diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/bin/cdk.ts b/packages/aws-cdk/bin/cdk.ts
index ef82eedbfe31e..a552e8a847f7e 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/bin/cdk.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/bin/cdk.ts
@@ -366,6 +366,10 @@ async function initCommandLine() {
 
   async function cliDestroy(stackNames: string[], force: boolean, roleArn: string | undefined) {
     const stacks = await appStacks.selectStacks(...stackNames);
+
+    // The stacks will have been ordered for deployment, so reverse them for deletion.
+    stacks.reverse();
+
     renames.validateSelectedStacks(stacks);
 
     if (!force) {
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/integ-tests/app/app.js b/packages/aws-cdk/integ-tests/app/app.js
index c07d5a43551c1..28c231e442326 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/integ-tests/app/app.js
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/integ-tests/app/app.js
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ class IamStack extends cdk.Stack {
 class ProvidingStack extends cdk.Stack {
   constructor(parent, id) {
     super(parent, id);
+
+    new sns.Topic(this, 'BogusTopic'); // Some filler
   }
 }
 
@@ -40,6 +42,8 @@ class ConsumingStack extends cdk.Stack {
   constructor(parent, id, providingStack) {
     super(parent, id);
 
+
+    new sns.Topic(this, 'BogusTopic');  // Some filler
     new cdk.Output(this, 'IConsumedSomething', { value: providingStack.stackName });
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/integ-tests/test-cdk-order.sh b/packages/aws-cdk/integ-tests/test-cdk-order.sh
index 9aa46451fbcfa..410f1adc90478 100755
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/integ-tests/test-cdk-order.sh
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/integ-tests/test-cdk-order.sh
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@ source ${scriptdir}/common.bash
 
 setup
 
-# ls order == synthesis order == provider before consumer
-assert "cdk list | grep -- -order-" <<HERE
-cdk-toolkit-integration-order-providing
-cdk-toolkit-integration-order-consuming
-HERE
+# Deploy all stacks with an ordering component between them
+cdk deploy cdk-toolkit-integration-order-\*
+
+# Destroy them again
+cdk destroy -f cdk-toolkit-integration-order-\*
 
 echo "✅  success"