diff --git a/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/builtins.go b/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/builtins.go
index 34965d1d6..f9ad013ee 100644
--- a/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/builtins.go
+++ b/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/builtins.go
@@ -818,7 +818,7 @@ func parseRoute(h Helper) (caddyhttp.MiddlewareHandler, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return buildSubroute(allResults, h.groupCounter, false)
+	return buildSubroute(allResults, h.groupCounter, nil)
 }
 
 func parseHandle(h Helper) (caddyhttp.MiddlewareHandler, error) {
diff --git a/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/directives.go b/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/directives.go
index cdf1ef3aa..f411aabe3 100644
--- a/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/directives.go
+++ b/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/directives.go
@@ -99,10 +99,24 @@ var defaultDirectiveOrder = []string{
 }
 
 // directiveOrder specifies the order to apply directives
-// in HTTP routes, after being modified by either the
-// plugins or by the user via the "order" global option.
+// in HTTP routes, after being modified by the plugins.
+// It is only written during plugin registration, i.e.
+// before any adaptation runs; adaptations only read it,
+// since the user's "order" global option is kept per
+// adaptation in options["order"] instead.
 var directiveOrder = defaultDirectiveOrder
 
+// directiveOrderFor returns the directive order to use for the
+// adaptation these options belong to. That's whatever the "order"
+// global option built up, or the plugin-registered order if the
+// Caddyfile didn't use it.
+func directiveOrderFor(options map[string]any) []string {
+	if order, ok := options["order"].([]string); ok {
+		return order
+	}
+	return directiveOrder
+}
+
 // RegisterDirective registers a unique directive dir with an
 // associated unmarshaling (setup) function. When directive dir
 // is encountered in a Caddyfile, setupFunc will be called to
@@ -169,20 +183,14 @@ func RegisterDirectiveOrder(dir string, position Positional, standardDir string)
 		panic("the 3rd argument '" + standardDir + "' must be a directive that exists in the standard distribution of Caddy")
 	}
 
-	// insert directive into proper position
-	newOrder := directiveOrder
-	for i, d := range newOrder {
-		if d != standardDir {
-			continue
+	// insert directive into proper position, into a copy so that we
+	// never write into the array backing defaultDirectiveOrder
+	newOrder := slices.Clone(directiveOrder)
+	if i := slices.Index(newOrder, standardDir); i >= 0 {
+		if position == After {
+			i++
 		}
-		switch position {
-		case Before:
-			newOrder = append(newOrder[:i], append([]string{dir}, newOrder[i:]...)...)
-		case After:
-			newOrder = append(newOrder[:i+1], append([]string{dir}, newOrder[i+1:]...)...)
-		case First, Last:
-		}
-		break
+		newOrder = slices.Insert(newOrder, i, dir)
 	}
 	directiveOrder = newOrder
 }
@@ -348,7 +356,7 @@ func ParseSegmentAsSubroute(h Helper) (caddyhttp.MiddlewareHandler, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return buildSubroute(allResults, h.groupCounter, true)
+	return buildSubroute(allResults, h.groupCounter, directiveOrderFor(h.options))
 }
 
 // parseSegmentAsConfig parses the segment such that its subdirectives
@@ -444,9 +452,9 @@ type ConfigValue struct {
 	directive string
 }
 
-func sortRoutes(routes []ConfigValue) {
+func sortRoutes(routes []ConfigValue, order []string) {
 	dirPositions := make(map[string]int)
-	for i, dir := range directiveOrder {
+	for i, dir := range order {
 		dirPositions[dir] = i
 	}
 
diff --git a/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/directives_test.go b/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/directives_test.go
index 2b4d3e6c3..9adf0c041 100644
--- a/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/directives_test.go
+++ b/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/directives_test.go
@@ -2,8 +2,14 @@ package httpcaddyfile
 
 import (
 	"reflect"
+	"slices"
 	"sort"
+	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/caddyserver/caddy/v2/caddyconfig/caddyfile"
+	"github.com/caddyserver/caddy/v2/modules/caddyhttp"
 )
 
