diff --git a/library/init/nat.lean b/library/init/nat.lean
index 0f30a6f7a..cc91249ad 100644
--- a/library/init/nat.lean
+++ b/library/init/nat.lean
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ namespace nat
                        {C : ℕ → Type} (n : ℕ) (H₁ : C 0) (H₂ : Π (a : ℕ), C (succ a)) : C n :=
   nat.rec H₁ (λ a ih, H₂ a) n
 
+  attribute nat.rec_on [recursor] -- Hack: force rec_on to be the first one. TODO(Leo): we should add priorities to recursors
+
   protected definition no_confusion_type [reducible] (P : Type) (v₁ v₂ : ℕ) : Type :=
   nat.rec
     (nat.rec
diff --git a/src/library/blast/strategies/rec_strategy.cpp b/src/library/blast/strategies/rec_strategy.cpp
index 54e84dc7c..398731bc3 100644
--- a/src/library/blast/strategies/rec_strategy.cpp
+++ b/src/library/blast/strategies/rec_strategy.cpp
@@ -22,13 +22,13 @@ static action_result try_hypothesis(hypothesis_idx hidx) {
     expr const & I       = get_app_fn(type);
     lean_assert(is_constant(I));
     name const & I_name  = const_name(I);
-    if (inductive::is_inductive_decl(env(), I_name)) {
-        return recursor_action(hidx, inductive::get_elim_name(I_name));
-    }
     list<name> Rs = get_recursors_for(env(), const_name(I));
     if (Rs) {
         return recursor_action(hidx, head(Rs));
     }
+    if (inductive::is_inductive_decl(env(), I_name)) {
+        return recursor_action(hidx, inductive::get_elim_name(I_name));
+    }
     return action_result::failed();
 }