diff --git a/stream/mts/meta/meta.go b/stream/mts/meta/meta.go
index 7a863d0c..eaa0713e 100644
--- a/stream/mts/meta/meta.go
+++ b/stream/mts/meta/meta.go
@@ -45,8 +45,7 @@ const (
 
 // Indices of bytes for uint16 metadata length.
 const (
-	dataLenIdx1 = 2
-	dataLenIdx2 = 3
+	dataLenIdx = 2
 )
 
 var (
@@ -58,9 +57,10 @@ var (
 // Metadata provides functionality for the storage and encoding of metadata
 // using a map.
 type Metadata struct {
-	mu   sync.RWMutex
-	data map[string]string
-	enc  []byte
+	mu    sync.RWMutex
+	data  map[string]string
+	order []string
+	enc   []byte
 }
 
 // New returns a pointer to a new Metadata.
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ func New() *Metadata {
 func (m *Metadata) Add(key, val string) {
 	m.mu.Lock()
 	m.data[key] = val
+	m.order = append(m.order, key)
 	m.mu.Unlock()
 }
 
@@ -111,6 +112,12 @@ func (m *Metadata) Delete(key string) error {
 	defer m.mu.Unlock()
 	if _, ok := m.data[key]; ok {
 		delete(m.data, key)
+		for i, k := range m.order {
+			if k == key {
+				m.order = append(m.order[:i], m.order[i+1:]...)
+				break
+			}
+		}
 		return nil
 	}
 	return errKeyAbsent
@@ -123,12 +130,11 @@ func (m *Metadata) Encode() []byte {
 
 	// Iterate over map and append entries, only adding tab if we're not on the
 	// last entry.
-	var i int
 	var entry string
-	for k, v := range m.data {
-		i++
+	for i, k := range m.order {
+		v := m.data[k]
 		entry += k + "=" + v
-		if i < len(m.data) {
+		if i+1 < len(m.data) {
 			entry += "\t"
 		}
 	}
@@ -136,9 +142,7 @@ func (m *Metadata) Encode() []byte {
 
 	// Calculate and set data length in encoded meta header.
 	dataLen := len(m.enc[headSize:])
-	m.enc[dataLenIdx1] = byte(dataLen >> 8)
-	m.enc[dataLenIdx2] = byte(dataLen)
-
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint16(m.enc[dataLenIdx:dataLenIdx+2], uint16(dataLen))
 	return m.enc
 }