diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/spec.py b/lib/spack/spack/spec.py
index d919aeecb7..8d5a1ec8df 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/spec.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/spec.py
@@ -1812,10 +1812,12 @@ def concretize(self):
                     for patch in patch_list:
                         patches.append(patch.sha256)
             if patches:
-                # Special-case: keeps variant values unique but ordered.
-                s.variants['patches'] = MultiValuedVariant('patches', ())
-                mvar = s.variants['patches']
-                mvar._value = mvar._original_value = tuple(dedupe(patches))
+                mvar = s.variants.setdefault(
+                    'patches', MultiValuedVariant('patches', ())
+                )
+                mvar.value = patches
+                # FIXME: Monkey patches mvar to store patches order
+                mvar._patches_in_order_of_appearance = patches
 
         # Apply patches required on dependencies by depends_on(..., patch=...)
         for dspec in self.traverse_edges(deptype=all,
@@ -1832,15 +1834,13 @@ def concretize(self):
                             for patch in patch_list:
                                 patches.append(patch.sha256)
             if patches:
-                # note that we use a special multi-valued variant and
-                # keep the patches ordered.
-                if 'patches' not in dspec.spec.variants:
-                    mvar = MultiValuedVariant('patches', ())
-                    dspec.spec.variants['patches'] = mvar
-                else:
-                    mvar = dspec.spec.variants['patches']
-                mvar._value = mvar._original_value = tuple(
-                    dedupe(list(mvar._value) + patches))
+                mvar = dspec.spec.variants.setdefault(
+                    'patches', MultiValuedVariant('patches', ())
+                )
+                mvar.value = mvar.value + tuple(patches)
+                # FIXME: Monkey patches mvar to store patches order
+                l = getattr(mvar, '_patches_in_order_of_appearance', [])
+                mvar._patches_in_order_of_appearance = dedupe(l + patches)
 
         for s in self.traverse():
             if s.external_module:
@@ -2523,7 +2523,11 @@ def patches(self):
             return []
 
         patches = []
-        for sha256 in self.variants['patches'].value:
+
+        # FIXME: The private attribute below is attached after
+        # FIXME: concretization to store the order of patches somewhere.
+        # FIXME: Needs to be refactored in a cleaner way.
+        for sha256 in self.variants['patches']._patches_in_order_of_appearance:
             patch = self.package.lookup_patch(sha256)
             if patch:
                 patches.append(patch)
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/patch.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/patch.py
index 0a91a0847c..41c4ef0621 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/patch.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/patch.py
@@ -99,9 +99,11 @@ def test_patch_in_spec(builtin_mock, config):
     spec.concretize()
     assert 'patches' in list(spec.variants.keys())
 
-    # foo, bar, baz
-    assert (('b5bb9d8014a0f9b1d61e21e796d78dccdf1352f23cd32812f4850b878ae4944c',
-             '7d865e959b2466918c9863afca942d0fb89d7c9ac0c99bafc3749504ded97730',
+    # Here the order is bar, foo, baz. Note that MV variants order
+    # lexicographically based on the hash, not on the position of the
+    # patch directive.
+    assert (('7d865e959b2466918c9863afca942d0fb89d7c9ac0c99bafc3749504ded97730',
+             'b5bb9d8014a0f9b1d61e21e796d78dccdf1352f23cd32812f4850b878ae4944c',
              'bf07a7fbb825fc0aae7bf4a1177b2b31fcf8a3feeaf7092761e18c859ee52a9c') ==
             spec.variants['patches'].value)
 
@@ -131,8 +133,8 @@ def test_multiple_patched_dependencies(builtin_mock, config):
     # URL patches
     assert 'patches' in list(spec['fake'].variants.keys())
     # urlpatch.patch, urlpatch.patch.gz
-    assert (('abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234',
-             '1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd') ==
+    assert (('1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd',
+             'abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234') ==
             spec['fake'].variants['patches'].value)
 
 
@@ -159,8 +161,8 @@ def test_conditional_patched_dependencies(builtin_mock, config):
     # URL patches
     assert 'patches' in list(spec['fake'].variants.keys())
     # urlpatch.patch, urlpatch.patch.gz
-    assert (('abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234',
-             '1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd') ==
+    assert (('1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd',
+             'abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234') ==
             spec['fake'].variants['patches'].value)
 
 
@@ -187,6 +189,6 @@ def test_conditional_patched_deps_with_conditions(builtin_mock, config):
     # URL patches
     assert 'patches' in list(spec['fake'].variants.keys())
     # urlpatch.patch, urlpatch.patch.gz
-    assert (('abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234',
-             '1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd') ==
+    assert (('1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd',
+             'abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234') ==
             spec['fake'].variants['patches'].value)