diff --git a/core/Core.php b/core/Core.php
index 5b231b871..2253ca133 100755
--- a/core/Core.php
+++ b/core/Core.php
@@ -149,11 +149,15 @@ require_once('filesystem/Filesystem.php');
 require_once("core/Session.php");
 
 /**
- * Add thirdparty include paths
+ * Add sapphire/parsers and sapphire/thirdparty include paths
  */
-$path = Director::baseFolder().'/sapphire/parsers/';
-set_include_path(str_replace('.' . PATH_SEPARATOR, '.' . PATH_SEPARATOR . $path . PATH_SEPARATOR, get_include_path())); 
-set_include_path(get_include_path() . PATH_SEPARATOR . BASE_PATH . '/sapphire/thirdparty');
+
+// Add after the "." path but before other paths (so that they take precedence over the PEAR 
+// include paths)
+set_include_path(str_replace('.' . PATH_SEPARATOR, '.' . PATH_SEPARATOR 
+	. BASE_PATH . '/sapphire/parsers'
+	. BASE_PATH . '/sapphire/thirdparty' . PATH_SEPARATOR
+	, get_include_path())); 
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // MANIFEST