diff --git a/src/cpyrt/CPPMethod.cxx b/src/cpyrt/CPPMethod.cxx
index e8cccc5..33364f1 100644
--- a/src/cpyrt/CPPMethod.cxx
+++ b/src/cpyrt/CPPMethod.cxx
@@ -581,7 +581,9 @@ int cpyrt::CPPMethod::GetPriority() {
       if (scope)
         priority += static_cast<int>(interop::GetNumBasesLongestBranch(scope));
 
-      if (interop::IsEnumScope(scope))
+      // GetScope does not resolve enum names, so also detect enums by type
+      if (interop::IsEnumScope(scope) ||
+          interop::IsEnumType(interop::GetMethodArgType(fMethod, iarg)))
         priority -= 100;
 
       // a couple of special cases as explained above
diff --git a/src/cpyrt/Converters.cxx b/src/cpyrt/Converters.cxx
index da07033..4c4510f 100644
--- a/src/cpyrt/Converters.cxx
+++ b/src/cpyrt/Converters.cxx
@@ -344,9 +344,20 @@ GetCppInstance(PyObject* pyobject,
 }
 
 //- custom helpers to check ranges -------------------------------------------
+static inline bool IsCPPEnumInstance(PyObject* pyobject) {
+  // cppjit enums are int subclasses created with __underlying on the class
+  if (!PyLong_Check(pyobject) || PyLong_CheckExact(pyobject) ||
+      PyBool_Check(pyobject))
+    return false;
+  return PyObject_HasAttr((PyObject*)Py_TYPE(pyobject),
+                          cppjit::cpyrt::PyStrings::gUnderlying);
+}
+
+// bools and enum instances match integer parameters in the implicit round only
 static inline bool ImplicitBool(PyObject* pyobject, cpyrt::CallContext* ctxt) {
   using namespace cppjit::cpyrt;
-  if (!AllowImplicit(ctxt) && PyBool_Check(pyobject)) {
+  if (!AllowImplicit(ctxt) &&
+      (PyBool_Check(pyobject) || IsCPPEnumInstance(pyobject))) {
     if (!NoImplicit(ctxt))
       ctxt->fFlags |= CallContext::kHaveImplicit;
     return false;
@@ -1259,6 +1270,49 @@ bool cpyrt::ULLongConverter::ToMemory(PyObject* value, void* address,
   return true;
 }
 
+//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+cpyrt::EnumConverter::~EnumConverter() { DestroyConverter(fBase); }
+
+bool cpyrt::EnumConverter::SetArg(PyObject* pyobject, Parameter& para,
+                                  CallContext* ctxt) {
+  // an instance of the same enum is an exact match; anything else, plain
+  // integers included, converts in the implicit round only, as in C++
+  if (ctxt && !AllowImplicit(ctxt)) {
+    bool exact = false;
+    if (IsCPPEnumInstance(pyobject)) {
+      PyObject* pycppname =
+          PyObject_GetAttr((PyObject*)Py_TYPE(pyobject), PyStrings::gCppName);
+      if (pycppname) {
+        exact = (fEnumName == cpyrt_PyText_AsString(pycppname));
+        Py_DECREF(pycppname);
+      } else
+        PyErr_Clear();
+    }
+    if (!exact) {
+      if (!NoImplicit(ctxt))
+        ctxt->fFlags |= CallContext::kHaveImplicit;
+      return false;
+    }
+    // the base integer converter defers enum instances, so lift the gate
+    CallContextRAII<CallContext::kAllowImplicit> allow(ctxt);
+    return fBase->SetArg(pyobject, para, ctxt);
+  }
+  return fBase->SetArg(pyobject, para, ctxt);
+}
+
+PyObject* cpyrt::EnumConverter::FromMemory(void* address) {
+  return fBase->FromMemory(address);
+}
+
+bool cpyrt::EnumConverter::ToMemory(PyObject* value, void* address,
+                                    PyObject* ctxt) {
+  return fBase->ToMemory(value, address, ctxt);
+}
+
+std::string cpyrt::EnumConverter::GetFailureMsg() {
+  return fBase->GetFailureMsg();
+}
+
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 bool cpyrt::CStringConverter::SetArg(PyObject* pyobject, Parameter& para,
                                      CallContext* ctxt) {
@@ -3628,6 +3682,16 @@ cppjit::cpyrt::CreateConverter(interop::TCppType_t type, cdims_t dims) {
   interop::TCppType_t resolvedType = interop::ResolveType(type);
   const std::string& resolvedTypeStr = interop::GetTypeAsString(resolvedType);
 
