diff --git a/mesonbuild/mformat.py b/mesonbuild/mformat.py
index bb93f47ef50c..2e403016811c 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/mformat.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/mformat.py
@@ -823,7 +823,8 @@ def load_editor_config(self, source_file: Path) -> EditorConfig:
                     if value is not None:
                         setattr(config, f.name, value)
 
-            if cp.getboolean(cp.default_section, 'root'):
+            # Root is not required except in the top level .editorconfig.
+            if cp.getboolean(cp.default_section, 'root', fallback=False):
                 break
 
         return config
diff --git a/test cases/format/3 editorconfig/meson.build b/test cases/format/3 editorconfig/meson.build
index b32974cb9e8e..2468411493c3 100644
--- a/test cases/format/3 editorconfig/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/format/3 editorconfig/meson.build	
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ meson_files = {
 	'self': files('meson.build'),
 	'comments': files('crazy_comments.meson'),
 	'indentation': files('indentation.meson'),
+	'subdir editorconfig': files('subdir/sub.meson'),
 }
 
 foreach name, f : meson_files
diff --git a/test cases/format/3 editorconfig/subdir/.editorconfig b/test cases/format/3 editorconfig/subdir/.editorconfig
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..fac7a92caaba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/format/3 editorconfig/subdir/.editorconfig	
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+[*]
+max_line_length = 120
diff --git a/test cases/format/3 editorconfig/subdir/sub.meson b/test cases/format/3 editorconfig/subdir/sub.meson
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..623ca2836a9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/format/3 editorconfig/subdir/sub.meson	
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+project('line')
+
+msg = 'this is a very long line, and it should be be wrapped because we have line length limit of 120, not 60'