diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.cc b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
index 94ffab175..73ed3a8a1 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
@@ -1368,7 +1368,7 @@ void EvalState::callFunction(Value & fun, size_t nrArgs, Value * * args, Value &
                     /* Nope, so show the first unexpected argument to the
                        user. */
                     for (auto & i : *args[0]->attrs)
-                        if (!lambda.formals->argNames.count(i.name))
+                        if (!lambda.formals->has(i.name))
                             throwTypeError(pos, "%1% called with unexpected argument '%2%'", lambda, i.name);
                     abort(); // can't happen
                 }
diff --git a/src/libexpr/nixexpr.hh b/src/libexpr/nixexpr.hh
index a2070ff69..4e923ac89 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/nixexpr.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/nixexpr.hh
@@ -216,10 +216,25 @@ struct Formal
 
 struct Formals
 {
-    typedef std::list<Formal> Formals_;
+    typedef std::vector<Formal> Formals_;
     Formals_ formals;
-    std::set<Symbol> argNames; // used during parsing
     bool ellipsis;
+
+    bool has(Symbol arg) const {
+        auto it = std::lower_bound(formals.begin(), formals.end(), arg,
+            [] (const Formal & f, const Symbol & sym) { return f.name < sym; });
+        return it != formals.end() && it->name == arg;
+    }
+
+    std::vector<Formal> lexicographicOrder() const
+    {
+        std::vector<Formal> result(formals.begin(), formals.end());
+        std::sort(result.begin(), result.end(),
+            [] (const Formal & a, const Formal & b) {
+                return std::string_view(a.name) < std::string_view(b.name);
+            });
+        return result;
+    }
 };
 
 struct ExprLambda : Expr
@@ -232,11 +247,6 @@ struct ExprLambda : Expr
     ExprLambda(const Pos & pos, const Symbol & arg, Formals * formals, Expr * body)
         : pos(pos), arg(arg), formals(formals), body(body)
     {
-        if (!arg.empty() && formals && formals->argNames.find(arg) != formals->argNames.end())
-            throw ParseError({
-                .msg = hintfmt("duplicate formal function argument '%1%'", arg),
-                .errPos = pos
-            });
     };
     void setName(Symbol & name);
     string showNamePos() const;
diff --git a/src/libexpr/parser.y b/src/libexpr/parser.y
index 88bdebcd6..1b0177e4a 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/parser.y
+++ b/src/libexpr/parser.y
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ namespace nix {
             { };
     };
 
+    struct ParserFormals {
+        std::vector<Formal> formals;
+        bool ellipsis = false;
+    };
+
 }
 
 // using C a struct allows us to avoid having to define the special
@@ -151,15 +156,39 @@ static void addAttr(ExprAttrs * attrs, AttrPath & attrPath,
 }
 
 
-static void addFormal(const Pos & pos, Formals * formals, const Formal & formal)
+static Formals * toFormals(ParseData & data, ParserFormals * formals,
+    Pos pos = noPos, Symbol arg = {})
 {
-    if (!formals->argNames.insert(formal.name).second)
+    std::sort(formals->formals.begin(), formals->formals.end(),
+        [] (const auto & a, const auto & b) {
+            return std::tie(a.name, a.pos) < std::tie(b.name, b.pos);
+        });
+
+    std::optional<std::pair<Symbol, Pos>> duplicate;
+    for (size_t i = 0; i + 1 < formals->formals.size(); i++) {
+        if (formals->formals[i].name != formals->formals[i + 1].name)
+            continue;
+        std::pair thisDup{formals->formals[i].name, formals->formals[i + 1].pos};
+        duplicate = std::min(thisDup, duplicate.value_or(thisDup));
+    }
+    if (duplicate)
         throw ParseError({
-            .msg = hintfmt("duplicate formal function argument '%1%'",
-                formal.name),
+            .msg = hintfmt("duplicate formal function argument '%1%'", duplicate->first),
+            .errPos = duplicate->second
+        });
+
+    Formals result;
+    result.ellipsis = formals->ellipsis;
+    result.formals = std::move(formals->formals);
+
+    if (arg.set() && result.has(arg))
+        throw ParseError({
+            .msg = hintfmt("duplicate formal function argument '%1%'", arg),
             .errPos = pos
         });
-    formals->formals.push_front(formal);
+
+    delete formals;
+    return new Formals(std::move(result));
 }
 
