diff --git a/docs/changelog/+subclass-file-lookup.bugfix.rst b/docs/changelog/+subclass-file-lookup.bugfix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..44a3e407
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog/+subclass-file-lookup.bugfix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Honor subclass overrides of ``iter_*_paths`` in ``find_*_file`` and ``find_*_files``, so custom search directories and
+their precedence apply to file lookups.
diff --git a/docs/howto.rst b/docs/howto.rst
index 98204e21..c76c7d42 100644
--- a/docs/howto.rst
+++ b/docs/howto.rst
@@ -190,10 +190,10 @@ site directories, and :meth:`~platformdirs.api.PlatformDirsABC.find_config_files
         print(plugin_file)
 
 Both search the directories of :meth:`~platformdirs.api.PlatformDirsABC.iter_config_paths` and match regular files only,
-so a directory named ``config.toml`` is skipped. They never create a directory, even with ``ensure_exists=True``. The
-name may contain subdirectories; an absolute path, a drive or a ``..`` component raises :class:`ValueError`. The same
-pair exists for data, cache, state, log and runtime files, e.g.
-:meth:`~platformdirs.api.PlatformDirsABC.find_data_file`.
+so a directory named ``config.toml`` is skipped. Subclasses can override the corresponding ``iter_*_paths`` method to
+customize the search paths and their order. They never create a directory, even with ``ensure_exists=True``. The name
+may contain subdirectories; an absolute path, a drive or a ``..`` component raises :class:`ValueError`. The same pair
+exists for data, cache, state, log and runtime files, e.g. :meth:`~platformdirs.api.PlatformDirsABC.find_data_file`.
 
 Testing code that uses platformdirs
 ===================================
diff --git a/src/platformdirs/api.py b/src/platformdirs/api.py
index ff2e83cc..8987e87b 100644
--- a/src/platformdirs/api.py
+++ b/src/platformdirs/api.py
@@ -621,7 +621,7 @@ def find_config_file(self, name: str | os.PathLike[str]) -> Path | None:
         :raises ValueError: if ``name`` is absolute, has a drive or climbs out with ``..``.
 
         """
-        return next(self._find_files(PlatformDirsABC.iter_config_paths, name), None)
+        return next(self._find_files(type(self).iter_config_paths, name), None)
 
     def find_config_files(self, name: str | os.PathLike[str]) -> list[Path]:
         """Find every ``name`` file in :meth:`iter_config_paths` order, without creating any directory.
@@ -633,47 +633,47 @@ def find_config_files(self, name: str | os.PathLike[str]) -> list[Path]:
         :raises ValueError: see :meth:`find_config_file`.
 
         """
-        return list(self._find_files(PlatformDirsABC.iter_config_paths, name))
+        return list(self._find_files(type(self).iter_config_paths, name))
 
     def find_data_file(self, name: str | os.PathLike[str]) -> Path | None:
         """Like :meth:`find_config_file`, searching :meth:`iter_data_paths`."""
-        return next(self._find_files(PlatformDirsABC.iter_data_paths, name), None)
+        return next(self._find_files(type(self).iter_data_paths, name), None)
 
     def find_data_files(self, name: str | os.PathLike[str]) -> list[Path]:
         """Like :meth:`find_config_files`, searching :meth:`iter_data_paths`."""
-        return list(self._find_files(PlatformDirsABC.iter_data_paths, name))
+        return list(self._find_files(type(self).iter_data_paths, name))
 
     def find_cache_file(self, name: str | os.PathLike[str]) -> Path | None:
         """Like :meth:`find_config_file`, searching :meth:`iter_cache_paths`."""
-        return next(self._find_files(PlatformDirsABC.iter_cache_paths, name), None)
+        return next(self._find_files(type(self).iter_cache_paths, name), None)
 
     def find_cache_files(self, name: str | os.PathLike[str]) -> list[Path]:
         """Like :meth:`find_config_files`, searching :meth:`iter_cache_paths`."""
-        return list(self._find_files(PlatformDirsABC.iter_cache_paths, name))
+        return list(self._find_files(type(self).iter_cache_paths, name))
 
