diff --git a/geowebcache/rest/src/main/java/org/geowebcache/rest/controller/RestExceptionHandler.java b/geowebcache/rest/src/main/java/org/geowebcache/rest/controller/RestExceptionHandler.java
index c5b52719ff..8dd25c26d0 100644
--- a/geowebcache/rest/src/main/java/org/geowebcache/rest/controller/RestExceptionHandler.java
+++ b/geowebcache/rest/src/main/java/org/geowebcache/rest/controller/RestExceptionHandler.java
@@ -20,14 +20,22 @@
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 import org.geowebcache.rest.exception.RestException;
+import org.springframework.core.Ordered;
+import org.springframework.core.annotation.Order;
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
 import org.springframework.util.StreamUtils;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.ControllerAdvice;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.ExceptionHandler;
 import org.springframework.web.context.request.WebRequest;
 
-/** Common Rest Exception Handler for Spring MVC Controllers. */
+/**
+ * Common Rest Exception Handler for Spring MVC Controllers.
+ *
+ * <p>Ordered first so GeoServer's catch-all handler, {@code org.geoserver.rest.RestControllerAdvice}, which returns
+ * 500, cannot take over a {@link RestException} when Spring registers its jar before this one.
+ */
 @ControllerAdvice
+@Order(Ordered.HIGHEST_PRECEDENCE)
 public class RestExceptionHandler {
 
     private static final Logger LOGGER = Logger.getLogger(RestExceptionHandler.class.getName());
diff --git a/geowebcache/rest/src/test/java/org/geowebcache/rest/controller/RestExceptionHandlerTest.java b/geowebcache/rest/src/test/java/org/geowebcache/rest/controller/RestExceptionHandlerTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..27320b9109
--- /dev/null
+++ b/geowebcache/rest/src/test/java/org/geowebcache/rest/controller/RestExceptionHandlerTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+/**
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General
+ * Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any
+ * later version.
+ *
+ * <p>This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied
+ * warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * <p>You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License along with this program. If not, see
+ * <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+package org.geowebcache.rest.controller;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertThrows;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.request.MockMvcRequestBuilders.get;
+import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.result.MockMvcResultMatchers.content;
+import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.result.MockMvcResultMatchers.status;
+
+import jakarta.servlet.ServletException;
+import org.geowebcache.rest.exception.RestException;
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.experimental.runners.Enclosed;
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
+import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
+import org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity;
+import org.springframework.test.web.servlet.MockMvc;
+import org.springframework.test.web.servlet.setup.MockMvcBuilders;
+import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.ControllerAdvice;
+import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.ExceptionHandler;
+import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.GetMapping;
+import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RestController;
+
+@RunWith(Enclosed.class)
+public class RestExceptionHandlerTest {
+
+    @RestController
+    static class FailingController {
+        @GetMapping("/not-found")
+        public void notFound() {
+            throw new RestException("Unknown layer: missing", HttpStatus.NOT_FOUND);
+        }
+
+        @GetMapping("/bad-request")
+        public void badRequest() {
+            throw new RestException("Layer name not provided", HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST);
+        }
+
+        @GetMapping("/server-error")
+        public void serverError() {
+            throw new RestException("Truncation failed", HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR);
+        }
+
+        @GetMapping("/broken")
+        public void broken() {
+            throw new IllegalStateException("Broken layer");
+        }
+    }
+
+    /** Stands in for the catch-all advice of a host application such as GeoServer. */
+    @ControllerAdvice
+    static class CatchAllAdvice {
+        @ExceptionHandler(Exception.class)
+        public ResponseEntity<String> handleAnything(Exception e) {
+            return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR).body(e.getMessage());
+        }
+    }
+
+    static MockMvc mockMvc(Object... controllerAdvice) {
+        return MockMvcBuilders.standaloneSetup(new FailingController())
+                .setControllerAdvice(controllerAdvice)
+                .build();
+    }
+
+    public static class AsOnlyAdvice {
+
+        private MockMvc mockMvc;
+
+        @Before
+        public void setUp() {
+            mockMvc = mockMvc(new RestExceptionHandler());
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        public void testNotFound() throws Exception {
+            mockMvc.perform(get("/not-found"))
+                    .andExpect(status().isNotFound())
+                    .andExpect(content().contentType(MediaType.TEXT_PLAIN))
+                    .andExpect(content().string("Unknown layer: missing"));
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        public void testBadRequest() throws Exception {
+            mockMvc.perform(get("/bad-request"))
+                    .andExpect(status().isBadRequest())
+                    .andExpect(content().contentType(MediaType.TEXT_PLAIN))
+                    .andExpect(content().string("Layer name not provided"));
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        public void testInternalServerError() throws Exception {
+            mockMvc.perform(get("/server-error"))
+                    .andExpect(status().isInternalServerError())
+                    .andExpect(content().contentType(MediaType.TEXT_PLAIN))
+                    .andExpect(content().string("Truncation failed"));
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        public void testOtherExceptionsNotHandled() {
+            ServletException unhandled = assertThrows(ServletException.class, () -> mockMvc.perform(get("/broken")));
+
+            assertTrue(unhandled.getCause() instanceof IllegalStateException);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Spring loads advice beans of equal precedence in registration order, which is a race following on the order of
+     * the jars in {@code WEB-INF/lib}. A catch-all advice registered first must not take over a {@link RestException},
+     * and must still get every other exception.
+     */
+    public static class RegisteredAfterCatchAllAdvice {
+
+        private MockMvc mockMvc;
+
+        @Before
+        public void setUp() {
+            mockMvc = mockMvc(new CatchAllAdvice(), new RestExceptionHandler());
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        public void testRestExceptionStatus() throws Exception {
+            mockMvc.perform(get("/not-found"))
+                    .andExpect(status().isNotFound())
+                    .andExpect(content().contentType(MediaType.TEXT_PLAIN))
+                    .andExpect(content().string("Unknown layer: missing"));
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        public void testOtherExceptionsLeftToCatchAllAdvice() throws Exception {
+            mockMvc.perform(get("/broken"))
+                    .andExpect(status().isInternalServerError())
+                    .andExpect(content().string("Broken layer"));
+        }
+    }
+}