diff --git a/bin/ocaml/ocaml_merlin.ml b/bin/ocaml/ocaml_merlin.ml
index c901809128b..0e4ae2da7d7 100644
--- a/bin/ocaml/ocaml_merlin.ml
+++ b/bin/ocaml/ocaml_merlin.ml
@@ -99,21 +99,45 @@ end = struct
   let load_merlin_file file =
     (* We search for an appropriate merlin configuration in the current
        directory and its parents *)
+    let get_file_config_at_path p =
+      match Merlin.Processed.load_file p with
+      | Error msg -> Some (Merlin_conf.make_error msg)
+      | Ok config -> Merlin.Processed.get config ~file
+    in
+    let basename = Path.Build.set_extension file ~ext:"" |> Path.Build.basename in
+    let good_names =
+      List.map
+        ~f:(fun pref -> Printf.sprintf "%s-%s" pref basename)
+        [ "lib"; "exe"; "melange" ]
+    in
     let rec find_closest path =
+      let merlin_paths = get_merlin_files_paths path in
+      (* Now we want to look for:
+        1. an exact match
+        2. an approximate match
+        3. recursing to parent directory
+      *)
       match
-        get_merlin_files_paths path
-        |> List.find_map ~f:(fun file_path ->
-          (* FIXME we are racing against the build system writing these
-             files here *)
-          match Merlin.Processed.load_file file_path with
-          | Error msg -> Some (Merlin_conf.make_error msg)
-          | Ok config -> Merlin.Processed.get config ~file)
+        List.find merlin_paths ~f:(fun p ->
+          List.mem good_names (Path.basename p) ~equal:String.equal)
       with
-      | Some p -> Some p
+      | Some p ->
+        (* Found exact match: we are done *)
+        get_file_config_at_path p
       | None ->
-        (match Path.Build.parent path with
-         | None -> None
-         | Some dir -> find_closest dir)
+        (* looking for approximate match *)
+        (match
+           List.find_map merlin_paths ~f:(fun file_path ->
+             (* FIXME we are racing against the build system writing these
+             files here *)
+             get_file_config_at_path file_path)
+         with
+         | Some p -> Some p
+         | None ->
+           (* Otherwise, recurse upwards *)
+           (match Path.Build.parent path with
+            | None -> None
+            | Some dir -> find_closest dir))
     in
     match find_closest (Path.Build.parent_exn file) with
     | Some x -> x
diff --git a/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/merlin/merlin-multi-exes.t/dune-project b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/merlin/merlin-multi-exes.t/dune-project
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..42c0c167431
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/merlin/merlin-multi-exes.t/dune-project
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+(lang dune 1.10)
diff --git a/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/merlin/merlin-multi-exes.t/multi-exes/bin/b.ml b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/merlin/merlin-multi-exes.t/multi-exes/bin/b.ml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/merlin/merlin-multi-exes.t/multi-exes/bin/c.ml b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/merlin/merlin-multi-exes.t/multi-exes/bin/c.ml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/merlin/merlin-multi-exes.t/multi-exes/bin/dune b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/merlin/merlin-multi-exes.t/multi-exes/bin/dune
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2a839c8b763
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/merlin/merlin-multi-exes.t/multi-exes/bin/dune
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+(executable
+ (name b))
+
+(executable
+ (name c)
+ (libraries lib))
diff --git a/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/merlin/merlin-multi-exes.t/multi-exes/lib/dune b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/merlin/merlin-multi-exes.t/multi-exes/lib/dune
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..67263ab7cf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/merlin/merlin-multi-exes.t/multi-exes/lib/dune
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+(library
+ (name lib))
diff --git a/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/merlin/merlin-multi-exes.t/multi-exes/lib/lib.ml b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/merlin/merlin-multi-exes.t/multi-exes/lib/lib.ml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/merlin/merlin-multi-exes.t/run.t b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/merlin/merlin-multi-exes.t/run.t
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b5f16c33dd2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/merlin/merlin-multi-exes.t/run.t
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+  $ ocamlc_where="$(ocamlc -where)"
+  $ export BUILD_PATH_PREFIX_MAP="/OCAMLC_WHERE=$ocamlc_where:$BUILD_PATH_PREFIX_MAP"
+ 
+  $ FILE=$PWD/multi-exes/bin/b.ml
+  $ printf "(4:File%d:%s)" ${#FILE} $FILE | dune ocaml-merlin
+  ((5:ERROR71:No config found for file multi-exes/bin/b.ml. Try calling 'dune build'.))
+
+  $ dune build @check
+
+  $ printf "(4:File%d:%s)" ${#FILE} $FILE | dune ocaml-merlin | sed -E "s/[[:digit:]]+:/\?:/g"
+  ((?:INDEX?:$TESTCASE_ROOT/_build/default/multi-exes/bin/.c.eobjs/cctx.ocaml-index)(?:INDEX?:$TESTCASE_ROOT/_build/default/multi-exes/bin/.b.eobjs/cctx.ocaml-index)(?:INDEX?:$TESTCASE_ROOT/_build/default/multi-exes/lib/.lib.objs/cctx.ocaml-index)(?:STDLIB?:/OCAMLC_WHERE)(?:SOURCE_ROOT?:$TESTCASE_ROOT)(?:EXCLUDE_QUERY_DIR)(?:B?:$TESTCASE_ROOT/_build/default/multi-exes/bin/.b.eobjs/byte)(?:S?:$TESTCASE_ROOT/multi-exes/bin)(?:FLG(?:-w?:@1..3@5..28@30..39@43@46..47@49..57@61..62-?:-strict-sequence?:-strict-formats?:-short-paths?:-keep-locs?:-g))(?:UNIT_NAME?:b))
+
+  $ FILE=$PWD/multi-exes/bin/c.ml
+  $ printf "(4:File%d:%s)" ${#FILE} $FILE | dune ocaml-merlin | sed -E "s/[[:digit:]]+:/\?:/g"
+  ((?:INDEX?:$TESTCASE_ROOT/_build/default/multi-exes/bin/.c.eobjs/cctx.ocaml-index)(?:INDEX?:$TESTCASE_ROOT/_build/default/multi-exes/bin/.b.eobjs/cctx.ocaml-index)(?:INDEX?:$TESTCASE_ROOT/_build/default/multi-exes/lib/.lib.objs/cctx.ocaml-index)(?:STDLIB?:/OCAMLC_WHERE)(?:SOURCE_ROOT?:$TESTCASE_ROOT)(?:EXCLUDE_QUERY_DIR)(?:B?:$TESTCASE_ROOT/_build/default/multi-exes/bin/.c.eobjs/byte)(?:B?:$TESTCASE_ROOT/_build/default/multi-exes/lib/.lib.objs/byte)(?:S?:$TESTCASE_ROOT/multi-exes/bin)(?:S?:$TESTCASE_ROOT/multi-exes/lib)(?:FLG(?:-w?:@1..3@5..28@30..39@43@46..47@49..57@61..62-?:-strict-sequence?:-strict-formats?:-short-paths?:-keep-locs?:-g))(?:UNIT_NAME?:c))