diff --git a/res/app/device-list/device-list-details-directive.js b/res/app/device-list/device-list-details-directive.js
index d649a49d..8ed0b901 100644
--- a/res/app/device-list/device-list-details-directive.js
+++ b/res/app/device-list/device-list-details-directive.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+var patchArray = require('./util/patch-array')
+
 var directive = module.exports = function DeviceListDetailsDirective(
   $filter
 , gettext
@@ -216,7 +218,7 @@ var directive = module.exports = function DeviceListDetailsDirective(
           return scope.sort
         }
       , function(newValue) {
-          activeSorting = scope.sort.fixed.concat(scope.sort.user)
+          activeSorting = newValue.fixed.concat(newValue.user)
           scope.sortedColumns = Object.create(null)
           activeSorting.forEach(function(sort) {
             scope.sortedColumns[sort.name] = sort
@@ -245,54 +247,18 @@ var directive = module.exports = function DeviceListDetailsDirective(
       // the fastest because it shouldn't get called all the time.
       function updateColumns(columnSettings) {
         var newActiveColumns = []
-          , newMapping = Object.create(null)
-          , oldMapping = Object.create(null)
-          , patch = []
-          , i
-          , l
 
-        // First, check what we are supposed to have now
-        for (i = 0, l = columnSettings.length; i < l; ++i) {
-          var columnSetting = columnSettings[i]
-          if (columnSetting.selected) {
-            newActiveColumns.push(columnSetting.name)
-            newMapping[columnSetting.name] = true
+        // Check what we're supposed to show now
+        columnSettings.forEach(function(column) {
+          if (column.selected) {
+            newActiveColumns.push(column.name)
           }
-        }
+        })
 
-        // Check what we need to remove from the currently active columns
-        var removeAdjust = 0
-        for (i = 0, l = activeColumns.length; i < l; ++i) {
-          var oldColumn = activeColumns[i]
-          // Fix index so that they make sense when the operations are
-          // run in order.
-          oldMapping[oldColumn] = true
-          if (!newMapping[oldColumn]) {
-            patch.push({
-              type: 'remove'
-            , column: oldColumn
-            , index: i - removeAdjust
-            })
-            removeAdjust += 1
-          }
-        }
-
-        // Check what we need to add
-        var insertAdjust = 0
-        for (i = 0, l = newActiveColumns.length; i < l; ++i) {
-          var newColumn = newActiveColumns[i]
-          if (!oldMapping[newColumn]) {
-            patch.push({
-              type: 'insert'
-            , column: newColumn
-            , index: i + insertAdjust
-            })
-            insertAdjust += 1
-          }
-        }
-
-        // @TODO move operations
+        // Figure out the patch
+        var patch = patchArray(activeColumns, newActiveColumns)
 