 func TestHostsFromKeys(t *testing.T) {
@@ -95,3 +101,231 @@ func TestHostsFromKeys(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// test_ordered_plugin stands in for a plugin directive in the tests below.
+// it registers from init() like a real plugin would, which also keeps it to
+// once per process, since registering twice panics.
+func init() {
+	RegisterHandlerDirective("test_ordered_plugin", func(h Helper) (caddyhttp.MiddlewareHandler, error) {
+		h.Next()
+		return caddyhttp.StaticError{StatusCode: "500"}, nil
+	})
+	RegisterDirectiveOrder("test_ordered_plugin", Before, "respond")
+}
+
+// caddyfiles shared by the directive order tests below. the handle block in
+// orderTestPlain is there so that the subroute path gets covered too, not
+// just the top level of the site block, and orderTestReordered moves respond
+// ahead of root so it has to adapt to something different.
+const (
+	orderTestPlain = `:8080 {
+	root * /srv
+	handle /foo {
+		respond 200
+		root * /other
+	}
+}
+`
+	orderTestReordered = "{\n\torder respond first\n}\n" + orderTestPlain
+
+	// covers every positional, since first and last build the new order in
+	// their own way and last can append in place
+	orderTestConcurrent = `{
+	order redir before respond
+	order vars after root
+	order root first
+	order respond last
+}
+:8080 {
+	respond 200
+}
+`
+)
+
+// adaptCaddyfile adapts the given Caddyfile with a fresh options map.
+func adaptCaddyfile(t *testing.T, input string) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	return adaptWithOptions(t, input, nil)
+}
+
+// adaptWithOptions adapts the given Caddyfile with the caller's options map.
+func adaptWithOptions(t *testing.T, input string, options map[string]any) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	adapter := caddyfile.Adapter{ServerType: ServerType{}}
+	out, _, err := adapter.Adapt([]byte(input), options)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("adapting: %v", err)
+	}
+	return string(out)
+}
+
+// adaptConcurrently adapts a Caddyfile using the order global option from
+// several goroutines at once. A non-nil options map is shared by all of
+// them; nil gives each adaptation its own. Run with -race.
+func adaptConcurrently(t *testing.T, options map[string]any) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	for range 8 {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			for range 200 {
+				adapter := caddyfile.Adapter{ServerType: ServerType{}}
+				if _, _, err := adapter.Adapt([]byte(orderTestConcurrent), options); err != nil {
+					t.Errorf("adapting concurrently: %v", err)
+					return
+				}
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+	wg.Wait()
+}
+
+// handlerComesFirst reports whether handler a appears before handler b in
+// the adapted JSON.
+func handlerComesFirst(adapted, a, b string) bool {
+	ai := strings.Index(adapted, `"handler":"`+a+`"`)
+	bi := strings.Index(adapted, `"handler":"`+b+`"`)
+	return ai >= 0 && bi >= 0 && ai < bi
+}
+
+// TestAdaptDirectiveOrderIsolation makes sure the order global option only
+// applies to the adaptation it was written in.
+func TestAdaptDirectiveOrderIsolation(t *testing.T) {
+	baseline := adaptCaddyfile(t, orderTestPlain)
+
+	// this one moves respond to the front, so it has to produce something
+	// different than the default order does
+	if out := adaptCaddyfile(t, orderTestReordered); out == baseline {
+		t.Fatal("the order option had no effect, so this test proves nothing")
+	}
+
+	if out := adaptCaddyfile(t, orderTestPlain); out != baseline {
+		t.Errorf("order option leaked into the next adaptation:\nExpected: %s\nActual:   %s", baseline, out)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestAdaptDirectiveOrderAfterError makes sure a failed adaptation leaves
+// nothing behind for the next one.
+func TestAdaptDirectiveOrderAfterError(t *testing.T) {
+	baseline := adaptCaddyfile(t, orderTestPlain)
+
+	const broken = `{
+	order respond before not_a_directive
+}
+:8080 {
+	respond 200
+}
+`
+	adapter := caddyfile.Adapter{ServerType: ServerType{}}
+	if _, _, err := adapter.Adapt([]byte(broken), nil); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected an error for an order option pointing at an unknown directive")
+	}
+
+	if out := adaptCaddyfile(t, orderTestPlain); out != baseline {
+		t.Errorf("failed adaptation left the order broken:\nExpected: %s\nActual:   %s", baseline, out)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestAdaptDirectiveOrderWithReusedOptions makes sure that handing the same
+// options map to one adaptation after another doesn't carry the first one's
+// order into the second, and that the caller's map is left alone.
+func TestAdaptDirectiveOrderWithReusedOptions(t *testing.T) {
+	baseline := adaptCaddyfile(t, orderTestPlain)
