diff --git a/nonlib/JACK/Client.C b/nonlib/JACK/Client.C
index c9de7a9..9cffe31 100644
--- a/nonlib/JACK/Client.C
+++ b/nonlib/JACK/Client.C
@@ -186,6 +186,11 @@ namespace JACK
     void
     Client::thaw_ports ( void )
     {
+        /* Sort ports for the sake of clients (e.g. patchage), for
+         * whom the order of creation may matter (for display) */
+
+        _active_ports.sort();
+
         for ( std::list < JACK::Port * >::iterator i = _active_ports.begin();
               i != _active_ports.end();
               ++i )
diff --git a/nonlib/JACK/Port.C b/nonlib/JACK/Port.C
index a6ef7a3..abdd71b 100644
--- a/nonlib/JACK/Port.C
+++ b/nonlib/JACK/Port.C
@@ -100,6 +100,15 @@ namespace JACK
 
     }
 
+    /* sort input before output and then by alpha */
+    bool
+    Port::operator < ( const Port & rhs ) const
+    {
+        if ( type() == rhs.type() )
+            return strcmp( name(), rhs.name() );
+        else
+            return type() == Port::Input;
+    }
 
 
     static const char *
@@ -224,6 +233,15 @@ namespace JACK
         return jack_port_get_connections( _port );
     }
 
+    Port::type_e
+    Port::type ( void ) const
+    {
+        if ( _freezer )
+            return _freezer->direction;
+        else
+            return jack_port_flags( _port ) == JackPortIsOutput ? Output : Input;
+    }
+
     /** Restore the connections returned by connections() */
     bool
     Port::connections ( const char **port_names )
diff --git a/nonlib/JACK/Port.H b/nonlib/JACK/Port.H
index 273a2f0..712ec45 100644
--- a/nonlib/JACK/Port.H
+++ b/nonlib/JACK/Port.H
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ namespace JACK
 
     public:
 
+        bool operator < ( const Port & rhs ) const;
+
         enum type_e { Output, Input };
 
         static int max_name ( void );
@@ -56,10 +58,7 @@ namespace JACK
 
         bool valid ( void ) const { return _port; }
         bool connected ( void ) const { return jack_port_connected( _port ); }
-        type_e type ( void ) const
-            {
-                return jack_port_flags( _port ) == JackPortIsOutput ? Output : Input;
-            }
+        type_e type ( void ) const;
         const char * name ( void ) const { return _name; }
         bool name ( const char *name );
         bool name ( const char *base, int n, const char *type=0 );