diff --git a/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/apiCreateApp.spec.ts b/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/apiCreateApp.spec.ts
index b578fa55c9c..00eea6907f2 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/apiCreateApp.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/apiCreateApp.spec.ts
@@ -126,11 +126,13 @@ describe('api: createApp', () => {
 
         childApp.provide('foo', 2)
         expect(childApp.runWithContext(() => inject('foo'))).toBe(2)
+        expect(childApp.runWithContext(() => inject('bar'))).toBe('bar')
 
         return () => h('div')
       },
     })
     app.provide('foo', 1)
+    app.provide('bar', 'bar')
 
     expect(app.runWithContext(() => inject('foo'))).toBe(1)
     const root = nodeOps.createElement('div')
diff --git a/packages/runtime-core/src/apiInject.ts b/packages/runtime-core/src/apiInject.ts
index f05d7333da6..49610b4ab5a 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-core/src/apiInject.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime-core/src/apiInject.ts
@@ -59,13 +59,19 @@ export function inject(
     // to support `app.use` plugins,
     // fallback to appContext's `provides` if the instance is at root
     // #11488, in a nested createApp, prioritize using the provides from currentApp
-    const provides = currentApp
-      ? currentApp._context.provides
-      : instance
-        ? instance.parent == null
-          ? instance.vnode.appContext && instance.vnode.appContext.provides
-          : instance.parent.provides
-        : undefined
+
+    if (currentApp) {
+      const currentProvides = currentApp._context.provides
+      if ((key as string | symbol) in currentProvides) {
+        return currentProvides[key as string]
+      }
+    }
+
+    const provides = instance
+      ? instance.parent == null
+        ? instance.vnode.appContext && instance.vnode.appContext.provides
+        : instance.parent.provides
+      : undefined
 
     if (provides && (key as string | symbol) in provides) {
       // TS doesn't allow symbol as index type