     def find_state_file(self, name: str | os.PathLike[str]) -> Path | None:
         """Like :meth:`find_config_file`, searching :meth:`iter_state_paths`."""
-        return next(self._find_files(PlatformDirsABC.iter_state_paths, name), None)
+        return next(self._find_files(type(self).iter_state_paths, name), None)
 
     def find_state_files(self, name: str | os.PathLike[str]) -> list[Path]:
         """Like :meth:`find_config_files`, searching :meth:`iter_state_paths`."""
-        return list(self._find_files(PlatformDirsABC.iter_state_paths, name))
+        return list(self._find_files(type(self).iter_state_paths, name))
 
     def find_log_file(self, name: str | os.PathLike[str]) -> Path | None:
         """Like :meth:`find_config_file`, searching :meth:`iter_log_paths`."""
-        return next(self._find_files(PlatformDirsABC.iter_log_paths, name), None)
+        return next(self._find_files(type(self).iter_log_paths, name), None)
 
     def find_log_files(self, name: str | os.PathLike[str]) -> list[Path]:
         """Like :meth:`find_config_files`, searching :meth:`iter_log_paths`."""
-        return list(self._find_files(PlatformDirsABC.iter_log_paths, name))
+        return list(self._find_files(type(self).iter_log_paths, name))
 
     def find_runtime_file(self, name: str | os.PathLike[str]) -> Path | None:
         """Like :meth:`find_config_file`, searching :meth:`iter_runtime_paths`."""
-        return next(self._find_files(PlatformDirsABC.iter_runtime_paths, name), None)
+        return next(self._find_files(type(self).iter_runtime_paths, name), None)
 
     def find_runtime_files(self, name: str | os.PathLike[str]) -> list[Path]:
         """Like :meth:`find_config_files`, searching :meth:`iter_runtime_paths`."""
-        return list(self._find_files(PlatformDirsABC.iter_runtime_paths, name))
+        return list(self._find_files(type(self).iter_runtime_paths, name))
 
     def _find_files(
         self, iter_paths: Callable[[PlatformDirsABC], Iterator[Path]], name: str | os.PathLike[str]
diff --git a/tests/test_api.py b/tests/test_api.py
index 763c90f2..2c812c2a 100644
--- a/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/test_api.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from collections.abc import Callable, Mapping, Sequence
+    from collections.abc import Callable, Iterator, Mapping, Sequence
     from types import ModuleType
 
     from pytest_mock import MockerFixture
@@ -470,6 +470,28 @@ def test_find_config_files_orders_user_before_site(dirs: Unix, config_paths: lis
     assert dirs.find_config_files("app.toml") == expected
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("suffix", _SUFFIXES)
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("kind", _KINDS)
+def test_find_uses_overridden_path_iterator(
+    dirs: Unix, tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, kind: str, suffix: str
+) -> None:
+    class CustomDirs(Unix):
+        pass
+
+    expected = [_touch(tmp_path / directory / "app.toml") for directory in ("first", "second")]
+
+    def iter_paths(self: CustomDirs) -> Iterator[Path]:
+        assert self.ensure_exists is False
+        yield from (path.parent for path in expected)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(CustomDirs, f"iter_{kind}_paths", iter_paths)
+    custom = CustomDirs(dirs.appname, ensure_exists=True)
+    result = getattr(custom, f"find_{kind}_{suffix}")("app.toml")
+    assert result == (expected[0] if suffix == "file" else expected)
+    assert custom.ensure_exists is True
+    assert sorted(path.name for path in tmp_path.iterdir()) == ["first", "second"]
+
+
 def test_find_config_file_accepts_nested_path_like(dirs: Unix, config_paths: list[Path]) -> None:
     nested = _touch(config_paths[1] / "sub" / "app.toml")
     assert dirs.find_config_file(Path("sub", "app.toml")) == nested