diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 9512c13..66550c9 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -216,7 +216,19 @@ export function buildJsx(tree, options) {
         }
 
         if (specifiers.length > 0) {
-          node.body.unshift({
+          let injectIndex = 0
+
+          while (injectIndex < node.body.length) {
+            const child = node.body[injectIndex]
+
+            if ('directive' in child && child.directive) {
+              injectIndex++
+            } else {
+              break
+            }
+          }
+
+          node.body.splice(injectIndex, 0, {
             type: 'ImportDeclaration',
             specifiers,
             source: {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 8040596..3266b7e 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "estree-util-build-jsx",
-  "version": "3.0.0",
+  "version": "3.0.1",
   "description": "Transform JSX in estrees to function calls (for react, preact, and most hyperscript interfaces)",
   "license": "MIT",
   "keywords": [
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
     "remark-preset-wooorm": "^9.0.0",
     "type-coverage": "^2.0.0",
     "typescript": "^5.0.0",
-    "xo": "^0.55.0"
+    "xo": "^0.56.0"
   },
   "scripts": {
     "prepack": "npm run build && npm run format",
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index 2120e39..ff5320a 100644
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -1647,6 +1647,17 @@ test('estree-util-build-jsx', async function (t) {
       assert.equal(generate(tree), 'React.createElement("a");\n')
     }
   )
+
+  await t.test('should keep directives first', function () {
+    const tree = parse('"use client"\nconst x = <a/>')
+
+    buildJsx(tree, {runtime: 'automatic'})
+
+    assert.equal(
+      generate(tree),
+      '"use client";\nimport {jsx as _jsx} from "react/jsx-runtime";\nconst x = _jsx("a", {});\n'
+    )
+  })
 })
 
 /**