diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 218cf6d7..4716f0c8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 [Squint](https://github.com/squint-cljs/squint): Light-weight ClojureScript dialect
 
+## v0.8.117 (2024-10-17)
+
+- Fix [#563](https://github.com/squint-cljs/squint/issues/563): prioritize refer over core built-in
+
 ## v0.8.117 (2024-10-11)
 
 - BREAKING: Dynamic CSS in `#html` must now be explicitly passed as map literal: `(let [m {:color :green}] #html [:div {:style {:& m}}])`. Fixes issue when using `lit-html` in combination with `classMap`. See [demo](https://squint-cljs.github.io/squint/?src=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%3D%3D)
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 6048cd8d..168fec2a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
     "chalk": "^5.0.1",
     "esbuild": "^0.14.49",
     "eslint": "^8.54.0",
+    "jotai": "^2.10.1",
     "lodash": "^4.17.21",
     "lodash-es": "^4.17.21",
     "playwright": "^1.26.1",
@@ -45,13 +46,14 @@
       "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/borkdude"
     }
   ],
-  "exports": {".": "./index.js",
-              "./index.js": "./index.js",
-              "./core.js": "./core.js",
-              "./string.js": "./string.js",
-              "./src/squint/core.js": "./src/squint/core.js",
-              "./src/squint/set.js": "./src/squint/set.js",
-              "./src/squint/string.js": "./src/squint/string.js",
-              "./src/squint/html.js": "./src/squint/html.js"
-             }
+  "exports": {
+    ".": "./index.js",
+    "./index.js": "./index.js",
+    "./core.js": "./core.js",
+    "./string.js": "./string.js",
+    "./src/squint/core.js": "./src/squint/core.js",
+    "./src/squint/set.js": "./src/squint/set.js",
+    "./src/squint/string.js": "./src/squint/string.js",
+    "./src/squint/html.js": "./src/squint/html.js"
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/squint/compiler_common.cljc b/src/squint/compiler_common.cljc
index 42e7d350..617265b2 100644
--- a/src/squint/compiler_common.cljc
+++ b/src/squint/compiler_common.cljc
@@ -291,15 +291,19 @@
                         (when (contains? current-ns expr)
                           (str (when *repl*
                                  (str "globalThis." (munge *cljs-ns*) ".")) (munged-name expr)))
-                        (some-> (maybe-core-var expr env) munge)
                         (let [renamed (:rename current-ns)
                               expr (get renamed expr expr)]
-                          (when (or (contains? (:refers current-ns) expr)
-                                    (let [alias (get (:aliases current-ns) expr)]
-                                      alias))
-                            (str (when *repl*
-                                   (str "globalThis." (munge *cljs-ns*) "."))
-                                 (munged-name expr))))
+                          (or
+                           (when (contains? (:refers current-ns) expr)
+                             (str (when *repl*
+                                    (str "globalThis." (munge *cljs-ns*) "."))
+                                  (munged-name expr)))
+                           (some-> (maybe-core-var expr env) munge)
+                           (when (let [alias (get (:aliases current-ns) expr)]
+                                 alias)
+                             (str (when *repl*
+                                    (str "globalThis." (munge *cljs-ns*) "."))
+                                  (munged-name expr)))))
                         (let [m (munged-name expr)]
                           m)))))]
         (emit-return (escape-jsx expr env)
diff --git a/test/squint/compiler_test.cljs b/test/squint/compiler_test.cljs
index f7397fd0..5823224d 100644
--- a/test/squint/compiler_test.cljs
+++ b/test/squint/compiler_test.cljs
@@ -1614,16 +1614,21 @@
                      "import './popup.css'"))
   (is (re-find #"import.*'./popup.css'"
                (squint/compile-string (pr-str '(ns foo (:require ["./popup.css" :as pop]))))))
+  (is (str/ends-with?
+       (str/trim (squint/compile-string "(ns foo (:require [\"fs\" :refer [readFileSync]])) readFileSync" {:repl true}))
+       "globalThis.foo.readFileSync;"))
+  (is (str/ends-with?
+       (str/trim (squint/compile-string "(ns foo (:require [\"some-js-lib\" :refer [atom]])) atom" {:repl true}))
+       "foo.atom;")))
+
+(deftest ns-test-async
   (t/async done
     (let [js (squint/compile-string "(ns foo (:require [clojure.string :as str])) (str 1 2 3 (str/join \",\" [1 2 3]))" {:repl true
                                                                                                                          :context :return})]
       (-> (.then (js/eval (str/replace "(async function () {\n%s\n})()" "%s" js))
                  (fn [v]
                    (is (= "1231,2,3" v))))
-          (.finally done))))
-  (is (str/ends-with?
-       (str/trim (squint/compile-string "(ns foo (:require [\"fs\" :refer [readFileSync]])) readFileSync" {:repl true}))
-       "globalThis.foo.readFileSync;")))
+          (.finally done)))))
 
 (deftest global-ns-test
   (t/async done