+
+	options := map[string]any{}
+
+	if out := adaptWithOptions(t, orderTestReordered, options); out == baseline {
+		t.Fatal("the order option had no effect, so this test proves nothing")
+	}
+	if out := adaptWithOptions(t, orderTestPlain, options); out != baseline {
+		t.Errorf("reused options map carried the order into the next adaptation:\nExpected: %s\nActual:   %s", baseline, out)
+	}
+	if len(options) > 0 {
+		t.Errorf("adapting wrote into the caller's options map: %v", options)
+	}
+
+	// an order the caller put in the map itself is ignored as well, and the
+	// slice behind it is never written to; if it were used here, root would
+	// not be an ordered handler and adapting would fail
+	callerOrder := []string{"respond"}
+	options["order"] = callerOrder
+	if out := adaptWithOptions(t, orderTestPlain, options); out != baseline {
+		t.Errorf("an order from the caller's map was used:\nExpected: %s\nActual:   %s", baseline, out)
+	}
+	if !slices.Equal(callerOrder, []string{"respond"}) {
+		t.Errorf("adapting modified the caller's order: %v", callerOrder)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestConcurrentAdaptDirectiveOrder makes sure that adapting several
+// Caddyfiles at once, all of them using the order global option, doesn't
+// race or corrupt the order shared by the whole process.
+// See https://github.com/caddyserver/caddy/issues/7994
+func TestConcurrentAdaptDirectiveOrder(t *testing.T) {
+	baseline := slices.Clone(directiveOrder)
+	defaultBaseline := slices.Clone(defaultDirectiveOrder)
+
+	adaptConcurrently(t, nil)
+
+	if !slices.Equal(directiveOrder, baseline) {
+		t.Errorf("adaptation changed the process-wide order:\nExpected: %v\nActual:   %v", baseline, directiveOrder)
+	}
+	if !slices.Equal(defaultDirectiveOrder, defaultBaseline) {
+		t.Errorf("adaptation changed the default order:\nExpected: %v\nActual:   %v", defaultBaseline, defaultDirectiveOrder)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestConcurrentAdaptDirectiveOrderWithReusedOptions is the same, except
+// every goroutine is handed the same options map.
+func TestConcurrentAdaptDirectiveOrderWithReusedOptions(t *testing.T) {
+	baseline := slices.Clone(directiveOrder)
+	defaultBaseline := slices.Clone(defaultDirectiveOrder)
+	options := map[string]any{}
+
+	adaptConcurrently(t, options)
+
+	if !slices.Equal(directiveOrder, baseline) {
+		t.Errorf("adaptation changed the process-wide order:\nExpected: %v\nActual:   %v", baseline, directiveOrder)
+	}
+	if !slices.Equal(defaultDirectiveOrder, defaultBaseline) {
+		t.Errorf("adaptation changed the default order:\nExpected: %v\nActual:   %v", defaultBaseline, defaultDirectiveOrder)
+	}
+	if len(options) > 0 {
+		t.Errorf("adapting wrote into the caller's options map: %v", options)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestRegisterDirectiveOrderWithOrderOption makes sure an order registered
+// by a plugin is still honored, and can still be overridden by the order
+// global option without the override sticking around afterwards.
+func TestRegisterDirectiveOrderWithOrderOption(t *testing.T) {
+	if !slices.Contains(directiveOrder, "test_ordered_plugin") {
+		t.Fatal("plugin directive was not added to the order")
+	}
+	if !slices.Contains(defaultDirectiveOrder, "respond") || slices.Contains(defaultDirectiveOrder, "test_ordered_plugin") {
+		t.Errorf("registering a plugin order corrupted the default order: %v", defaultDirectiveOrder)
+	}
+
+	const site = `:8080 {
+	respond 200
+	test_ordered_plugin
+}
+`
+	// with no order option, the registered position wins
+	if out := adaptCaddyfile(t, site); !handlerComesFirst(out, "error", "static_response") {
+		t.Errorf("expected the plugin directive before respond, got: %s", out)
+	}
+
+	// the order option overrides it
+	overridden := adaptCaddyfile(t, "{\n\torder test_ordered_plugin after respond\n}\n"+site)
+	if !handlerComesFirst(overridden, "static_response", "error") {
+		t.Errorf("expected respond before the plugin directive, got: %s", overridden)
+	}
+
+	// and the override is gone again
+	if out := adaptCaddyfile(t, site); !handlerComesFirst(out, "error", "static_response") {
+		t.Errorf("the order option leaked past its own adaptation, got: %s", out)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/httptype.go b/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/httptype.go
index 60d851fec..ac6f78e3b 100644
--- a/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/httptype.go
+++ b/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/httptype.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"cmp"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"maps"
 	"net"
 	"reflect"
 	"slices"
@@ -63,6 +64,18 @@ func (st ServerType) Setup(
 	gc := counter{new(int)}
 	state := make(map[string]any)
 