+        // Set up new active columns
         activeColumns = newActiveColumns
 
         return patchAll(patch)
@@ -361,13 +327,17 @@ var directive = module.exports = function DeviceListDetailsDirective(
       function patchRow(tr, device, patch) {
         for (var i = 0, l = patch.length; i < l; ++i) {
           var op = patch[i]
-          switch (op.type) {
+          switch (op[0]) {
           case 'insert':
-            var col = scope.columnDefinitions[op.column]
-            tr.insertBefore(col.update(col.build(), device), tr.cells[op.index])
+            var col = scope.columnDefinitions[op[2]]
+            tr.insertBefore(col.update(col.build(), device), tr.cells[op[1]])
             break
           case 'remove':
-            tr.deleteCell(op.index)
+            tr.deleteCell(op[1])
+            break
+          case 'swap':
+            tr.insertBefore(tr.cells[op[1]], tr.cells[op[2]])
+            tr.insertBefore(tr.cells[op[2]], tr.cells[op[1]])
             break
           }
         }
diff --git a/res/app/device-list/device-list.jade b/res/app/device-list/device-list.jade
index 89fe91b8..79fc25fa 100644
--- a/res/app/device-list/device-list.jade
+++ b/res/app/device-list/device-list.jade
@@ -28,10 +28,9 @@ div.stf-device-list
     .col-md-12
       .widget-container.fluid-height
         .widget-content.padded
-          label(ng-repeat='column in columns')
+          label(ng-repeat='column in columns track by column.name')
             input(type='checkbox', ng-model='column.selected')
             span {{ column.title | translate }}
-          button(ng-click='columns.push(columns.shift())') swap ends
           device-list-details(tracker='tracker', columns='columns', sort='sort')
           //tabset.overflow-auto(ng-if='activeTabs').device-list-active-tabs
             tab(active='activeTabs.devices')
diff --git a/res/app/device-list/util/patch-array-test.js b/res/app/device-list/util/patch-array-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..751c75cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/res/app/device-list/util/patch-array-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+var assert = require('assert')
+
+var patchArray = require('./patch-array')
+
+var tests = [
+  {
+    a: ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']
+  , b: ['a', 'e', 'c', 'd', 'b']
+  , ops: [
+      ['swap', 4, 1]
+    ]
+  }
+, {
+    a: ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']
+  , b: ['e', 'd', 'c', 'b', 'a']
+  , ops: [
+      ['swap', 4, 0]
+    , ['swap', 3, 1]
+    ]
+  }
+, {
+    a: ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f']
+  , b: ['f', 'e', 'd', 'c', 'b', 'a']
+  , ops: [
+      ['swap', 5, 0]
+    , ['swap', 4, 1]
+    , ['swap', 3, 2]
+    ]
+  }
+, {
+    a: ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f']
+  , b: ['f', 'e']
+  , ops: [
+      ['remove', 0]
+    , ['remove', 0]
+    , ['remove', 0]
+    , ['remove', 0]
+    , ['swap', 1, 0]
+    ]
+  }
+, {
+    a: ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f']
+  , b: ['f', 'a']
+  , ops: [
+      ['remove', 1]
+    , ['remove', 1]
+    , ['remove', 1]
+    , ['remove', 1]
+    , ['swap', 1, 0]
+    ]
+  }
+, {
+    a: []
+  , b: ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f']
+  , ops: [
+      ['insert', 0, 'a']
+    , ['insert', 1, 'b']
+    , ['insert', 2, 'c']
+    , ['insert', 3, 'd']
+    , ['insert', 4, 'e']
+    , ['insert', 5, 'f']
+    ]
+  }
+, {
+    a: ['a', 'd']
+  , b: ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f']
+  , ops: [
+      ['insert', 1, 'b']
+    , ['insert', 2, 'c']
+    , ['insert', 4, 'e']
+    , ['insert', 5, 'f']
+    ]
+  }
+, {
+    a: ['b', 'd', 'a']
+  , b: ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f']
+  , ops: [
+      ['swap', 2, 0]
+    , ['swap', 2, 1]
+    , ['insert', 2, 'c']
+    , ['insert', 4, 'e']
+    , ['insert', 5, 'f']
+    ]
+  }
+, {
+    a: ["state","model","name","operator","releasedAt","version","network","provider","owner"]
+  , b: ["owner","model","name","operator","releasedAt","version","network","provider","state"]
+  }
+]
+
+function verify(a, b, ops) {
+  var c = [].concat(a)
+  ops.forEach(function(op) {
+    switch (op[0]) {
+    case 'swap':
+      var temp = c[op[1]]
+      c[op[1]] = c[op[2]]
+      c[op[2]] = temp
+      break
+    case 'move':
+      c.splice(op[2] + 1, 0, c[op[1]])
+      c.splice(op[1], 1)
+      break
+    case 'insert':
+      c.splice(op[1], 0, op[2])
+      break
+    case 'remove':
+      c.splice(op[1], 1)
+      break
+    default:
+      throw new Error('Unknown op ' + op[0])
+    }
+  })
+  assert.deepEqual(c, b)
+}
+
+tests.forEach(function(test) {
+  console.log('Running test:')
+  console.log('  <- ', test.a)
+  console.log('  -> ', test.b)
+  console.log('Verifying test expectations')
+  //verify(test.a, test.b, test.ops)
+  console.log('Verifying patchArray')
+  var patch = patchArray(test.a, test.b)
+  console.log(' patch', patch)
+  verify(test.a, test.b, patch)
+})
diff --git a/res/app/device-list/util/patch-array.js b/res/app/device-list/util/patch-array.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d72e81ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/res/app/device-list/util/patch-array.js
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+function existenceMap(array) {
+  var map = Object.create(null)
+  for (var i = 0, l = array.length; i < l; ++i) {
+    map[array[i]] = 1
+  }
+  return map
+}
+
+// Returns a list of operations to transform array a into array b. May not
+// return the optimal set of operations.
+module.exports = function patchArray(a, b) {
+  var ops = []
+
+  var workA = [].concat(a)
+    , inA = Object.create(null)
+    , itemA
+    , cursorA
+
+  var inB = existenceMap(b)
+    , posB = Object.create(null)
+    , itemB
+    , cursorB
+
+  // First, check what was removed from a.
+  for (cursorA = 0; cursorA < workA.length;) {
+    itemA = workA[cursorA]
+
+    // If b does not contain the item, surely it must have been removed.
+    if (!inB[itemA]) {
+      workA.splice(cursorA, 1)
+      ops.push(['remove', cursorA])
+    }
+    // Otherwise, the item is still alive.
+    else {
+      inA[itemA] = true
+      cursorA += 1
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Then, check what was inserted into b.
+  for (cursorB = 0; cursorB < b.length; ++cursorB) {
+    itemB = b[cursorB]
+
+    // If a does not contain the item, it must have been added.
+    if (!inA[itemB]) {
+      workA.splice(cursorB, 0, itemB)
+      ops.push(['insert', cursorB, itemB])
+    }
+
+    posB[itemB] = cursorB
+  }
+
+  // At this point, workA contains the same items as b, but swaps may
+  // be needed.
+  for (cursorA = 0; cursorA < workA.length;) {
+    itemA = workA[cursorA]
+    var posInB = posB[itemA]
+
+    if (posInB === cursorA) {
+      cursorA += 1
+    }
+    else {
+      var temp = workA[posInB]
+      workA[posInB] = itemA
+      workA[cursorA] = temp
+      ops.push(['swap', cursorA, posInB])
+    }
+  }
+
+  return ops
+}