diff --git a/lib/i18n/backend/discourse_i18n.rb b/lib/i18n/backend/discourse_i18n.rb
index 96971d93dd1..fa6533165d8 100644
--- a/lib/i18n/backend/discourse_i18n.rb
+++ b/lib/i18n/backend/discourse_i18n.rb
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ module I18n
       # force explicit loading
       def load_translations(*filenames)
         unless filenames.empty?
-          filenames.flatten.each { |filename| load_file(filename) }
+          self.class.sort_locale_files(filenames.flatten).each do |filename|
+            load_file(filename)
+          end
         end
       end
 
@@ -33,6 +35,13 @@ module I18n
         end
       end
 
+      def self.sort_locale_files(files)
+        files.sort_by do |filename|
+          matches = /(?:client|server)-([1-9]|[1-9][0-9]|100)\..+\.yml/.match(filename)
+          matches&.[](1)&.to_i || 0
+        end
+      end
+
       def self.create_search_regexp(query, as_string: false)
         regexp = Regexp.escape(query)
 
diff --git a/lib/js_locale_helper.rb b/lib/js_locale_helper.rb
index 8864eca71a2..d15ad161e19 100644
--- a/lib/js_locale_helper.rb
+++ b/lib/js_locale_helper.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 module JsLocaleHelper
 
   def self.plugin_client_files(locale_str)
-    Dir["#{Rails.root}/plugins/*/config/locales/client.#{locale_str}.yml"]
+    I18n::Backend::DiscourseI18n.sort_locale_files(
+      Dir["#{Rails.root}/plugins/*/config/locales/client*.#{locale_str}.yml"]
+    )
   end
 
   def self.reloadable_plugins(locale_sym, ctx)
diff --git a/lib/plugin/instance.rb b/lib/plugin/instance.rb
index 0f0dc1d2291..3471c385050 100644
--- a/lib/plugin/instance.rb
+++ b/lib/plugin/instance.rb
@@ -886,8 +886,8 @@ class Plugin::Instance
 
     locales.each do |locale, opts|
       opts = opts.dup
-      opts[:client_locale_file] = File.join(root_path, "config/locales/client.#{locale}.yml")
-      opts[:server_locale_file] = File.join(root_path, "config/locales/server.#{locale}.yml")
+      opts[:client_locale_file] = Dir["#{root_path}/config/locales/client*.#{locale}.yml"].first || ""
+      opts[:server_locale_file] = Dir["#{root_path}/config/locales/server*.#{locale}.yml"].first || ""
       opts[:js_locale_file] = File.join(root_path, "assets/locales/#{locale}.js.erb")
 
       locale_chain = opts[:fallbackLocale] ? [locale, opts[:fallbackLocale]] : [locale]
diff --git a/spec/lib/i18n/discourse_i18n_spec.rb b/spec/lib/i18n/discourse_i18n_spec.rb
index 39c0691d363..ee2258db139 100644
--- a/spec/lib/i18n/discourse_i18n_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/i18n/discourse_i18n_spec.rb
@@ -104,4 +104,24 @@ describe I18n::Backend::DiscourseI18n do
       expect { backend.translate(:ru, :airplanes, count: 2) }.to raise_error(I18n::InvalidPluralizationData)
     end
   end
+
+  describe ".sort_local_files" do
+    it "sorts an array of client ymls with '-(highest-number)' being last" do
+      expect(I18n::Backend::DiscourseI18n.sort_locale_files(
+        [
+          'discourse/plugins/discourse-second/config/locales/client-99.es.yml',
+          'discourse/plugins/discourse-first/config/locales/client.es.yml',
+          'discourse/plugins/discourse-third/config/locales/client-2.es.yml',
+          'discourse/plugins/discourse-third/config/locales/client-3.bs_BA.yml',
+        ]
+      )).to eq(
+        [
+          'discourse/plugins/discourse-first/config/locales/client.es.yml',
+          'discourse/plugins/discourse-third/config/locales/client-2.es.yml',
+          'discourse/plugins/discourse-third/config/locales/client-3.bs_BA.yml',
+          'discourse/plugins/discourse-second/config/locales/client-99.es.yml',
+        ]
+      )
+    end
+  end
 end