self.index.searchable_fields(self.wtxn)?;
+                let old_fields = self.index.user_defined_searchable_fields(self.wtxn)?;
                 let did_change = {
                     let new_fields = fields.iter().map(String::as_str).collect::<Vec<_>>();
-                    new_fields != old_fields
+                    old_fields.is_none_or(|old| new_fields != old)
                 };
                 if !did_change {
                     return Ok(false);