diff --git a/decoder/body_candidates.go b/decoder/body_candidates.go
index d80b37bc..2b844546 100644
--- a/decoder/body_candidates.go
+++ b/decoder/body_candidates.go
@@ -77,10 +77,7 @@ func (d *Decoder) bodySchemaCandidates(body *hclsyntax.Body, schema *schema.Body
 
 	candidates.IsComplete = true
 
-	// TODO: sort by more metadata, such as IsRequired or IsDeprecated
-	sort.Slice(candidates.List, func(i, j int) bool {
-		return candidates.List[i].Label < candidates.List[j].Label
-	})
+	sort.Sort(candidates)
 
 	return candidates
 }
diff --git a/decoder/label_candidates.go b/decoder/label_candidates.go
index 87bd3263..5f56cefb 100644
--- a/decoder/label_candidates.go
+++ b/decoder/label_candidates.go
@@ -12,25 +12,30 @@ import (
 
 func (d *Decoder) labelCandidatesFromDependentSchema(idx int, db map[schema.SchemaKey]*schema.BodySchema, prefixRng, editRng hcl.Range) (lang.Candidates, error) {
 	candidates := lang.NewCandidates()
+	candidates.IsComplete = true
 	count := 0
 
 	foundCandidateNames := make(map[string]bool, 0)
 
 	prefix, _ := d.bytesFromRange(prefixRng)
 
-	for schemaKey, bodySchema := range db {
+	for _, schemaKey := range sortedSchemaKeys(db) {
 		depKeys, err := decodeSchemaKey(schemaKey)
 		if err != nil {
 			// key undecodable
 			continue
 		}
 
+		if uint(count) >= d.maxCandidates {
+			// reached maximum no of candidates
+			candidates.IsComplete = false
+			break
+		}
+
+		bodySchema := db[schemaKey]
+
 		for _, label := range depKeys.Labels {
 			if label.Index == idx {
-				if uint(count) >= d.maxCandidates {
-					// reached maximum no of candidates
-					return candidates, nil
-				}
 				if len(prefix) > 0 && !strings.HasPrefix(label.Value, string(prefix)) {
 					continue
 				}
@@ -71,16 +76,22 @@ func (d *Decoder) labelCandidatesFromDependentSchema(idx int, db map[schema.Sche
 		}
 	}
 
-	candidates.IsComplete = true
-
-	// TODO: sort by more metadata, such as IsDeprecated
-	sort.Slice(candidates.List, func(i, j int) bool {
-		return candidates.List[i].Label < candidates.List[j].Label
-	})
+	sort.Sort(candidates)
 
 	return candidates, nil
 }
 
+func sortedSchemaKeys(m map[schema.SchemaKey]*schema.BodySchema) []schema.SchemaKey {
+	keys := make([]schema.SchemaKey, 0)
+	for k := range m {
+		keys = append(keys, k)
+	}
+	sort.SliceStable(keys, func(i, j int) bool {
+		return string(keys[i]) < string(keys[j])
+	})
+	return keys
+}
+
 func decodeSchemaKey(key schema.SchemaKey) (schema.DependencyKeys, error) {
 	var dk schema.DependencyKeys
 	err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(key), &dk)
diff --git a/lang/candidate.go b/lang/candidate.go
index 7afc33ae..fe56e82b 100644
--- a/lang/candidate.go
+++ b/lang/candidate.go
@@ -67,6 +67,19 @@ type Candidates struct {
 	IsComplete bool
 }
 
+func (ca Candidates) Len() int {
+	return len(ca.List)
+}
+
+func (ca Candidates) Less(i, j int) bool {
+	// TODO: sort by more metadata, such as IsRequired or IsDeprecated
+	return ca.List[i].Label < ca.List[j].Label
+}
+
+func (ca Candidates) Swap(i, j int) {
+	ca.List[i], ca.List[j] = ca.List[j], ca.List[i]
+}
+
 // NewCandidates creates a new (incomplete) list of candidates
 // to be appended to.
 func NewCandidates() Candidates {