diff --git a/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/net/client/Capability.java b/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/net/client/Capability.java
index bd6b77e5..b6091414 100644
--- a/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/net/client/Capability.java
+++ b/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/net/client/Capability.java
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package org.ethereum.net.client;
 /**
  * The protocols and versions of those protocols that this peer support
  */
-public class Capability {
+public class Capability implements Comparable<Capability> {
 	
 	public final static String ETH = "eth";
 	public final static String SHH = "shh";
@@ -24,15 +24,21 @@ public class Capability {
 		return version;
 	}
 	
-	public boolean equals(Object o) {
-		if(o instanceof Capability) {
-			Capability cap = (Capability) o;
-			if (cap.getName() == null)
-				return this.name == null;
-			else
-				return cap.getName().equals(this.name) && cap.getVersion() == this.version;
-		}
-		return false;
+	@Override
+	public boolean equals(Object obj) {
+	    if (this == obj) return true;
+	    if (!(obj instanceof Capability)) return false;
+
+	    Capability other = (Capability)obj;
+	    if (this.name == null)
+			return other.name == null;
+		else
+			return this.name.equals(other.name) && this.version == other.version;
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public int compareTo(Capability o) {
+		return this.name.compareTo(o.name);
 	}
 	
 	public String toString() {
diff --git a/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/net/p2p/P2pHandler.java b/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/net/p2p/P2pHandler.java
index d122dc11..f860ad9a 100644
--- a/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/net/p2p/P2pHandler.java
+++ b/ethereumj-core/src/main/java/org/ethereum/net/p2p/P2pHandler.java
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import static org.ethereum.net.message.StaticMessages.HELLO_MESSAGE;
 import java.net.InetAddress;
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.Timer;
@@ -183,7 +184,9 @@ public class P2pHandler extends SimpleChannelInboundHandler<P2pMessage> {
 
     public void adaptMessageIds(List<Capability> capabilities) {
 
+    	Collections.sort(capabilities);
         byte offset = (byte) (P2pMessageCodes.USER.asByte() + 1);
+
         for (Capability capability : capabilities) {
 
             if (capability.getName().equals(Capability.ETH)) {
diff --git a/ethereumj-core/src/test/java/org/ethereum/net/wire/AdaptiveMessageIdsTest.java b/ethereumj-core/src/test/java/org/ethereum/net/wire/AdaptiveMessageIdsTest.java
index 9984a2c7..0b723a6c 100644
--- a/ethereumj-core/src/test/java/org/ethereum/net/wire/AdaptiveMessageIdsTest.java
+++ b/ethereumj-core/src/test/java/org/ethereum/net/wire/AdaptiveMessageIdsTest.java
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public class AdaptiveMessageIdsTest {
         Assert.assertEquals(3,  P2pMessageCodes.PONG.asByte());
         Assert.assertEquals(4,  P2pMessageCodes.GET_PEERS.asByte());
         Assert.assertEquals(5,  P2pMessageCodes.PEERS.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(16, P2pMessageCodes.USER.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(15, P2pMessageCodes.USER.asByte());
     }
 
 
@@ -102,48 +102,48 @@ public class AdaptiveMessageIdsTest {
 				new Capability(Capability.SHH, ShhHandler.VERSION));
         p2pHandler.adaptMessageIds(capabilities);
 
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 1,  EthMessageCodes.STATUS.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 2,  EthMessageCodes.GET_TRANSACTIONS.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 3,  EthMessageCodes.TRANSACTIONS.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 4,  EthMessageCodes.GET_BLOCK_HASHES.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 5,  EthMessageCodes.BLOCK_HASHES.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 6,  EthMessageCodes.GET_BLOCKS.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 7,  EthMessageCodes.BLOCKS.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 8,  EthMessageCodes.NEW_BLOCK.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 9, EthMessageCodes.PACKET_COUNT.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 0, EthMessageCodes.STATUS.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 1, EthMessageCodes.GET_TRANSACTIONS.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 2, EthMessageCodes.TRANSACTIONS.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 3, EthMessageCodes.GET_BLOCK_HASHES.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 4, EthMessageCodes.BLOCK_HASHES.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 5, EthMessageCodes.GET_BLOCKS.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 6, EthMessageCodes.BLOCKS.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 7, EthMessageCodes.NEW_BLOCK.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 8, EthMessageCodes.PACKET_COUNT.asByte());
 
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x19 + 1, ShhMessageCodes.STATUS.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x19 + 2, ShhMessageCodes.MESSAGE.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x19 + 3, ShhMessageCodes.ADD_FILTER.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x19 + 4, ShhMessageCodes.REMOVE_FILTER.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x19 + 5, ShhMessageCodes.PACKET_COUNT.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x19 + 0, ShhMessageCodes.STATUS.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x19 + 1, ShhMessageCodes.MESSAGE.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x19 + 2, ShhMessageCodes.ADD_FILTER.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x19 + 3, ShhMessageCodes.REMOVE_FILTER.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x19 + 4, ShhMessageCodes.PACKET_COUNT.asByte());
     }
 
-    @Test
+    @Test // Capabilities should be read in alphabetical order
     public void test5(){
 
         P2pHandler p2pHandler = new P2pHandler();
 
 		List<Capability> capabilities = Arrays.asList(
-				new Capability(Capability.ETH, EthHandler.VERSION),
-				new Capability(Capability.SHH, ShhHandler.VERSION));
+				new Capability(Capability.SHH, ShhHandler.VERSION),
+				new Capability(Capability.ETH, EthHandler.VERSION));
         p2pHandler.adaptMessageIds(capabilities);
 
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 1, ShhMessageCodes.STATUS.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 2, ShhMessageCodes.MESSAGE.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 3, ShhMessageCodes.ADD_FILTER.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 4, ShhMessageCodes.REMOVE_FILTER.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 5, ShhMessageCodes.PACKET_COUNT.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 0, EthMessageCodes.STATUS.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 1, EthMessageCodes.GET_TRANSACTIONS.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 2, EthMessageCodes.TRANSACTIONS.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 3, EthMessageCodes.GET_BLOCK_HASHES.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 4, EthMessageCodes.BLOCK_HASHES.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 5, EthMessageCodes.GET_BLOCKS.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 6, EthMessageCodes.BLOCKS.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 7, EthMessageCodes.NEW_BLOCK.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x10 + 8, EthMessageCodes.PACKET_COUNT.asByte());
 
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x15 + 1,  EthMessageCodes.STATUS.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x15 + 2,  EthMessageCodes.GET_TRANSACTIONS.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x15 + 3,  EthMessageCodes.TRANSACTIONS.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x15 + 4,  EthMessageCodes.GET_BLOCK_HASHES.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x15 + 5,  EthMessageCodes.BLOCK_HASHES.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x15 + 6,  EthMessageCodes.GET_BLOCKS.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x15 + 7,  EthMessageCodes.BLOCKS.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x15 + 8,  EthMessageCodes.NEW_BLOCK.asByte());
-        Assert.assertEquals(0x15 + 9, EthMessageCodes.PACKET_COUNT.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x19 + 0, ShhMessageCodes.STATUS.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x19 + 1, ShhMessageCodes.MESSAGE.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x19 + 2, ShhMessageCodes.ADD_FILTER.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x19 + 3, ShhMessageCodes.REMOVE_FILTER.asByte());
+        Assert.assertEquals(0x19 + 4, ShhMessageCodes.PACKET_COUNT.asByte());
     }