diff --git a/context.c b/context.c
index c1feef0ff..3e28e3507 100644
--- a/context.c
+++ b/context.c
@@ -208,8 +208,12 @@ static void reorder_channels(struct iio_device *dev)
 	 qsort(dev->channels, dev->nb_channels, sizeof(struct iio_channel *),
                 iio_channel_compare);
 
-	for (i = 0; i < dev->nb_channels; i++)
-		dev->channels[i]->number = i;
+	for (i = 0; i < dev->nb_channels; i++) {
+		struct iio_channel *chn = dev->channels[i];
+		chn->number = i;
+		qsort(chn->attrs, chn->nb_attrs, sizeof(struct iio_channel_attr),
+			iio_channel_attr_compare);
+	}
 }
 
 int iio_context_init(struct iio_context *ctx)
diff --git a/local.c b/local.c
index 7491a4b1b..557d4fd8c 100644
--- a/local.c
+++ b/local.c
@@ -1767,9 +1767,6 @@ static int create_device(void *d, const char *path)
 		free_protected_attrs(chn);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			goto err_free_scan_elements;
-
-		qsort(chn->attrs,  chn->nb_attrs, sizeof(struct iio_channel_attr),
-			iio_channel_attr_compare);
 	}
 
 	ret = detect_and_move_global_attrs(dev);