diff --git a/tempest/common/xml_utils.py b/tempest/common/xml_utils.py
index b1bf789..7d460a4 100644
--- a/tempest/common/xml_utils.py
+++ b/tempest/common/xml_utils.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #    under the License.
 
 import collections
+import copy
 
 XMLNS_11 = "http://docs.openstack.org/compute/api/v1.1"
 XMLNS_V3 = "http://docs.openstack.org/compute/api/v1.1"
@@ -78,16 +79,19 @@
 
 class Document(Element):
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        if 'version' not in kwargs:
-            kwargs['version'] = '1.0'
-        if 'encoding' not in kwargs:
-            kwargs['encoding'] = 'UTF-8'
         Element.__init__(self, '?xml', *args, **kwargs)
 
     def __str__(self):
-        args = " ".join(['%s="%s"' %
-                        (k, v if v is not None else "")
-                        for k, v in self._attrs.items()])
+        attrs = copy.copy(self._attrs)
+        # pop the required standard attrs out and render in required
+        # order.
+        vers = attrs.pop('version', '1.0')
+        enc = attrs.pop('encoding', 'UTF-8')
+        args = 'version="%s" encoding="%s"' % (vers, enc)
+        if attrs:
+            args = " ".join([args] + ['%s="%s"' %
+                            (k, v if v is not None else "")
+                            for k, v in attrs.items()])
         string = '<?xml %s?>\n' % args
         for element in self._elements:
             string += str(element)
diff --git a/tempest/tests/test_xml_utils.py b/tempest/tests/test_xml_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..53e31c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tempest/tests/test_xml_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#
+# Copyright 2014 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+# not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+# a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+# WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+# License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+from tempest.common import xml_utils
+from tempest.tests import base
+
+
+class TestDocumentXML(base.TestCase):
+    def test_xml_document_ordering_version_encoding(self):
+        expected = '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>'
+        xml_out = str(xml_utils.Document())
+        self.assertEqual(expected, xml_out.strip())
+
+        xml_out = str(xml_utils.Document(encoding='UTF-8', version='1.0'))
+        self.assertEqual(expected, xml_out.strip())
+
+        xml_out = str(xml_utils.Document(version='1.0', encoding='UTF-8'))
+        self.assertEqual(expected, xml_out.strip())
+
+    def test_xml_document_additonal_attrs(self):
+        expected = '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" foo="bar"?>'
+        xml_out = str(xml_utils.Document(foo='bar'))
+        self.assertEqual(expected, xml_out.strip())