diff --git a/test/e2e/generator/generate.go b/test/e2e/generator/generate.go
index 29459f06f..7b1ae2e82 100644
--- a/test/e2e/generator/generate.go
+++ b/test/e2e/generator/generate.go
@@ -87,11 +87,19 @@ func Generate(r *rand.Rand, opts Options) ([]e2e.Manifest, error) {
 		}
 		manifests = append(manifests, manifest)
 	}
+
+	if opts.Sorted {
+		// When the sorted flag is set (generally, as long as
+		// groups arent)
+		e2e.SortManifests(manifests)
+	}
+
 	return manifests, nil
 }
 
 type Options struct {
-	P2P P2PMode
+	P2P    P2PMode
+	Sorted bool
 }
 
 type P2PMode string
diff --git a/test/e2e/generator/main.go b/test/e2e/generator/main.go
index f353241fc..7dd096760 100644
--- a/test/e2e/generator/main.go
+++ b/test/e2e/generator/main.go
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ func NewCLI() *CLI {
 				return fmt.Errorf("p2p mode must be either new, legacy, hybrid or mixed got %s", p2pMode)
 			}
 
+			if groups == 0 {
+				opts.Sorted = true
+			}
+
 			return cli.generate(dir, groups, opts)
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/test/e2e/pkg/manifest.go b/test/e2e/pkg/manifest.go
index 81f64a854..d0cb778ca 100644
--- a/test/e2e/pkg/manifest.go
+++ b/test/e2e/pkg/manifest.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package e2e
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"sort"
 
 	"github.com/BurntSushi/toml"
 )
@@ -170,3 +171,43 @@ func LoadManifest(file string) (Manifest, error) {
 	}
 	return manifest, nil
 }
+
+// SortManifests orders (in-place) a list of manifests such that the
+// manifests will be ordered (vaguely) from least complex to most
+// complex.
+func SortManifests(manifests []Manifest) {
+	sort.SliceStable(manifests, func(i, j int) bool {
+		left, right := manifests[i], manifests[j]
+
+		if len(left.Nodes) < len(right.Nodes) {
+			return true
+		}
+
+		if left.InitialHeight < right.InitialHeight {
+			return true
+		}
+
+		if left.TxSize < right.TxSize {
+			return true
+		}
+
+		if left.Evidence < right.Evidence {
+			return true
+		}
+
+		var (
+			leftPerturb  int
+			rightPerturb int
+		)
+
+		for _, n := range left.Nodes {
+			leftPerturb += len(n.Perturb)
+		}
+		for _, n := range right.Nodes {
+			rightPerturb += len(n.Perturb)
+		}
+
+		return leftPerturb < rightPerturb
+
+	})
+}