diff --git a/internal/check/consistency.go b/internal/check/consistency.go
index 69a430c4..85384c48 100644
--- a/internal/check/consistency.go
+++ b/internal/check/consistency.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package check
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"maps"
+	"slices"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/mitchellh/mapstructure"
@@ -57,7 +59,9 @@ func NewConsistency(cfg *core.Config, generic baseCheck, path string) (Consisten
 	parts := strings.Split(name, ".")
 	chkKey := parts[len(parts)-1]
 	count := 0
-	for v1, v2 := range rule.Either {
+	// In a fixed order, so the steps run the same way on every run.
+	for _, v1 := range slices.Sorted(maps.Keys(rule.Either)) {
+		v2 := rule.Either[v1]
 		count += 2
 
 		subs := []string{
diff --git a/internal/core/file.go b/internal/core/file.go
index 7c2d413f..679fc723 100755
--- a/internal/core/file.go
+++ b/internal/core/file.go
@@ -354,10 +354,11 @@ func (f *File) FindLoc(ctx, s string, pad, count int, a Alert, at int) (int, []i
 	var length int
 	var lines []string
 
-	given := len(ctx)
+	given := ctx
 	for _, s := range a.Offset {
 		ctx, _ = Substitute(ctx, s, '@')
 	}
+	at = maskedOffset(given, ctx, at)
 
 	pos, substring, hit := locateMatch(ctx, s, a, at)
 	if pos < 0 {
@@ -366,7 +367,7 @@ func (f *File) FindLoc(ctx, s string, pad, count int, a Alert, at int) (int, []i
 	}
 	if hit >= 0 {
 		// The Offset masks above map rune to rune; the tail keeps its place.
-		hit += given - len(ctx)
+		hit += len(given) - len(ctx)
 	}
 
 	loc := a.Span
@@ -580,7 +581,10 @@ func (f *File) AddAlert(a Alert, blk nlp.Block, lines, pad int, lookup bool) {
 			a.Line, a.Span = f.assignLoc(ctx, blk, pad, a)
 		}
 		if (!lookup && a.Span[0] < 0) || lookup {
-			a.Line, a.Span, hit = f.FindLoc(ctx, blk.Text, pad, lines, a, blk.Offset)
+			// An earlier alert's mask may have shortened ctx, so the block's
+			// offset into its context is carried over to the masked copy.
+			at := maskedOffset(blk.Context, ctx, blk.Offset)
+			a.Line, a.Span, hit = f.FindLoc(ctx, blk.Text, pad, lines, a, at)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/core/location.go b/internal/core/location.go
index dc9e0400..ec82fbed 100644
--- a/internal/core/location.go
+++ b/internal/core/location.go
@@ -243,20 +243,40 @@ func directPosition(ctx string, idx, from int, sub string) bool {
 	return !strings.Contains(ctx[from:idx], sub)
 }
 
-// throughMask reports whether ctx begins with txt, a masked byte in ctx
-// standing for any byte of txt.
+// throughMask reports whether ctx begins with txt, a masked rune in ctx
+// standing for any rune of txt. Rune by rune: a mask keeps the rune count,
+// not the byte count, since a multi-byte rune is masked as a single `#`.
 func throughMask(ctx, txt string) bool {
-	if len(ctx) < len(txt) {
-		return false
-	}
-	for i := 0; i < len(txt); i++ {
-		if c := ctx[i]; c != txt[i] && c != '#' && c != '@' {
+	for _, want := range txt {
+		if ctx == "" {
+			return false
+		}
+		got, n := utf8.DecodeRuneInString(ctx)
+		if got != want && got != '#' && got != '@' {
 			return false
 		}
+		ctx = ctx[n:]
 	}
 	return true
 }
 