+  // a by-value enum parameter exact-matches instances of the same enum; the
+  // resolved type is its underlying integer, which carries the conversion
+  if (interop::IsEnumType(type) && fullType != "std::byte") {
+    h = gConvFactories.find(resolvedTypeStr);
+    if (h != gConvFactories.end())
+      return new EnumConverter(
+          (h->second)(dims),
+          interop::GetScopedFinalName(interop::GetScopeFromType(type)));
+  }
+
   // a full, qualified matching converter is preferred
   if (resolvedTypeStr != fullType) {
     h = gConvFactories.find(resolvedTypeStr);
diff --git a/src/cpyrt/DeclareConverters.h b/src/cpyrt/DeclareConverters.h
index 537a8d0..b1b655f 100644
--- a/src/cpyrt/DeclareConverters.h
+++ b/src/cpyrt/DeclareConverters.h
@@ -136,6 +136,27 @@ CPPJIT_DECLARE_REFCONVERTER(Float);
 CPPJIT_DECLARE_REFCONVERTER(Double);
 CPPJIT_DECLARE_REFCONVERTER(LDouble);
 
+// by-value enum parameters: exact-match instances of the same enum in the
+// first resolution round, delegate storage to the underlying integer converter
+class EnumConverter : public Converter {
+public:
+  EnumConverter(Converter* base, const std::string& enum_name)
+      : fBase(base), fEnumName(enum_name) {}
+  ~EnumConverter() override;
+
+public:
+  bool SetArg(PyObject*, Parameter&, CallContext* = nullptr) override;
+  PyObject* FromMemory(void* address) override;
+  bool ToMemory(PyObject* value, void* address,
+                PyObject* ctxt = nullptr) override;
+  bool HasState() override { return true; }
+  std::string GetFailureMsg() override;
+
+private:
+  Converter* fBase;
+  std::string fEnumName;
+};
+
 class VoidConverter : public Converter {
 public:
   bool SetArg(PyObject*, Parameter&, CallContext* = nullptr) override;
diff --git a/test/test_regression.py b/test/test_regression.py
index c82d808..980cbf3 100644
--- a/test/test_regression.py
+++ b/test/test_regression.py
@@ -1658,3 +1658,31 @@ def test53_str_fallback_without_ostream_insertion(self):
         # degrade to the generic repr
         assert str(bare) == repr(bare)
         assert "Bare object at" in str(bare)
+
+    def test54_enum_arg_overload_priority(self):
+        """Enum overloads resolve like C++ for both int and enum arguments"""
+
+        import cppjit
+
+        cppjit.cppdef("""\
+        namespace EnumArgPriority {
+            enum Color { Red = 0, Green = 1, Blue = 2 };
+            int pick(Color)        { return 1; }
+            int pick(unsigned int) { return 2; }
+            int only_enum(Color c) { return 10 + (int)c; }
+            int only_uint(unsigned int v) { return 20 + (int)v; }
+        }""")
+
+        ns = cppjit.gbl.EnumArgPriority
+
+        # C++ has no implicit int -> enum conversion
+        assert ns.pick(2) == 2
+
+        # an enum instance is an exact match for its own enum overload
+        assert ns.pick(ns.Color.Green) == 1
+
+        # an enum parameter is only deprioritized, never unusable
+        assert ns.only_enum(2) == 12
+
+        # an enum instance still converts to an integer parameter
+        assert ns.only_uint(ns.Color.Blue) == 22