diff --git a/bids-validator/src/files/inheritance.ts b/bids-validator/src/files/inheritance.ts
index 5d3bebb4a..5297d39c3 100644
--- a/bids-validator/src/files/inheritance.ts
+++ b/bids-validator/src/files/inheritance.ts
@@ -33,10 +33,13 @@ export function* walkBack(
         exactMatch.viewed = true
         yield exactMatch
       } else {
+        // Sort candidates (in-place) and take first as the "location" of the problem
+        const location = candidates.sort()[0]
         throw {
           code: 'MULTIPLE_INHERITABLE_FILES',
-          location: source.path,
-          affects: candidates.map((file) => file.path),
+          location,
+          affects: source.path,
+          issueMessage: `Candidate files: ${candidates}`,
         }
       }
     } else if (candidates.length === 1) {