The objective of this study was to determine if the location of concentrate allowance in a free-traffic automated milking system (AMS) affects intake, sorting behavior, milking activity, and production of lactating dairy cows. Fifteen primiparous Holstein cows (47.1 ± 15.0 DIM) were exposed to each of 2 treatments in a crossover design with 28-d periods: 1) a higher concentrate partial mixed ration (PMR) with an AMS concentrate allowance of 3.0 kg/d (H-PMR), and 2) a lower concentrate PMR with an AMS concentrate allowance of 6.0 kg/d (L-PMR). To assess sorting, offered and refused feed samples were separated into: long (>19mm), medium (8–19mm), short (4–8mm), and fine (<4mm) particles. Feed sorting (%) was calculated as: actual DMI of each particle fraction/predicted DMI. PMR DMI, milk yield, milking activity, and lying behavior were recorded electronically. Data were summarized by cow and day and analyzed in mixed-effect linear regression models. Cows on the L-PMR consumed more AMS concentrate (6.3 kg/d vs. 3.1 kg/d; SE = 0.04; P < 0.01). PMR intake was reduced when on the L-PMR, (17.1 vs. 19.1 kg/d; SE = 0.4; P < 0.01), while total DMI was greater (23.6 vs. 22.3 kg/d; SE = 0.4; P = 0.03). Selection for medium and against fine particles increased when cows were on the H-PMR (P < 0.01), while selection against long (P = 0.03) and for short particles (P = 0.04) tended to increase. Time spent eating PMR (199 min/d; SE = 8.8; P = 0.81) was similar between treatments, however meal size tended to be larger when cows were on the H-PMR (2.2 vs 2.1 kg/meal; SE = 0.6; P = 0.06). Cows tended to spend 30.8 min/d more time lying down when on the L-PMR (P = 0.08). On the L-PMR, cows tended to have more voluntary AMS visits (5.9 vs. 4.6 visits/d; SE = 0.5; P = 0.08), were fetched less (0.1 vs. 0.5 x/d; SE = 0.09; P < 0.01) and had a greater milking frequency (3.5 vs. 3.0 x/d; SE = 0.1; P < 0.01). On the L-PMR, cows produced 40.6 kg/d, while producing 39.1 kg/d on the H-PMR; a statistical difference between these was not detected (SE = 0.7; P = 0.13). Overall, allocating a greater proportion of total dietary concentrate to a free-traffic AMS may improve milking activity and decrease the need for fetching, while reducing sorting of the PMR.