diff --git a/lib/puppet/feature/base.rb b/lib/puppet/feature/base.rb
index 2eddadb7a..cecc1b9ad 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/feature/base.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/feature/base.rb
@@ -1,63 +1,65 @@
 require 'puppet/util/feature'
 
 # Add the simple features, all in one file.
 
+# Order is important as some features depend on others
+
+# We have a syslog implementation
+Puppet.features.add(:syslog, :libs => ["syslog"])
+
+# We can use POSIX user functions
+Puppet.features.add(:posix) do
+  require 'etc'
+  Etc.getpwuid(0) != nil && Puppet.features.syslog?
+end
+
+# We can use Microsoft Windows functions
+Puppet.features.add(:microsoft_windows) do
+  begin
+    require 'sys/admin'
+    require 'win32/process'
+    require 'win32/dir'
+    require 'win32/service'
+    require 'win32ole'
+    require 'win32/api'
+    true
+  rescue LoadError => err
+    warn "Cannot run on Microsoft Windows without the sys-admin, win32-process, win32-dir & win32-service gems: #{err}" unless Puppet.features.posix?
+  end
+end
+
+raise Puppet::Error,"Cannot determine basic system flavour" unless Puppet.features.posix? or Puppet.features.microsoft_windows?
+
 # We've got LDAP available.
 Puppet.features.add(:ldap, :libs => ["ldap"])
 
 # We have the Rdoc::Usage library.
 Puppet.features.add(:usage, :libs => %w{rdoc/ri/ri_paths rdoc/usage})
 
 # We have libshadow, useful for managing passwords.
 Puppet.features.add(:libshadow, :libs => ["shadow"])
 
 # We're running as root.
 Puppet.features.add(:root) { require 'puppet/util/suidmanager'; Puppet::Util::SUIDManager.root? }
 
 # We've got mongrel available
 Puppet.features.add(:mongrel, :libs => %w{rubygems mongrel puppet/network/http_server/mongrel})
 
 # We have lcs diff
 Puppet.features.add :diff, :libs => %w{diff/lcs diff/lcs/hunk}
 
 # We have augeas
 Puppet.features.add(:augeas, :libs => ["augeas"])
 
 # We have RRD available
 Puppet.features.add(:rrd_legacy, :libs => ["RRDtool"])
 Puppet.features.add(:rrd, :libs => ["RRD"])
 
 # We have OpenSSL
 Puppet.features.add(:openssl, :libs => ["openssl"])
 
-# We have a syslog implementation
-Puppet.features.add(:syslog, :libs => ["syslog"])
-
-# We can use POSIX user functions
-Puppet.features.add(:posix) do
-  require 'etc'
-  Etc.getpwuid(0) != nil && Puppet.features.syslog?
-end
-
-# We can use Microsoft Windows functions
-Puppet.features.add(:microsoft_windows) do
-  begin
-    require 'sys/admin'
-    require 'win32/process'
-    require 'win32/dir'
-    require 'win32/service'
-    require 'win32ole'
-    require 'win32/api'
-    true
-  rescue LoadError => err
-    warn "Cannot run on Microsoft Windows without the sys-admin, win32-process, win32-dir & win32-service gems: #{err}" unless Puppet.features.posix?
-  end
-end
-
-raise Puppet::Error,"Cannot determine basic system flavour" unless Puppet.features.posix? or Puppet.features.microsoft_windows?
-
 # We have CouchDB
 Puppet.features.add(:couchdb, :libs => ["couchrest"])
 
 # We have sqlite
 Puppet.features.add(:sqlite, :libs => ["sqlite3"])