diff --git a/fast64_internal/sm64/sm64_utility.py b/fast64_internal/sm64/sm64_utility.py
index 03be9d5a9..bbd590e5a 100644
--- a/fast64_internal/sm64/sm64_utility.py
+++ b/fast64_internal/sm64/sm64_utility.py
@@ -146,9 +146,11 @@ def write_or_delete_if_found(
     to_remove: list[ModifyFoundDescriptor] | None = None,
     path_must_exist=False,
     create_new=False,
+    error_if_no_header=False,
+    header: ModifyFoundDescriptor | None = None,
+    error_if_no_footer=False,
     footer: ModifyFoundDescriptor | None = None,
     ignore_comments=True,
-    error_if_no_footer=False,
 ):
     class DescriptorMatch(NamedTuple):
         string: str
@@ -173,7 +175,7 @@ def find_descriptor_in_text(value: ModifyFoundDescriptor, commentless: str, comm
     found_matches: dict[ModifyFoundDescriptor, list[DescriptorMatch]] = {}
     changed = False
     text = ""
-    footer_pos = 0
+    header_pos = footer_pos = 0
     to_add, to_remove = to_add or [], to_remove or []
 
     assert not (path_must_exist and create_new), "path_must_exist and create_new"
@@ -205,16 +207,24 @@ def find_descriptor_in_text(value: ModifyFoundDescriptor, commentless: str, comm
         if commentless and commentless[-1] not in {"\n", "\r"}:  # add end new line if not there
             text += "\n"
 
-        footer_pos = len(text)
-        if footer is not None:  # Find footer, optionally error if not found
-            footer_matches = find_descriptor_in_text(footer, commentless, comment_map)
-            if len(footer_matches) > 0:
-                _, footer_pos, _ = footer_matches[-1]
-            elif error_if_no_footer:
+        header_matches = find_descriptor_in_text(header, commentless, comment_map) if header is not None else []
+        footer_matches = find_descriptor_in_text(footer, commentless, comment_map) if footer is not None else []
+
+        header_pos = 0
+        if len(header_matches) > 0:
+            _, header_pos, _ = header_matches[-1]
+        elif error_if_no_header:
+            raise PluginError(f"Header {header.string} does not exist.")
+
+        # find first footer after the header
+        footer_pos = next((pos for _, pos, _ in footer_matches if pos >= header_pos), None)
+        if footer_pos is None:
+            if error_if_no_footer:
                 raise PluginError(f"Footer {footer.string} does not exist.")
+            footer_pos = len(text)
 
         for descriptor in to_add + to_remove:
-            matches = find_descriptor_in_text(descriptor, commentless[:footer_pos], comment_map)
+            matches = find_descriptor_in_text(descriptor, commentless[header_pos:footer_pos], comment_map)
             if matches:
                 found_matches.setdefault(descriptor, []).extend(matches)