diff --git a/kustomize/commands/internal/kustfile/kustomizationfile.go b/kustomize/commands/internal/kustfile/kustomizationfile.go
index 902b18837..ed5f9d25d 100644
--- a/kustomize/commands/internal/kustfile/kustomizationfile.go
+++ b/kustomize/commands/internal/kustfile/kustomizationfile.go
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ func determineFieldOrder() []string {
 	}
 
 	ordered := []string{
+		"MetaData",
 		"Resources",
 		"Bases",
 		"NamePrefix",
diff --git a/kustomize/commands/internal/kustfile/kustomizationfile_test.go b/kustomize/commands/internal/kustfile/kustomizationfile_test.go
index ebd9a51e9..44c4a4e78 100644
--- a/kustomize/commands/internal/kustfile/kustomizationfile_test.go
+++ b/kustomize/commands/internal/kustfile/kustomizationfile_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ func TestFieldOrder(t *testing.T) {
 	expected := []string{
 		"APIVersion",
 		"Kind",
+		"MetaData",
 		"Resources",
 		"Bases",
 		"NamePrefix",