diff --git a/class/template.php b/class/template.php
index ce5786b..edc15b5 100644
--- a/class/template.php
+++ b/class/template.php
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  * @since 2.3.1  templates may be in active theme, thanks to @misfist
  * @see <https://wordpress.org/support/topic/template-override-filter/#post-13846598>
  *
- * Last modified: 2021-01-01T2214+0100
+ * Last modified: 2021-01-01T2246+0100
  */
 
 
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@ class MCI_Footnotes_Template {
      *
      * @since 2.2.6  regex to delete a space before a closing pointy bracket
      * 
-     * @since 2.3.1  look for custom template in the active theme
-     * @see <https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/220942/how-to-get-the-active-themes-slug>
+     * @since 2.3.1  look for custom template in the active theme first, thanks to @misfist
+     * @see <https://wordpress.org/support/topic/template-override-filter/#post-13846598>
      */
     public function __construct($p_str_FileType, $p_str_FileName, $p_str_Extension = "html") {
         // no template file type and/or file name set
@@ -91,17 +91,17 @@ class MCI_Footnotes_Template {
             return;
         }
 
-        // First look for a custom template in a 'footnotes-custom' sibling folder:
-        $l_str_TemplateFile = dirname(__FILE__) . "/../../footnotes-custom/templates/" . $p_str_FileType . "/" . $p_str_FileName . "." . $p_str_Extension;
+        // First try to load the template from the active theme in 'templates/footnotes/':
+        $l_str_TemplateFile  = dirname(__FILE__) . "/../../../themes/";
+        // get active theme dir name (parent theme unlikely to contain custom templates):
+        // see <https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/220942/how-to-get-the-active-themes-slug>
+        $l_str_TemplateFile .= get_stylesheet();
+        $l_str_TemplateFile .= "/templates/footnotes/" . $p_str_FileName . "." . $p_str_Extension;
 
-        // else load template from the active theme:
+        // else look for a custom template in a 'footnotes-custom' sibling folder:
         if (!file_exists($l_str_TemplateFile)) {
 
-            $l_str_TemplateFile  = dirname(__FILE__) . "/../../../themes/";
-            // get active theme dir name (parent theme unlikely to contain custom templates):
-            // see <https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/220942/how-to-get-the-active-themes-slug>
-            $l_str_TemplateFile .= get_stylesheet();
-            $l_str_TemplateFile .= "/templates/footnotes/" . $p_str_FileName . "." . $p_str_Extension;
+            $l_str_TemplateFile = dirname(__FILE__) . "/../../footnotes-custom/templates/" . $p_str_FileType . "/" . $p_str_FileName . "." . $p_str_Extension;
 
             // else load internal template:
             if (!file_exists($l_str_TemplateFile)) {
diff --git a/footnotes.php b/footnotes.php
index 9629b71..1c53bee 100755
--- a/footnotes.php
+++ b/footnotes.php
@@ -4,12 +4,12 @@
     Plugin URI: https://wordpress.org/plugins/footnotes/
     Description: time to bring footnotes to your website! footnotes are known from offline publishing and everybody takes them for granted when reading a magazine.
     Author: Mark Cheret
-    Version: 2.3.1d1
+    Version: 2.3.1d2
     Author URI: http://cheret.de/plugins/footnotes-2/
     Text Domain: footnotes
     Domain Path: /languages
 */
-define( 'FOOTNOTES_VERSION', '2.3.1d1' );
+define( 'FOOTNOTES_VERSION', '2.3.1d2' );
 /*
     Copyright 2020 Mark Cheret (email: mark@cheret.de)
 
diff --git a/templates/note-for-developers.txt b/templates/note-for-developers.txt
index dc54ea6..db0dd37 100644
--- a/templates/note-for-developers.txt
+++ b/templates/note-for-developers.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 note-for-developers.txt
 2020-12-19T0609+0100
-Last modified:  2021-01-01T2212+0100
+Last modified:  2021-01-01T2249+0100
 
 Footnotes plugin for WordPress, v2.2.6 and later
 
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@ Since v2.2.6, Footnotes supports custom templates.
 Custom templates may be loaded from a sibling folder 'footnotes-custom'
 or since v2.3.1 from a folder 'templates/footnotes/' in the active theme.
 
+Priority order:
+    1. active theme
+    2. sibling folder
+    3. internal
+
 See footnotes/class/template.php:67..116