diff --git a/runtime/doc/lua.txt b/runtime/doc/lua.txt
index 70c605464a..8f9078cdff 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/lua.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/lua.txt
@@ -2414,6 +2414,11 @@ vim.filetype.match({args})                              *vim.filetype.match()*
         (`function?`) A function that modifies buffer state when called (for
         example, to set some filetype specific buffer variables). The function
         accepts a buffer number as its only argument.
+        (`boolean?`) Return true if a match was found by falling back to a
+        generic filetype (e.g. ".conf"). If true, the filetype
+        should be set with `:setf FALLBACK conf`, which enables a later
+        |:setf| command to override the filetype. See `:help setf` for more
+        information.
 
 
 ==============================================================================
diff --git a/runtime/filetype.lua b/runtime/filetype.lua
index 730991a00c..e471faf75b 100644
--- a/runtime/filetype.lua
+++ b/runtime/filetype.lua
@@ -11,21 +11,13 @@ vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd({ 'BufRead', 'BufNewFile', 'StdinReadPost' }, {
     if not vim.api.nvim_buf_is_valid(args.buf) then
       return
     end
-    local ft, on_detect = vim.filetype.match({
+    local ft, on_detect, is_fallback = vim.filetype.match({
       -- The unexpanded file name is needed here. #27914
       -- However, bufname() can't be used, as it doesn't work with :doautocmd. #31306
       filename = args.file,
       buf = args.buf,
     })
-    if not ft then
-      -- Generic configuration file used as fallback
-      ft = require('vim.filetype.detect').conf(args.file, args.buf)
-      if ft then
-        vim._with({ buf = args.buf }, function()
-          vim.api.nvim_cmd({ cmd = 'setf', args = { 'FALLBACK', ft } }, {})
-        end)
-      end
-    else
+    if ft then
       -- on_detect is called before setting the filetype so that it can set any buffer local
       -- variables that may be used the filetype's ftplugin
       if on_detect then
@@ -33,7 +25,10 @@ vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd({ 'BufRead', 'BufNewFile', 'StdinReadPost' }, {
       end
 
       vim._with({ buf = args.buf }, function()
-        vim.api.nvim_cmd({ cmd = 'setf', args = { ft } }, {})
+        vim.api.nvim_cmd({
+          cmd = 'setf',
+          args = (is_fallback and { 'FALLBACK', ft } or { ft }),
+        }, {})
       end)
     end
   end,
diff --git a/runtime/lua/vim/filetype.lua b/runtime/lua/vim/filetype.lua
index 549ff6b977..295925593f 100644
--- a/runtime/lua/vim/filetype.lua
+++ b/runtime/lua/vim/filetype.lua
@@ -3101,6 +3101,10 @@ end
 ---@return function|nil # A function that modifies buffer state when called (for example, to set some
 ---                     filetype specific buffer variables). The function accepts a buffer number as
 ---                     its only argument.
+---@return boolean|nil # Return true if a match was found by falling back to a generic configuration
+---                    file (i.e., ".conf"). If true, the filetype should be set with
+---                    `:setf FALLBACK conf`, which enables a later |:setf| command to override the
+---                    filetype. See `:help setf` for more information.
 function M.match(args)
   vim.validate('arg', args, 'table')
 
@@ -3193,11 +3197,19 @@ function M.match(args)
           return dispatch(extension[ext], name, bufnr)
         end
       )
-      if ok then
+      if ok and ft then
         return ft, on_detect
       end
     end
   end
+
+  -- Generic configuration file used as fallback
+  if name and bufnr then
+    local ft = detect.conf(name, bufnr)
+    if ft then
+      return ft, nil, true
+    end
+  end
 end
 
 --- Get the default option value for a {filetype}.
diff --git a/test/functional/lua/filetype_spec.lua b/test/functional/lua/filetype_spec.lua
index b6622472af..9b3d6f6e19 100644
--- a/test/functional/lua/filetype_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/lua/filetype_spec.lua
@@ -210,6 +210,25 @@ describe('vim.filetype', function()
     )
     rmdir('Xfiletype')
   end)
+
+  it('fallback to conf if any of the first five lines start with a #', function()
+    eq(
+      { 'conf', true },
+      exec_lua(function()
+        local bufnr = vim.api.nvim_create_buf(true, false)
+        local lines = {
+          '# foo',
+        }
+        vim.api.nvim_buf_set_lines(bufnr, 0, -1, false, lines)
+
+        -- Needs to be set so detect.conf() doesn't fail
+        vim.g.ft_ignore_pat = '\\.\\(Z\\|gz\\|bz2\\|zip\\|tgz\\)$'
+
+        local ft, _, fallback = vim.filetype.match({ buf = bufnr })
+        return { ft, fallback }
+      end)
+    )
+  end)
 end)
 
 describe('filetype.lua', function()