diff --git a/snix/Cargo.nix b/snix/Cargo.nix
index 8074f37ab..d3c65be17 100644
--- a/snix/Cargo.nix
+++ b/snix/Cargo.nix
@@ -14281,6 +14281,7 @@ rec {
           {
             name = "pretty_assertions";
             packageId = "pretty_assertions";
+            features = [ "unstable" ];
           }
           {
             name = "rstest";
diff --git a/snix/eval/Cargo.toml b/snix/eval/Cargo.toml
index 2e41bf477..d16971332 100644
--- a/snix/eval/Cargo.toml
+++ b/snix/eval/Cargo.toml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ thiserror.workspace = true
 criterion.workspace = true
 itertools.workspace = true
 mimalloc.workspace = true
-pretty_assertions.workspace = true
+pretty_assertions = { workspace = true, features = ["unstable"] }
 rstest.workspace = true
 tempfile.workspace = true
 
diff --git a/snix/eval/src/tests/one_offs.rs b/snix/eval/src/tests/one_offs.rs
index 49ed713fc..7550f4e7a 100644
--- a/snix/eval/src/tests/one_offs.rs
+++ b/snix/eval/src/tests/one_offs.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use crate::*;
+use pretty_assertions::assert_matches;
 
 #[test]
 fn test_source_builtin() {
@@ -37,3 +38,26 @@ fn skip_broken_bytecode() {
         ErrorKind::UnknownStaticVariable
     ));
 }
+
+/// Checks that deep forcing happens in lexicographic key order
+/// See https://cl.snix.dev/c/snix/+/30309/comment/a7c9c6d5_bacf7332/ for
+/// details.
+#[test]
+fn key_order_deep_force() {
+    let result = Evaluation::builder_pure().build().evaluate(
+        /* code = */
+        r#"builtins.toXML {
+          c = throw "ccc";
+          a = throw "aaa";
+          b = throw "bbb";
+          d = throw "dd";
+        }"#,
+        None,
+    );
+    assert_eq!(result.errors.len(), 1);
+
+    assert_matches!(
+        &result.errors[0].kind,
+        ErrorKind::CatchableError(CatchableErrorKind::Throw(s)) if s.as_ref() == "\"aaa\""
+    );
+}