diff --git a/src/namedos.c b/src/namedos.c
index 9cfcd72..993f49b 100644
--- a/src/namedos.c
+++ b/src/namedos.c
@@ -150,14 +150,32 @@ static void dos83_build_alias_candidate(const uint8 *src, int seq,
     snprintf((char *)out, out_size, "%s%s", stem, seqbuf);
 }
 
-static int dos83_candidate_sequence(const uint8 *candidate)
+static void dos83_build_plain_alias(const uint8 *src, uint8 *out, int out_size)
 {
-  const char *tilde = strchr((const char *)candidate, '~');
+  char base[260], ext[260];
+  char nbase[9], next[4];
 
-  if (!tilde)
-    return 0;
+  dos83_split_name(src, base, sizeof(base), ext, sizeof(ext));
+  dos83_normalize_part(base, nbase, sizeof(nbase), 8);
+  dos83_normalize_part(ext,  next,  sizeof(next), 3);
 
-  return atoi(tilde + 1);
+  if (!*nbase)
+    strcpy(nbase, "FILE");
+
+  if (*next)
+    snprintf((char *)out, out_size, "%s.%s", nbase, next);
+  else
+    snprintf((char *)out, out_size, "%s", nbase);
+}
+
+static int dos83_same_plain_family(const uint8 *a, const uint8 *b)
+{
+  uint8 aa[DOS83_NAME_MAX + 1];
+  uint8 bb[DOS83_NAME_MAX + 1];
+
+  dos83_build_plain_alias(a, aa, sizeof(aa));
+  dos83_build_plain_alias(b, bb, sizeof(bb));
+  return !strcmp((char *)aa, (char *)bb);
 }
 
 static int dos83_alias_used_in_dir(const char *dir_unix,
@@ -167,7 +185,6 @@ static int dos83_alias_used_in_dir(const char *dir_unix,
 {
   DIR *d;
   struct dirent *dirbuff;
-  int candidate_seq = dos83_candidate_sequence(candidate);
 
   d = opendir(dir_unix);
   if (!d) {
@@ -179,11 +196,10 @@ static int dos83_alias_used_in_dir(const char *dir_unix,
     return 0;
 
   XDPRINTF((2,0,
-    "DOS83 COLLISION CHECK dir='%s' src='%s' candidate='%s' seq=%d",
+    "DOS83 COLLISION CHECK dir='%s' src='%s' candidate='%s'",
     dir_unix ? dir_unix : "(null)",
     src ? (char *)src : "(null)",
-    candidate ? (char *)candidate : "(null)",
-    candidate_seq));
+    candidate ? (char *)candidate : "(null)"));
 
   while ((dirbuff = readdir(d)) != NULL) {
     uint8 other[DOS83_NAME_MAX + 1];
@@ -195,51 +211,22 @@ static int dos83_alias_used_in_dir(const char *dir_unix,
     if (!strcmp(dirbuff->d_name, (const char *)src))
       continue;
 
-    if (dos83_is_valid_name((uint8 *)dirbuff->d_name, options)) {
-      strncpy((char *)other, dirbuff->d_name, sizeof(other) - 1);
-      other[sizeof(other) - 1] = '\0';
-      up_fn(other);
-    } else if (candidate_seq > 0) {
-      /*
-       * When the current candidate is a numbered alias, compare other long
-       * filenames against the same numbered candidate. This avoids treating
-       * every later long filename as if only ~1 mattered.
-       */
-      dos83_build_alias_candidate((uint8 *)dirbuff->d_name,
-                                  candidate_seq,
-                                  other,
-                                  sizeof(other));
-    } else {
-      char base[260], ext[260];
-      char nbase[9], next[4];
+    if (!dos83_is_valid_name((uint8 *)dirbuff->d_name, options))
+      continue;
 
-      /*
-       * For the first unnumbered probe, compare other long filenames against
-       * the same unnumbered short alias.
-       */
-      dos83_split_name((uint8 *)dirbuff->d_name, base, sizeof(base), ext, sizeof(ext));
-      dos83_normalize_part(base, nbase, sizeof(nbase), 8);
-      dos83_normalize_part(ext,  next,  sizeof(next), 3);
-
-      if (*nbase) {
-        if (*next)
-          snprintf((char *)other, sizeof(other), "%s.%s", nbase, next);
-        else
-          snprintf((char *)other, sizeof(other), "%s", nbase);
-      } else {
-        other[0] = '\0';
-      }
-    }
+    strncpy((char *)other, dirbuff->d_name, sizeof(other) - 1);
+    other[sizeof(other) - 1] = '\0';
+    up_fn(other);
 
     XDPRINTF((2,0,
-      "DOS83 COLLISION OTHER raw='%s' alias='%s' candidate='%s'",
+      "DOS83 COLLISION EXISTING8 raw='%s' alias='%s' candidate='%s'",
       dirbuff->d_name,
       other,
       candidate));
 
     if (!strcmp((char *)other, (const char *)candidate)) {
       XDPRINTF((2,0,
-        "DOS83 COLLISION HIT raw='%s' alias='%s' candidate='%s'",
+        "DOS83 COLLISION HIT EXISTING8 raw='%s' alias='%s' candidate='%s'",
         dirbuff->d_name,
         other,
         candidate));
@@ -299,7 +286,46 @@ int dos83_build_name_in_dir(const char *dir_unix,
     }
   }
 
-  for (seq = 1; seq < 1000000; seq++) {
+  /*
+   * Number colliding long names by their directory order within the same
+   * unnumbered alias family. This gives stable ~1, ~2, ... aliases without
+   * comparing against hypothetical aliases of every other long filename.
+   */
+  seq = 1;
+  if (dir_unix) {
+    DIR *d = opendir(dir_unix);
+    if (!d) {
+      if (seteuid(0)) {}
+      d = opendir(dir_unix);
+      reseteuid();
+    }
+
+    if (d) {
+      struct dirent *dirbuff;
+      while ((dirbuff = readdir(d)) != NULL) {
+        if (!dirbuff->d_ino)
+          continue;
+        if (!strcmp(dirbuff->d_name, ".") || !strcmp(dirbuff->d_name, ".."))
+          continue;
+
+        if (!strcmp(dirbuff->d_name, (const char *)src))
+          break;
+
+        if (!dos83_is_valid_name((uint8 *)dirbuff->d_name, options) &&
+            dos83_same_plain_family((uint8 *)dirbuff->d_name, src)) {
+          seq++;
+          XDPRINTF((2,0,
+            "DOS83 FAMILY PRIOR raw='%s' src='%s' seq_now=%d",
+            dirbuff->d_name,
+            src,
+            seq));
+        }
+      }
+      closedir(d);
+    }
+  }
+
+  for (; seq < 1000000; seq++) {
     dos83_build_alias_candidate(src, seq, out, out_size);
     if (!dir_unix || !dos83_alias_used_in_dir(dir_unix, src, out, options)) {
       XDPRINTF((2,0,