diff --git a/lib/vagrant-libvirt/action/start_domain.rb b/lib/vagrant-libvirt/action/start_domain.rb
index 524c229..67825d7 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant-libvirt/action/start_domain.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant-libvirt/action/start_domain.rb
@@ -429,9 +429,20 @@ module VagrantPlugins
               raise Errors::UpdateServerError, error_message: e.message
             end
 
+            # this normalises the attribute order to be the same as what was sent in the above
+            # request to update the domain XML. Without this, if the XML documents are not
+            # equivalent, many more differences will be reported than there actually are.
+            applied_xml = String.new
+            REXML::Document.new(libvirt_domain.xml_desc(1)).write(applied_xml)
+
             # need to check whether the updated XML contains all the changes requested
             proposed = VagrantPlugins::ProviderLibvirt::Util::Xml.new(new_xml)
-            applied = VagrantPlugins::ProviderLibvirt::Util::Xml.new(libvirt_domain.xml_desc(1))
+            applied = VagrantPlugins::ProviderLibvirt::Util::Xml.new(applied_xml)
+
+            # perform some sorting to allow comparison otherwise order of devices differing
+            # even if they are equivalent will be reported as being different.
+            proposed.xml['devices'][0].each { |_, v| next unless v.is_a?(Array); v.sort_by! { |e| [e['type'], e['index']]} }
+            applied.xml['devices'][0].each { |_, v| next unless v.is_a?(Array); v.sort_by! { |e| [e['type'], e['index']]} }
 
             if proposed != applied
               require 'diffy'
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index dab296c..8dd630c 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@ RSpec.configure do |config|
 
   # don't run acceptance tests by default
   config.filter_run_excluding :acceptance => true
+
+  config.expect_with :rspec do |c|
+    c.max_formatted_output_length = 2000 if c.respond_to?("max_formatted_output_length=")
+  end
 end
 
 require 'vagrant-spec/unit'
diff --git a/spec/unit/action/start_domain_spec.rb b/spec/unit/action/start_domain_spec.rb
index ae18549..75b6268 100644
--- a/spec/unit/action/start_domain_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/action/start_domain_spec.rb
@@ -74,6 +74,26 @@ describe VagrantPlugins::ProviderLibvirt::Action::StartDomain do
       end
     end
 
+    context 'when xml elements and attributes reordered' do
+      let(:test_file) { 'existing.xml' }
+      let(:updated_test_file) { 'existing_reordered.xml' }
+      let(:vagrantfile_providerconfig) do
+        <<-EOF
+        libvirt.cpu_mode = "host-passthrough"
+        EOF
+      end
+
+      it 'should correctly detect the domain was updated' do
+        expect(ui).to_not receive(:warn)
+        expect(libvirt_domain).to receive(:autostart=)
+        expect(connection).to receive(:define_domain).and_return(libvirt_domain)
+        expect(libvirt_domain).to receive(:xml_desc).and_return(domain_xml, updated_domain_xml)
+        expect(domain).to receive(:start)
+
+        expect(subject.call(env)).to be_nil
+      end
+    end
+
     context 'when xml not applied' do
       let(:test_file) { 'default_with_different_formatting.xml' }
       let(:updated_domain_xml) {
diff --git a/spec/unit/action/start_domain_spec/existing_reordered.xml b/spec/unit/action/start_domain_spec/existing_reordered.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a557f3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/unit/action/start_domain_spec/existing_reordered.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+<domain type='qemu'>
+  <name>vagrant-libvirt_default</name>
+  <uuid>881a931b-0110-4d10-81aa-47a1a19f5726</uuid>
+  <description>Source: /home/test/vagrant-libvirt/Vagrantfile</description>
+  <memory unit='KiB'>2097152</memory>
+  <currentMemory unit='KiB'>2097152</currentMemory>
+  <vcpu placement='static'>2</vcpu>
+  <os>
+    <type arch='x86_64' machine='pc-i440fx-6.0'>hvm</type>
+    <boot dev='hd'/>
+  </os>
+  <features>
+    <acpi/>
+    <apic/>
+    <pae/>
+  </features>
+  <cpu check='partial' mode='host-passthrough'/>
+  <clock offset='utc'/>
+  <on_poweroff>destroy</on_poweroff>
+  <on_reboot>restart</on_reboot>
+  <on_crash>destroy</on_crash>
+  <devices>
+    <emulator>/usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64</emulator>
+    <disk device='disk' type='file'>
+      <driver name='qemu' type='qcow2'/>
+      <source file='/var/lib/libvirt/images/vagrant-libvirt_default.img'/>
+      <target bus='virtio' dev='vda'/>
+      <address bus='0x00' domain='0x0000' function='0x0' slot='0x03' type='pci'/>
+    </disk>
+    <controller index='0' model='pci-root' type='pci'/>
+    <controller index='0' model='piix3-uhci' type='usb'>
+      <address bus='0x00' domain='0x0000' function='0x2' slot='0x01' type='pci'/>
+    </controller>
+    <interface type='network'>
+      <mac address='52:54:00:7d:14:0e'/>
+      <source network='vagrant-libvirt'/>
+      <model type='virtio'/>
+      <address bus='0x00' domain='0x0000' function='0x0' slot='0x05' type='pci'/>
+    </interface>
+    <serial type='pty'>
+      <target port='0' type='isa-serial'>
+        <model name='isa-serial'/>
+      </target>
+    </serial>
+    <console type='pty'>
+      <target port='0' type='serial'/>
+    </console>
+    <input bus='ps2' type='mouse'/>
+    <input bus='ps2' type='keyboard'/>
+    <graphics autoport='yes' keymap='en-us' listen='127.0.0.1' port='-1' type='vnc'>
+      <listen address='127.0.0.1' type='address'/>
+    </graphics>
+    <audio id='1' type='none'/>
+    <video>
+      <model heads='1' primary='yes' type='cirrus' vram='16384'/>
+      <address bus='0x00' domain='0x0000' function='0x0' slot='0x02' type='pci'/>
+    </video>
+    <memballoon model='virtio'>
+      <address bus='0x00' domain='0x0000' function='0x0' slot='0x04' type='pci'/>
+    </memballoon>
+  </devices>
+</domain>