+	// adaptation fills the options in as it goes, so work on our own copy;
+	// the caller may reuse or share the map they gave us
+	options = maps.Clone(options)
+	if options == nil {
+		options = make(map[string]any)
+	}
+
+	// an order accumulated by a previous adaptation must not carry into
+	// this one, so drop it and let the first "order" option start over
+	// from the order the plugins registered
+	delete(options, "order")
+
 	// load all the server blocks and associate them with a "pile" of config values
 	originalServerBlocks := make([]serverBlock, 0, len(inputServerBlocks))
 	for _, sblock := range inputServerBlocks {
@@ -918,7 +931,7 @@ func (st *ServerType) serversFromPairings(
 
 			// set up each handler directive, making sure to honor directive order
 			dirRoutes := sblock.pile["route"]
-			siteSubroute, err := buildSubroute(dirRoutes, groupCounter, true)
+			siteSubroute, err := buildSubroute(dirRoutes, groupCounter, directiveOrderFor(options))
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
@@ -1421,15 +1434,17 @@ func appendSubrouteToRouteList(routeList caddyhttp.RouteList,
 
 // buildSubroute turns the config values, which are expected to be routes
 // into a clean and orderly subroute that has all the routes within it.
-func buildSubroute(routes []ConfigValue, groupCounter counter, needsSorting bool) (*caddyhttp.Subroute, error) {
-	if needsSorting {
+// The order is the one belonging to the current adaptation; pass nil to
+// keep the routes in the order they were written in.
+func buildSubroute(routes []ConfigValue, groupCounter counter, order []string) (*caddyhttp.Subroute, error) {
+	if order != nil {
 		for _, val := range routes {
-			if !slices.Contains(directiveOrder, val.directive) {
+			if !slices.Contains(order, val.directive) {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("directive '%s' is not an ordered HTTP handler, so it cannot be used here - try placing within a route block or using the order global option", val.directive)
 			}
 		}
 
-		sortRoutes(routes)
+		sortRoutes(routes, order)
 	}
 
 	subroute := new(caddyhttp.Subroute)
diff --git a/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/options.go b/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/options.go
index 0b4ee5402..dd35d13a3 100644
--- a/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/options.go
+++ b/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/options.go
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ func parseOptHTTPSPort(d *caddyfile.Dispenser, _ any) (any, error) {
 	return httpsPort, nil
 }
 
-func parseOptOrder(d *caddyfile.Dispenser, _ any) (any, error) {
+func parseOptOrder(d *caddyfile.Dispenser, existing any) (any, error) {
 	d.Next() // consume option name
 
 	// get directive name
@@ -119,8 +119,16 @@ func parseOptOrder(d *caddyfile.Dispenser, _ any) (any, error) {
 	}
 	pos := Positional(d.Val())
 
+	// build on what an earlier order option in this same Caddyfile produced;
+	// the first one starts from a clone of the order the plugins registered,
+	// so from here on we're only ever editing a slice this adaptation owns
+	order, ok := existing.([]string)
+	if !ok {
+		order = slices.Clone(directiveOrder)
+	}
+
 	// if directive already had an order, drop it
-	newOrder := slices.DeleteFunc(directiveOrder, func(d string) bool {
+	newOrder := slices.DeleteFunc(order, func(d string) bool {
 		return d == dirName
 	})
 
@@ -131,7 +139,6 @@ func parseOptOrder(d *caddyfile.Dispenser, _ any) (any, error) {
 		if d.NextArg() {
 			return nil, d.ArgErr()
 		}
-		directiveOrder = newOrder
 		return newOrder, nil
 
 	case Last:
@@ -139,7 +146,6 @@ func parseOptOrder(d *caddyfile.Dispenser, _ any) (any, error) {
 		if d.NextArg() {
 			return nil, d.ArgErr()
 		}
-		directiveOrder = newOrder
 		return newOrder, nil
 
 	// if it's Before or After, continue
@@ -171,8 +177,6 @@ func parseOptOrder(d *caddyfile.Dispenser, _ any) (any, error) {
 	// insert the directive into the new order
 	newOrder = slices.Insert(newOrder, targetIndex, dirName)
 
-	directiveOrder = newOrder
-
 	return newOrder, nil
 }