diff --git a/packages/core/src/stylable-transformer.ts b/packages/core/src/stylable-transformer.ts
index a10693fc4..b7c21a824 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/stylable-transformer.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/stylable-transformer.ts
@@ -827,10 +827,15 @@ export class InferredSelector {
         for (const resolvedContext of this.resolveSet.values()) {
             /**
              * search for elements in each resolved selector.
-             * start at 1 for extended symbols to prefer inherited elements over local
+             * start at 1 for legacy flat mode to prefer inherited elements over local
              */
             const startIndex =
-                resolvedContext.length === 1 || resolvedContext[0]?.symbol._kind === 'part' ? 0 : 1;
+                resolvedContext.length === 1 ||
+                (resolvedContext[0] &&
+                    (STStructure.isStructureMode(resolvedContext[0].meta) ||
+                        resolvedContext[0].symbol._kind === 'part'))
+                    ? 0
+                    : 1;
             resolved: for (let i = startIndex; i < resolvedContext.length; i++) {
                 const { symbol, meta } = resolvedContext[i];
                 const structureMode = STStructure.isStructureMode(meta);
diff --git a/packages/core/test/features/st-structure.spec.ts b/packages/core/test/features/st-structure.spec.ts
index 14ec93d78..a14a5df61 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/features/st-structure.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/features/st-structure.spec.ts
@@ -458,6 +458,26 @@ describe('@st structure', () => {
 
             shouldReportNoDiagnostics(meta);
         });
+        it('should resolve first level definition', () => {
+            const { sheets } = testStylableCore(`
+                @st .b {
+                    @st ::title => & > h2;
+                }
+                @st .a :is(.b) {
+                    @st ::title => & > h1;
+                }
+
+                /* @rule .entry__a > h1 */
+                .a::title {}
+
+                /* @rule .entry__b > h2 */
+                .b::title {}
+            `);
+
+            const { meta } = sheets['/entry.st.css'];
+
+            shouldReportNoDiagnostics(meta);
+        });
         it('should resolve inherited parts', () => {
             const { sheets } = testStylableCore({
                 'base.st.css': `