+// maskedOffset maps the byte offset at in ctx to the same rune in masked, a
+// copy of ctx that masking has shortened. The runes still line up, so the
+// offset is carried over by rune count.
+func maskedOffset(ctx, masked string, at int) int {
+	if at <= 0 || at > len(ctx) || len(ctx) == len(masked) {
+		return at
+	}
+	runes := utf8.RuneCountInString(ctx[:at])
+	for i := range masked {
+		if runes == 0 {
+			return i
+		}
+		runes--
+	}
+	return len(masked)
+}
+
 // located is positionOf with the match's byte index in the unmasked context.
 func located(ctx string, idx int, sub string, shift int) (int, string, int) {
 	if strings.HasPrefix(ctx[idx:], "_") {
diff --git a/internal/core/location_test.go b/internal/core/location_test.go
index f360c299..66c5f6a7 100644
--- a/internal/core/location_test.go
+++ b/internal/core/location_test.go
@@ -377,3 +377,39 @@ func TestLocateMatchThroughMask(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("got pos %d hit %d, want 19 and 18", pos, hit)
 	}
 }
+
+// A mask keeps the rune count and not the byte count, so a block whose
+// earlier match was a multi-byte rune must still be found at its offset, and
+// the offset itself has to be carried over to the shortened context. See #1184.
+func TestLocateMatchThroughMultiByteMask(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := "\"'’\n\n”’"
+	txt := "”’"
+
+	masked := maskMatch(ctx, "”", 7)
+	if masked != "\"'’\n\n#’" {
+		t.Fatalf("maskMatch = %q", masked)
+	}
+	if !throughMask(masked[7:], txt) {
+		t.Errorf("throughMask rejected %q against %q", masked[7:], txt)
+	}
+	if throughMask("#x", "”y") {
+		t.Error("throughMask accepted a differing rune after a mask")
+	}
+
+	at := maskedOffset(ctx, masked, 7)
+	if at != 7 {
+		t.Errorf("maskedOffset = %d, want 7", at)
+	}
+	if got := maskedOffset(ctx, masked, 13); got != 11 {
+		t.Errorf("maskedOffset at the end = %d, want 11", got)
+	}
+	if got := maskedOffset(ctx, ctx, 7); got != 7 {
+		t.Errorf("maskedOffset on an unmasked copy = %d, want 7", got)
+	}
+
+	// The second `’` is the one in the block, not the one on line 1.
+	pos, _, hit := locateMatch(masked, txt, Alert{Match: "’", Span: []int{3, 6}}, at)
+	if pos != 7 || hit != 8 {
+		t.Errorf("got pos %d hit %d, want 7 and 8", pos, hit)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/testdata/e2e/checks.yaml b/testdata/e2e/checks.yaml
index dd0d4cf2..f0b66429 100644
--- a/testdata/e2e/checks.yaml
+++ b/testdata/e2e/checks.yaml
@@ -297,6 +297,19 @@ cases:
       test2.md:9:1:demo.CapSub:Use 'Change to the `/etc/X11` directory' instead of 'Change into the `/etc/X11` directory'.
       test2.md:11:6:Bugs.WrongExp:Use 'versus' instead of 'vs '.
 
+  - name: consistency
+    about: "#1184"
+    dir: Consistency
+    args: .
+    exit: 1
+    want: |
+      input.txt:1:3:Test.Quotes:Inconsistent quote style '”'
+      input.txt:3:1:Test.Quotes:Inconsistent quote style '”'
+      input.txt:3:2:Test.Quotes:Inconsistent quote style '’'
+      swapped.txt:1:3:Test.Quotes:Inconsistent quote style '’'
+      swapped.txt:3:1:Test.Quotes:Inconsistent quote style '”'
+      swapped.txt:3:2:Test.Quotes:Inconsistent quote style '’'
+
   - name: style-level
     dir: StyleLevel
     args: .
diff --git a/testdata/fixtures/checks/Consistency/.vale.ini b/testdata/fixtures/checks/Consistency/.vale.ini
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bc0b1591
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/fixtures/checks/Consistency/.vale.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+StylesPath = styles
+
+[*.txt]
+BasedOnStyles = Test
diff --git a/testdata/fixtures/checks/Consistency/input.txt b/testdata/fixtures/checks/Consistency/input.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bb3920b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/fixtures/checks/Consistency/input.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+"'”
+
+”’
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/testdata/fixtures/checks/Consistency/styles/Test/Para.yml b/testdata/fixtures/checks/Consistency/styles/Test/Para.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fd4f1f0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/fixtures/checks/Consistency/styles/Test/Para.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+extends: existence
+message: "never fires"
+level: error
+scope: paragraph
+tokens:
+  - zzzqqq
diff --git a/testdata/fixtures/checks/Consistency/styles/Test/Quotes.yml b/testdata/fixtures/checks/Consistency/styles/Test/Quotes.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1db35452
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/fixtures/checks/Consistency/styles/Test/Quotes.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+extends: consistency
+message: "Inconsistent quote style '%s'"
+level: error
+nonword: true
+either:
+  '"': '”'
+  "'": '’'
diff --git a/testdata/fixtures/checks/Consistency/swapped.txt b/testdata/fixtures/checks/Consistency/swapped.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..50a0a9d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/fixtures/checks/Consistency/swapped.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+"'’
+
+”’
\ No newline at end of file