diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Loader.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Loader.pm
index c9cf8208..7d76f43c 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Loader.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Loader.pm
@@ -49,7 +49,9 @@ sub load_workers {
       and exists vars->{'workers'}->{'internal'}->{$phase};
     my $internal = vars->{'workers'}->{'internal'};
 
-    foreach my $namespace (keys %{ $internal->{$phase} }) {
+    # the namespace of an internal worker is actually the worker name so must
+    # be sorted in order to "preserve" the plugin load order
+    foreach my $namespace (sort keys %{ $internal->{$phase} }) {
       foreach my $priority (keys %{ $internal->{$phase}->{$namespace} }) {
         push @{ $workers->{$phase}->{'__internal__'}->{$priority} },
           @{ $internal->{$phase}->{$namespace}->{$priority} };
diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Plugin.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Plugin.pm
index 64bab424..d9fb5895 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Plugin.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Plugin.pm
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ register 'register_worker' => sub {
   push @{ vars->{'workers'}->{$workerconf->{action}}
               ->{$workerconf->{phase}}
               ->{$workerconf->{namespace}}
-              ->{$workerconf->{priority}} }, $worker;
+              ->{$workerconf->{priority}} }, { conf => $workerconf, go => $worker };
 };
 
 sub _find_matchaction {