diff --git a/openmc/settings.py b/openmc/settings.py
index 74ec0d54a6..3c1c8c7f5c 100644
--- a/openmc/settings.py
+++ b/openmc/settings.py
@@ -1598,6 +1598,7 @@ class Settings:
 
         # Clean the indentation in the file to be user-readable
         clean_indentation(element)
+        reorder_attributes(element)  # TODO: Remove when support is Python 3.8+
 
         return element
 
@@ -1618,7 +1619,6 @@ class Settings:
             p /= 'settings.xml'
 
         # Write the XML Tree to the settings.xml file
-        reorder_attributes(root_element)  # TODO: Remove when support is Python 3.8+
         tree = ET.ElementTree(root_element)
         tree.write(str(p), xml_declaration=True, encoding='utf-8')
 
diff --git a/openmc/tallies.py b/openmc/tallies.py
index e37f04e252..e17e7c99db 100644
--- a/openmc/tallies.py
+++ b/openmc/tallies.py
@@ -3166,6 +3166,7 @@ class Tallies(cv.CheckedList):
 
         # Clean the indentation in the file to be user-readable
         clean_indentation(element)
+        reorder_attributes(element)  # TODO: Remove when support is Python 3.8+
 
         return element
 
@@ -3187,7 +3188,6 @@ class Tallies(cv.CheckedList):
             p /= 'tallies.xml'
 
         # Write the XML Tree to the tallies.xml file
-        reorder_attributes(root_element)  # TODO: Remove when support is Python 3.8+
         tree = ET.ElementTree(root_element)
         tree.write(str(p), xml_declaration=True, encoding='utf-8')
 
diff --git a/tests/regression_tests/model_xml/photon_production_inputs_true.dat b/tests/regression_tests/model_xml/photon_production_inputs_true.dat
index e4fe9a5858..0b2b434681 100644
--- a/tests/regression_tests/model_xml/photon_production_inputs_true.dat
+++ b/tests/regression_tests/model_xml/photon_production_inputs_true.dat
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
       <space type="point">
         <parameters>0 0 0</parameters>
       </space>
-      <angle type="monodirectional" reference_uvw="1.0 0.0 0.0" />
+      <angle reference_uvw="1.0 0.0 0.0" type="monodirectional" />
       <energy type="discrete">
         <parameters>14000000.0 1.0</parameters>
       </energy>