diff --git a/src/lxc/cgroups/cgfsng.c b/src/lxc/cgroups/cgfsng.c
index e4d8243a1..d51fd838f 100644
--- a/src/lxc/cgroups/cgfsng.c
+++ b/src/lxc/cgroups/cgfsng.c
@@ -2703,6 +2703,32 @@ static int cg_legacy_set_data(struct cgroup_ops *ops, const char *filename,
 	return lxc_write_openat(h->path_lim, filename, value, strlen(value));
 }
 
+/*
+ * Return the list of cgroup_settings sorted according to the following rules
+ * 1. Put memory.limit_in_bytes before memory.memsw.limit_in_bytes
+ */
+static void sort_cgroup_settings(struct lxc_conf *conf)
+{
+	LIST_HEAD(memsw_list);
+	struct lxc_cgroup *cgroup, *ncgroup;
+
+	/* Iterate over the cgroup settings and copy them to the output list. */
+	list_for_each_entry_safe(cgroup, ncgroup, &conf->cgroup, head) {
+		if (!strequal(cgroup->subsystem, "memory.memsw.limit_in_bytes"))
+			continue;
+
+		/* Move the memsw entry from the cgroup settings list. */
+		list_move_tail(&cgroup->head, &memsw_list);
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Append all the memsw entries to the end of the cgroup settings list
+	 * to make sure they are applied after all memory limit settings.
+	 */
+	list_splice_tail(&memsw_list, &conf->cgroup);
+
+}
+
 __cgfsng_ops static bool cgfsng_setup_limits_legacy(struct cgroup_ops *ops,
 						    struct lxc_conf *conf,
 						    bool do_devices)
diff --git a/src/lxc/conf.c b/src/lxc/conf.c
index 59cfbc940..8aaefa16f 100644
--- a/src/lxc/conf.c
+++ b/src/lxc/conf.c
@@ -5679,29 +5679,6 @@ void suggest_default_idmap(void)
 	ERROR("lxc.idmap = g 0 %u %u", gid, grange);
 }
 
-/* Return the list of cgroup_settings sorted according to the following rules
- * 1. Put memory.limit_in_bytes before memory.memsw.limit_in_bytes
- */
-void sort_cgroup_settings(struct lxc_conf *conf)
-{
-	struct lxc_cgroup *cgroup, *memsw_limit, *ncgroup;
-
-	/* Iterate over the cgroup settings and copy them to the output list. */
-	list_for_each_entry_safe(cgroup, ncgroup, &conf->cgroup, head) {
-		if (strequal(cgroup->subsystem, "memory.memsw.limit_in_bytes")) {
-			/* Store the memsw_limit location */
-			memsw_limit = cgroup;
-		} else if (memsw_limit && strequal(cgroup->subsystem, "memory.limit_in_bytes")) {
-			/*
-			 * lxc.cgroup.memory.memsw.limit_in_bytes is found
-			 * before lxc.cgroup.memory.limit_in_bytes, swap these
-			 * two items.
-			 */
-			list_swap(&memsw_limit->head, &cgroup->head);
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 int lxc_set_environment(const struct lxc_conf *conf)
 {
 	struct environment_entry *env;
diff --git a/src/lxc/conf.h b/src/lxc/conf.h
index 7cc41afd2..270b7f8d2 100644
--- a/src/lxc/conf.h
+++ b/src/lxc/conf.h
@@ -568,7 +568,6 @@ __hidden extern int parse_mount_attrs(struct lxc_mount_options *opts, const char
 __hidden extern void tmp_proc_unmount(struct lxc_conf *lxc_conf);
 __hidden extern void suggest_default_idmap(void);
 __hidden extern FILE *make_anonymous_mount_file(struct lxc_list *mount, bool include_nesting_helpers);
-__hidden extern void sort_cgroup_settings(struct lxc_conf *conf);
 __hidden extern int run_script(const char *name, const char *section, const char *script, ...);
 __hidden extern int run_script_argv(const char *name, unsigned int hook_version, const char *section,
 				    const char *script, const char *hookname, char **argsin);