diff --git a/docs/api/backend.md b/docs/api/backend.md
index b3efa8b04..724149574 100644
--- a/docs/api/backend.md
+++ b/docs/api/backend.md
@@ -251,6 +251,15 @@ backend.use(action, middleware)
 
 > A [middleware]({{ site.baseurl }}{% link middleware/index.md %}) function
 
+`order` -- number
+
+Optional
+{: .label .label-grey }
+
+> Default: `0`
+
+> The order to run this middleware relative to other middlewares. Middleware with higher `order` will run later. Ties are broken on registration order.
+
 ### addProjection()
 
 Defines a [projection]({{ site.baseurl }}{% link projections.md %}).
diff --git a/lib/backend.js b/lib/backend.js
index dcc95aa33..c3d409bd9 100644
--- a/lib/backend.js
+++ b/lib/backend.js
@@ -183,15 +183,19 @@ Backend.prototype.addProjection = function(name, collection, fields) {
 /**
  * Add middleware to an action or array of actions
  */
-Backend.prototype.use = function(action, fn) {
+Backend.prototype.use = function(action, fn, order) {
   if (Array.isArray(action)) {
     for (var i = 0; i < action.length; i++) {
-      this.use(action[i], fn);
+      this.use(action[i], fn, order);
     }
     return this;
   }
+  fn.__order = order || 0;
   var fns = this.middleware[action] || (this.middleware[action] = []);
   fns.push(fn);
+  fns.sort(function(a, b) {
+    return a.__order - b.__order;
+  });
   return this;
 };
 
diff --git a/test/middleware.js b/test/middleware.js
index 66e50b2fa..7c73c2a65 100644
--- a/test/middleware.js
+++ b/test/middleware.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ var errorHandler = util.errorHandler;
 var ShareDBError = require('../lib/error');
 var sinon = require('sinon');
 var ACTIONS = require('../lib/message-actions').ACTIONS;
+var async = require('async');
 
 var ERROR_CODE = ShareDBError.CODES;
 
@@ -35,6 +36,124 @@ describe('middleware', function() {
       var response = this.backend.use(['submit', 'connect'], function() {});
       expect(response).equal(this.backend);
     });
+
+    describe('sorting', function() {
+      var calls;
+
+      beforeEach(function() {
+        calls = [];
+      });
+
+      it('defaults to insertion order', function(done) {
+        var a = makeMiddleware();
+        var b = makeMiddleware();
+        var c = makeMiddleware();
+
+        this.backend.use('readSnapshots', a);
+        this.backend.use('readSnapshots', b);
+        this.backend.use('readSnapshots', c);
+
+        var connection = this.backend.connect();
+        var doc = connection.get('dogs', 'fido');
+
+        async.series([
+          doc.fetch.bind(doc),
+          function(next) {
+            expect(calls).to.eql([a, b, c]);
+            next();
+          }
+        ], done);
+      });
+
+      it('sorts middleware by order', function(done) {
+        var a = makeMiddleware();
+        var b = makeMiddleware();
+        var c = makeMiddleware();
+
+        this.backend.use('readSnapshots', a, 2);
+        this.backend.use('readSnapshots', b, 1);
+        this.backend.use('readSnapshots', c, 3);
+
+        var connection = this.backend.connect();
+        var doc = connection.get('dogs', 'fido');
+
+        async.series([
+          doc.fetch.bind(doc),
+          function(next) {
+            expect(calls).to.eql([b, a, c]);
+            next();
+          }
+        ], done);
+      });
+
+      it('defaults order to 0', function(done) {
+        var a = makeMiddleware();
+        var b = makeMiddleware();
+        var c = makeMiddleware();
+
+        this.backend.use('readSnapshots', a);
+        this.backend.use('readSnapshots', b, 1);
+        this.backend.use('readSnapshots', c, -1);
+
+        var connection = this.backend.connect();
+        var doc = connection.get('dogs', 'fido');
+
+        async.series([
+          doc.fetch.bind(doc),
+          function(next) {
+            expect(calls).to.eql([c, a, b]);
+            next();
+          }
+        ], done);
+      });
+
+      it('can sort using MAX_SAFE_INTEGER and MIN_SAFE_INTEGER', function(done) {
+        var a = makeMiddleware();
+        var b = makeMiddleware();
+
+        this.backend.use('readSnapshots', a, Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER);
+        this.backend.use('readSnapshots', b, Number.MIN_SAFE_INTEGER);
+
+        var connection = this.backend.connect();
+        var doc = connection.get('dogs', 'fido');
+
+        async.series([
+          doc.fetch.bind(doc),
+          function(next) {
+            expect(calls).to.eql([b, a]);
+            next();
+          }
+        ], done);
+      });
+
+
+      it('can sort using MAX_VALUE', function(done) {
+        var a = makeMiddleware();
+        var b = makeMiddleware();
+
+        this.backend.use('readSnapshots', a, Number.MAX_VALUE);
+        this.backend.use('readSnapshots', b, -Number.MAX_VALUE);
+
+        var connection = this.backend.connect();
+        var doc = connection.get('dogs', 'fido');
+
+        async.series([
+          doc.fetch.bind(doc),
+          function(next) {
+            expect(calls).to.eql([b, a]);
+            next();
+          }
+        ], done);
+      });
+
+      function makeMiddleware() {
+        var fn = function(context, next) {
+          calls.push(fn);
+          next();
+        };
+        return fn;
+      }
+    });
   });
 
   describe('connect', function() {