diff --git a/devscripts/bash-completion.py b/devscripts/bash-completion.py
index cd26cc0895..ce68f26f9c 100755
--- a/devscripts/bash-completion.py
+++ b/devscripts/bash-completion.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import os
 from os.path import dirname as dirn
 import sys
 
-sys.path.append(dirn(dirn((os.path.abspath(__file__)))))
+sys.path.insert(0, dirn(dirn((os.path.abspath(__file__)))))
 import youtube_dl
 
 BASH_COMPLETION_FILE = "youtube-dl.bash-completion"
diff --git a/devscripts/fish-completion.py b/devscripts/fish-completion.py
index c2f2387980..41629d87d0 100755
--- a/devscripts/fish-completion.py
+++ b/devscripts/fish-completion.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import os
 from os.path import dirname as dirn
 import sys
 
-sys.path.append(dirn(dirn((os.path.abspath(__file__)))))
+sys.path.insert(0, dirn(dirn((os.path.abspath(__file__)))))
 import youtube_dl
 from youtube_dl.utils import shell_quote
 
diff --git a/devscripts/gh-pages/update-sites.py b/devscripts/gh-pages/update-sites.py
index d3ef5f0b50..503c1372fd 100755
--- a/devscripts/gh-pages/update-sites.py
+++ b/devscripts/gh-pages/update-sites.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import os
 import textwrap
 
 # We must be able to import youtube_dl
-sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))))
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))))
 
 import youtube_dl
 
diff --git a/devscripts/make_supportedsites.py b/devscripts/make_supportedsites.py
index 3df4385a6b..8cb4a46380 100644
--- a/devscripts/make_supportedsites.py
+++ b/devscripts/make_supportedsites.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import sys
 
 # Import youtube_dl
 ROOT_DIR = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..')
-sys.path.append(ROOT_DIR)
+sys.path.insert(0, ROOT_DIR)
 import youtube_dl
 
 
diff --git a/devscripts/zsh-completion.py b/devscripts/zsh-completion.py
index f200f2c80a..04728e8e2c 100755
--- a/devscripts/zsh-completion.py
+++ b/devscripts/zsh-completion.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import os
 from os.path import dirname as dirn
 import sys
 
-sys.path.append(dirn(dirn((os.path.abspath(__file__)))))
+sys.path.insert(0, dirn(dirn((os.path.abspath(__file__)))))
 import youtube_dl
 
 ZSH_COMPLETION_FILE = "youtube-dl.zsh"
diff --git a/youtube_dl/__main__.py b/youtube_dl/__main__.py
index 65a0f891c5..42a0f8c6f4 100755
--- a/youtube_dl/__main__.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/__main__.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ if __package__ is None and not hasattr(sys, "frozen"):
     # direct call of __main__.py
     import os.path
     path = os.path.realpath(os.path.abspath(__file__))
-    sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(path)))
+    sys.path.insert(0, os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(path)))
 
 import youtube_dl