 
@@ -282,7 +311,7 @@ void yyerror(YYLTYPE * loc, yyscan_t scanner, ParseData * data, const char * err
   nix::Expr * e;
   nix::ExprList * list;
   nix::ExprAttrs * attrs;
-  nix::Formals * formals;
+  nix::ParserFormals * formals;
   nix::Formal * formal;
   nix::NixInt n;
   nix::NixFloat nf;
@@ -340,11 +369,17 @@ expr_function
   : ID ':' expr_function
     { $$ = new ExprLambda(CUR_POS, data->symbols.create($1), 0, $3); }
   | '{' formals '}' ':' expr_function
-    { $$ = new ExprLambda(CUR_POS, data->symbols.create(""), $2, $5); }
+    { $$ = new ExprLambda(CUR_POS, data->symbols.create(""), toFormals(*data, $2), $5); }
   | '{' formals '}' '@' ID ':' expr_function
-    { $$ = new ExprLambda(CUR_POS, data->symbols.create($5), $2, $7); }
+    {
+      Symbol arg = data->symbols.create($5);
+      $$ = new ExprLambda(CUR_POS, arg, toFormals(*data, $2, CUR_POS, arg), $7);
+    }
   | ID '@' '{' formals '}' ':' expr_function
-    { $$ = new ExprLambda(CUR_POS, data->symbols.create($1), $4, $7); }
+    {
+      Symbol arg = data->symbols.create($1);
+      $$ = new ExprLambda(CUR_POS, arg, toFormals(*data, $4, CUR_POS, arg), $7);
+    }
   | ASSERT expr ';' expr_function
     { $$ = new ExprAssert(CUR_POS, $2, $4); }
   | WITH expr ';' expr_function
@@ -575,13 +610,13 @@ expr_list
 
 formals
   : formal ',' formals
-    { $$ = $3; addFormal(CUR_POS, $$, *$1); }
+    { $$ = $3; $$->formals.push_back(*$1); }
   | formal
-    { $$ = new Formals; addFormal(CUR_POS, $$, *$1); $$->ellipsis = false; }
+    { $$ = new ParserFormals; $$->formals.push_back(*$1); $$->ellipsis = false; }
   |
-    { $$ = new Formals; $$->ellipsis = false; }
+    { $$ = new ParserFormals; $$->ellipsis = false; }
   | ELLIPSIS
-    { $$ = new Formals; $$->ellipsis = true; }
+    { $$ = new ParserFormals; $$->ellipsis = true; }
   ;
 
 formal
diff --git a/src/libexpr/value-to-xml.cc b/src/libexpr/value-to-xml.cc
index a875f82d7..a9fb60b0e 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/value-to-xml.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/value-to-xml.cc
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ static void printValueAsXML(EvalState & state, bool strict, bool location,
                 if (!v.lambda.fun->arg.empty()) attrs["name"] = v.lambda.fun->arg;
                 if (v.lambda.fun->formals->ellipsis) attrs["ellipsis"] = "1";
                 XMLOpenElement _(doc, "attrspat", attrs);
-                for (auto & i : v.lambda.fun->formals->formals)
+                for (auto & i : v.lambda.fun->formals->lexicographicOrder())
                     doc.writeEmptyElement("attr", singletonAttrs("name", i.name));
             } else
                 doc.writeEmptyElement("varpat", singletonAttrs("name", v.lambda.fun->arg));
diff --git a/src/nix/flake.cc b/src/nix/flake.cc
index 97f4d911c..101d38c6c 100644
--- a/src/nix/flake.cc
+++ b/src/nix/flake.cc
@@ -476,8 +476,8 @@ struct CmdFlakeCheck : FlakeCommand
                 if (!v.isLambda())
                     throw Error("bundler must be a function");
                 if (!v.lambda.fun->formals ||
-                    !v.lambda.fun->formals->argNames.count(state->symbols.create("program")) ||
-                    !v.lambda.fun->formals->argNames.count(state->symbols.create("system")))
+                    !v.lambda.fun->formals->has(state->symbols.create("program")) ||
+                    !v.lambda.fun->formals->has(state->symbols.create("system")))
                     throw Error("bundler must take formal arguments 'program' and 'system'");
             } catch (Error & e) {
                 e.addTrace(pos, hintfmt("while checking the template '%s'", attrPath));
diff --git a/tests/check.nix b/tests/check.nix
index ec455ae2d..ed91ff845 100644
--- a/tests/check.nix
+++ b/tests/check.nix
@@ -50,6 +50,6 @@ with import ./config.nix;
 
   fetchurl = import <nix/fetchurl.nix> {
     url = "file://" + toString ./lang/eval-okay-xml.exp.xml;
-    sha256 = "0kg4sla7ihm8ijr8cb3117fhl99zrc2bwy1jrngsfmkh8bav4m0v";
+    sha256 = "sha256-behBlX+DQK/Pjvkuc8Tx68Jwi4E5v86wDq+ZLaHyhQE=";
   };
 }
diff --git a/tests/lang/eval-okay-xml.exp.xml b/tests/lang/eval-okay-xml.exp.xml
index 92b75e0b8..20099326c 100644
--- a/tests/lang/eval-okay-xml.exp.xml
+++ b/tests/lang/eval-okay-xml.exp.xml
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@
     <attr name="f">
       <function>
         <attrspat>
-          <attr name="z" />
           <attr name="x" />
           <attr name="y" />
+          <attr name="z" />
         </attrspat>
       </function>
     </attr>